Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Home to 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Sullivan gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $175K, 3.1 years of the Terre Haute metro’s $57K median household income. It grades C+ overall, 417th among Indiana's 585 graded towns. The low prices come with trade-offs. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 88% of the country, and the median household income is $47K, and 20% of residents live below the poverty line. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 95% of U.S. towns, with 3 places on the National Register. On history, just 92 of Indiana’s 1,098 towns do better. Sullivan's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 89% of U.S. towns. Sullivan is more walkable than 71% of U.S. towns.
Where Sullivan beats most towns.
Sherman BuildingEach subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Indiana), ordered by how far Sullivan is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 949 in 1860, 4,264 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1906 and 4 maps from 1943 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Sullivan, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Sullivan.
Sullivan is healthier than towns with similar incomes and trades workers with Hamilton Township and other neighbors.
Against the 4,513 U.S. towns with household incomes like Sullivan’s, it is less healthy than 61%, so its D isn’t only a matter of income.
43% of adults have obesity in Sullivan, against 39% in Indiana’s towns and 35% across U.S. towns. 19% of adults smoke cigarettes in Sullivan. Sullivan beats the Indiana average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 8.
| Sullivan | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 39% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 15% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 17% |
| What stands out | Sullivan | IN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 10.9% | 8.1% |
| More smokers | 19.3% | 15.7% |
| More adults who have had a stroke | 4.3% | 3.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
65% of Sullivan households own their home. The typical Sullivan home is worth about $175,000, up 1.7% in a year, 32% below the Indiana typical home. Sullivan’s median rent is $859 a month.
| Sullivan | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 65% | 76% | 73% |
| Median rent | $859 a month | $947 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Sullivan has chilly winters and warm summers. The July high in Sullivan is 87°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Sullivan has about as many jobs (1,723) as working residents, but only 340 people both live and work here.
About one in 5 of Sullivan’s working residents works in town. Since 2013, Sullivan has lost 214 jobs, to 1,723 in 2023. The top destinations are Hamilton Township (13%), Terre Haute (7%) and Indianapolis (4%).
| Sullivan | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 21% | 11% | 8% |
| Median household income | $47,000 | $71,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 61% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
| Sullivan | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 6.7% | 1.9% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sullivan City Park | 0.1 mi | 11 |
| 2. Court House Square | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Sullivan; the nearest are
About 6 of every 100 Sullivan residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Indiana.
3 places in Sullivan on the National Register of Historic Places.
11 notable people were born in Sullivan.
City in Indiana, United States
Sullivan is a city in Hamilton Township and the county seat of Sullivan County, Indiana, United States. As of the 2020 census, Sullivan had a population of 4,264. It is part of the Terre Haute metropolitan area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Sullivan grades C+ overall, better than 44% of U.S. towns and #417 of 585 in Indiana. It grades D for health and B+ for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.
11 notable people were born here, including William Harrison Hays and Frank Aydelotte.
