Cemetery at Greene County Chapel, 2011
Van Buren Township’s story
Van Buren Township in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2011 and 3 maps from 1908 on.
Explore the history →
Van Buren TownshipIN
A town of 12,634. Public schools that outperform most of Indiana.
4 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Nyttend · Public domain
Population
12,634
2025 Census estimate · −1.4% since 2020
Median home value
$231K
Census ACS
Household income
$74K
median
Median age
37.0
years
Jobs based here
4,743
Balanced
TownGrade
A−
#139 of 585 in IN
Is Van Buren Township a good place to live?
Van Buren Township is a solid, middle-of-the-road choice. It grades A− overall, ranked 139th of 585 in Indiana, with no subject far below average. Its best mark is schools: its public schools beat 84% of Indiana towns on state tests and graduation. A typical home there costs about $231K, 3.5 years of the Bloomington metro’s $66K median household income. Only 23 of Indiana’s 1,098 towns score lower on history. Van Buren Township’s average trip to work is 19 minutes, below both Indiana’s towns (24 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). The biggest place to walk is Karst Farm Park, 117 acres with 2 miles of trail.
StrongestA−Schools
What makes Van Buren Township stand out
Where Van Buren Township beats most towns.
How Van Buren Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Indiana), ordered by how far Van Buren Township is from typical.
SchoolsA−Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 24% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listB+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 8 of 20; 2.8% of households have no car; 2.6% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB+Open →HealthMonroe Hospital 2.9 miles awayBOpen →Cost of livingBOpen →Jobs & income$74K median household incomeB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors2% conserved landC+Open →HistoryDOpen →Civic life2.7 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsBOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Van Buren Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Van Buren Township, and how to reach them.
PowerDuke Energy15.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Bloomington Utilities1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers98% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNearest public drop-offSouth Walnut Recycling Center, 4 miOpenStreetMap
Register to voteOnlineIn Indiana you can register online until 29 days before Election Day, in person until 29 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 29 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereMonroe County Election CentralMonroe County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP code4740347403 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Van Buren Township.
Van Buren Township trades workers with Bloomington and other neighbors and looks healthier within Indiana than nationally.
SchoolsA−
Van Buren Township’s grade for schools is an A−
Its public schools are run by Monroe County Community School Corp. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
84%of IN districts it outscoresA−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grandview Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 417 | C |
| Excel Center - BloomingtonLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 117 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IN on state tests and graduation
#226for trails in IN
| Van Buren Township | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.5% | 1.9% | 4.3% |
2.5%
conserved · 561 of 22,186 acres
6.9 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Karst Farm Park | 2 mi | 117 |
| 2. Leonard Springs Nature Park | 1.8 mi | 86 |
| 3. Monroe County Fair Grounds | 0.8 mi | 85 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B+
Low risk in Van Buren Township, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 76% of U.S. communities. Since 2004, 9 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Van Buren Township.
24risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesEarthquakes
9
paid flood claims since 2004
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Van Buren Township has four seasons and pleasant summers
Van Buren Township has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 20° and about 18 inches of snow falls in a winter.
18″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter23–40°
Spring42–63°
Summer62–83°
Fall43–65°
Oct 22
typical first frost
Apr 17
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
About two in five of Van Buren Township’s working residents commute to Bloomington
Van Buren Township has about as many jobs (4,743) as working residents, but only 390 people both live and work here.
Most working residents leave Van Buren Township for work: only 8% work in town. Jobs based in Van Buren Township fell to 4,743 in 2023, 625 fewer than in 2013. The top destinations are Bloomington (42%), Indianapolis (9%) and Richland Township (8%).
8%work in town
| Van Buren Township | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 10% | 7.8% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 7.6% | 11% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 8.7% | 10% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Van Buren Township8%
Bloomington42%
Indianapolis9%
Richland Township8%
Spencer4%
6 mi
median commute distance
4,743
jobs based in Van Buren Township
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
B+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 67% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthB
Residents of Van Buren Township are healthier than 58% of U.S. towns
Within Indiana it is healthier than 81% of the 589 graded towns: much of Indiana scores lower on these measures.
Van Buren Township beats the Indiana average on 7 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 37% of adults feel lonely in Van Buren Township.
58%healthier than U.S. townsBHealth Grade
| Van Buren Township | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 32% | 33% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 39% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 26% | 23% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 37% | 36% |
32 measures vs. Indiana
7 better25 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Van Buren Township | IN |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 10.8% | 13% |
| Fewer adults with high blood pressure | 32.2% | 37.8% |
Monroe Hospital
2.9 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
81st
percentile among IN towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Who lives here
An age mix much like Indiana’s
No broad age group is more than 4 points off the Indiana average. 33% of Van Buren Township adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more.
37median age · IN 38.1
| Van Buren Township | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 33% | 22% | 29% |
| Median age | 37 years | 39.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 16% | 18% | 18% |
Van Buren TownshipIndianaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
17%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma5%
High school31%
Some college21%
Associate’s10%
Bachelor’s21%
Graduate13%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±2.2 points. Across Indiana, 50.4% of residents are women.
| Van Buren Township | IN | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 12.6% | 12.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.7% | 10.9% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5.8% | 9.6% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 16.5% | 13.1% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 14% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.8% | 12.5% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 8.4% | 10.1% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.3% | 6.7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5.1% | 9.6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 30.7% | 32.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 20.6% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.2% | 9.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 20.6% | 18.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 12.8% | 10.8% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Nearby attractions
All 43 attractions →Memorial Stadium and 6 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Van Buren Township. Close and well known come first.
7 mi Stadium & arenaMemorial Stadium
7 mi Stadium & arenaSimon Skjodt Assembly Hall
39 mi MuseumMiller House and Garden
7 mi MuseumEskenazi Museum of Art
7 mi TheatreIndiana University Auditorium38 mi GardenMill Race ParkSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Memorial Stadium: Durin at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall: Sean Benham from Chicago, CC BY 2.0 · Miller House and Garden: Nyttend, Public domain · Eskenazi Museum of Art: Kzollman (Kevin J.S. Zollman)., CC BY-SA 3.0 · Indiana University Auditorium: Gottscho-Schleisner Collection, Public domain
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Van Buren Township
18pages on Van Buren Township
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Van Buren Township
About 6 of every 100 Van Buren Township residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Indiana.
About Van Buren Township
Township in Indiana, United States
Van Buren Township is one of eleven townships in Monroe County, Indiana, United States. As of the 2010 census, its population was 11,981 and it contained 5,347 housing units.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 35 sq mi
- Elevation
- 925 ft
Van Buren Township’s neighbors
4 towns share a border with Van Buren Township.
Perry TownshipIndian Creek TownshipBeech Creek TownshipRichland TownshipVan Buren Township
How the neighbors grade
| Town | IN rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Van Buren Township | #139 | A− | B | — | A− | B |
| Perry Township | #228 | B+ | D | — | A− | B+ |
| Indian Creek Township | — | — | C+ | — | A− | B |
| Beech Creek Township | — | — | B | — | C+ | C |
| Richland Township | #217 | B+ | B | — | B+ | B |
Indian Creek Township and Beech Creek Township have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Van Buren Township, Perry Township, Indian Creek Township, Beech Creek Township and Richland Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Van Buren Township with a neighbor →
Questions about Van Buren Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Van Buren Township, IN a good place to live?
By most measures, yes. Van Buren Township grades A− overall, better than 80% of U.S. towns and #139 of 585 in Indiana. It grades B for health and A− for schools.
Is Van Buren Township, IN expensive?
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.