Van Buren Public Library, 115 South First Street
Van Buren Township’s story
Van Buren Township in pictures
The archive holds 1 old photo or paper and a map from 1952 on.
Explore the history →Van Buren TownshipIN
It is a town of 1,436 residents in Indiana.
Population
1,436
2025 Census estimate · −1.2% since 2020
Median home value
$328K
Census ACS
Household income
$96K
median
Median age
43.0
years
Jobs based here
235
A commuter town
Is Van Buren Township a good place to live?
The best of Van Buren Township’s subject grades are an A− for incomes, schools, and civic life; the weakest is a D for walkability. Van Buren Township’s average commute is 43 minutes, above both Indiana’s towns (24 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). Van Buren Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Small town
1,436 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Hanover TownshipMarion TownshipBrandywine TownshipMoral TownshipBrandywine TownshipVan Buren Township
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.
WalkabilityEPA walkability 3.2 of 20; 0% of households have no car; 1.1% of workers walk, bike or ride transitDOpen →Jobs & incomeIn the top fifth of the towns comparedA−Open →SchoolsBeat 77% of Indiana districts on tests and graduationA−Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 33% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listB+Open →HealthMajor Hospital 7.1 miles awayCOpen →Cost of livingTypical home $328K, 4.1 years of the Indianapolis metro’s $80K median household incomeBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksD−Open →HistoryAbout average among the towns comparedB−Open →Civic life4.1 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsA−Open →
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
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Van Buren Township’s trash rules yet
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 hereShelby County Circuit Court ClerkShelby County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP codes46130, 46161, 46176, 4612646130 66% · 46161 22% · 46176 7% · 46126 2%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.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A−
Van Buren Township has 0.3 jobs per working resident, so most workers leave town for work
In Van Buren Township, 2% of working residents work locally. Employers in Van Buren Township shed 192 jobs between 2013 and 2023, to 235. The median household income for Van Buren Township comes to $96,000. The top destinations are Indianapolis (27%), Shelbyville (13%) and Morristown (9%).
2%work in town
| Van Buren Township | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 2% | 11% | 8% |
| Median household income | $96,000 | $71,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 6.2% | 10% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Van Buren Township2%
Indianapolis27%
Shelbyville13%
Morristown9%
Greenfield8%
18 mi
median commute distance
235
jobs based in Van Buren Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
D
Walkability grade: more walkable than 11% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthC
Health in Van Buren Township trails 66% of U.S. towns
For adults in Van Buren Township, the share who smoke cigarettes is 17%. Against the Indiana average, Van Buren Township comes out ahead on 4 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 1. Among adults in the town, 41% have obesity and 34% sleep under 7 hours.
34%healthier than U.S. townsCHealth Grade
| Van Buren Township | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 26% | 23% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 39% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 37% | 36% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 17% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Indiana
4 better27 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Van Buren Township | IN |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 7% | 8.4% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 12.3% | 14.7% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.2% | 8.3% |
Major Hospital
7.1 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Van Buren Township: four seasons and pleasant summers
A winter brings about 20 inches of snow, with January nights at 21° and July afternoons at 85°.
20″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter23–39°
Spring42–63°
Summer63–84°
Fall44–65°
Oct 22
typical first frost
Apr 17
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B+
Van Buren Township faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Compared with 67% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage in Van Buren Township is lower. Expected losses in Van Buren Township break down as 48% from inland flooding and 29% from tornadoes. This Indiana town has had 14 paid flood insurance claims since 2002.
33risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesEarthquakes
14
paid flood claims since 2002
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Who lives here
Older than Indiana overall
Van Buren Township’s median age is 43 years. People 65 and older are just over a fifth of residents (17% statewide). Four-year graduates: 30% of adults 25 and older here, 30% across Indiana.
43median age · IN 38.1
| Van Buren Township | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 21% | 18% | 18% |
| Median age | 43 years | 39.4 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 30% | 22% | 29% |
Van Buren TownshipIndianaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
15%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma7%
High school34%
Some college19%
Associate’s11%
Bachelor’s23%
Graduate7%
Women and men · all residents
44% women, 56% men
About 127 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±4 points). Across Indiana, 50.4% of residents are women.
| Van Buren Township | IN | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10.2% | 12.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.7% | 10.9% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.2% | 9.6% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 12.7% | 13.1% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.8% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.2% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.8% | 12.5% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 12% | 10.1% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 9.4% | 6.7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 7% | 9.6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 33.6% | 32.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 19% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.9% | 9.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 22.8% | 18.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 6.7% | 10.8% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,400, single groups can be off by several points
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Van Buren Township
17pages on Van Buren Township
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Van Buren Township; the nearest are
University of IndianapolisUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Indianapolis18.5 mi$37,200 tuitionIndiana University-IndianapolisUniversity or college · Public · Indianapolis21.6 mi$10,762 in-state tuitionIvy Tech Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Indianapolis21.8 mi$5,154 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Van Buren Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Indiana.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Van Buren Township for work
Where Van Buren Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
235jobs based in Van Buren Township
2%of working residents work in town
18 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Van Buren Township
Township in Indiana, United States
Van Buren Township is one of fourteen townships in Shelby County, Indiana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 1,480 and it contained 622 housing units. The township was named for Martin Van Buren, the eighth President of the United States.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 28 sq mi
- Elevation
- 837 ft
Questions about Van Buren Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
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.