Watertower, 2014
Vandalia’s story
176 years in pictures
Census counts: 439 in 1880, 318 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2014 and 2 maps from 1948 on.
- 1850Vandalia is settled
VandaliaMI
The town was settled in 1850 and has 327 residents today.
Population
327
2025 Census estimate · −2.4% since 2020
Typical home
$348K
+6% in a year
Household income
$70K
median
Median age
26.2
years
Jobs based here
26
A commuter town
Is Vandalia a good place to live?
Vandalia’s midpoint age is 26.2 years, below both Michigan’s towns (42.5 years) and U.S. towns (40.5 years). Among 702 Michigan towns, just 5 have a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Vandalia. Vandalia has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
327 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Vandalia: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Vandalia, and how to reach them.
PowerMidwest Energy Cooperative19.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet4 providers95% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Vandalia’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Michigan you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections herePenn Township ClerkPenn Township; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code4909549095 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Vandalia.
Natural hazards
The biggest natural risk in Vandalia is inland flooding, at a very low overall level
In Vandalia, the risk rating from FEMA is 13 of 100. Expected losses in Vandalia break down as 57% from inland flooding and 13% from tornadoes. Also worth knowing: households in the town have drawn federal disaster aid in 3 declared disasters, most recently in 2004.
13risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commute
With only 0.2 jobs per working resident, most people in Vandalia work out of town
For residents in Vandalia, the share who live below the poverty line is 3.9%. Commuting out is the norm here: 2% of working residents work locally. The typical journey to work in the town is 30 minutes. The top destinations are Elkhart (11%), LaGrange Township (8%) and Penn Township (7%).
2%work in town
| Vandalia | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 30 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 3.9% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.6% | 5.9% | 8% |
| Median household income | $70,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Vandalia2%
Elkhart11%
LaGrange Township8%
Penn Township7%
Mishawaka6%
20 mi
median commute distance
26
jobs based in Vandalia
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Housing
A typical Vandalia home is worth about $348K
Typical home values rose 6% in the year to September 2026. Vandalia: 69% of households own their home. For Vandalia, the typical rent is $1,217 a month.
$348KZillow home value
| Vandalia | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 69% | 84% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,217 a month | $1,046 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Vandalia$348K
Michigan$264K
+6%
value change, 1 year
0
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers: that is Vandalia’s year
The range runs from 17° on a January night to 83° on a July afternoon, with about 41 inches of snow a winter.
41″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter20–34°
Spring37–58°
Summer59–81°
Fall42–61°
Oct 17
typical first frost
Apr 30
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Vandalia is
38% of adults have high blood pressure in Vandalia. Two figures for adults locally: 15% binge drink, 13% have diabetes.
| Vandalia | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 34% | 36% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 17% | 16% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 12% | 12% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Michigan
1 better31 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Vandalia | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 7.6% | 8.9% |
Ascension Borgess Lee Hospital
11 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
Open space protected for good: 0.5% of Vandalia
Trails total 0.5 miles in 2 parks and preserves.
0.5%conserved
| Vandalia | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.5% | 4.4% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.5 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
0.5%
conserved · 3 of 629 acres
0.5 mi
of trails · 0.5 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Milo Barnes Park | — | 4 |
| 2. Napolean Fields Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 27 attractions →Notre Dame Stadium and 15 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Vandalia. Close and well known come first.
Big draw23 mi Stadium & arenaNotre Dame Stadium
28 mi Theme parkAir Zoo
23 mi CaveGrotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, Notre Dame
19 mi Ancient siteFort St. Joseph
35 mi State parkWarren Dunes State Park
25 mi MuseumStudebaker National MuseumSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Notre Dame Stadium: Tysto, Public domain · Air Zoo: User:my name, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, Notre Dame: Know1one1, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fort St. Joseph: Chris Light (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Warren Dunes State Park: hakkun, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Studebaker National Museum: Unknown, Public domain
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Keep exploring
Everything we know about Vandalia
18pages on Vandalia
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Vandalia
About 1 of every 100 Vandalia residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Vandalia for work
Where Vandalia’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
26jobs based in Vandalia
2%of working residents work in town
20 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2021
About Vandalia
Village in Michigan, United States
Vandalia is a village in Penn Township within Cass County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 318 at the 2020 census. It is part of the South Bend–Mishawaka, IN-MI, Metropolitan Statistical Area sometimes referred to as Michiana.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 879 ft
- ZIP code
- 49095
Questions about Vandalia
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Vandalia, MI a good place to live?
Vandalia has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What is Vandalia, MI known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Clifford Mishler and Basil W. Brown.