small towns (Indianapolis, Bloomington, Lafayette: low crime, homes, good schools)

[skgentry88]

Hi we are considering a move from Colorado. Are there any small family oriented towns in the area that have a pretty main street and are low in crime AND drugs? We are concerned about what seems to be a drug problem plaguing Indiana extra hard, but know you can't just read on the internet.

We will homeschool and our children are toddlers.

It really can be anywhere in Indiana, drawn to the south because of we read the topography is better but is the drug problem worse there?

We are used to snow but read it can be very overcast? We are used to sunshine! Is this true? Is it very windy here?

Thank you so much for any input!

[sheerbliss]

Colorado transplant here. Indiana is less sunny than Colorado, but it's still mostly sunny. It's also more humid. Whether that's good is bad is personal preference. Winters here are a lot colder, but it isn't very windy any time of year.

Meth labs tend to be in rural areas; opioid use is correlated with low socioeconomic status. That said, if your kids are determined to use drugs, they'll use them no matter where you live.

I think Carmel would offer most of what you're looking for: safe, pretty, low in crime, and family-oriented.

[gemstone1]

IMO, Carmel is not small, a suburb of Indy...but by all means stay out of Scott County.

Regards
Gemstone1

[popcorn247]

Check out Lafayette, Indiana.

[BabyBear1234]

Grabill IN...small town but close to Ft. Wayne for anything you may need. lots of Amish in the rural areas...make of that what you will

[gemstone1]

Mishawaka......? The overall crime rate in Mishawaka is 72% lower than the national average. For every 100,000 people, there are 2.14 daily crimes that occur in Mishawaka. Mishawaka is safer than 65% of the cities in the United States. In Mishawaka you have a 1 in 129 chance of becoming a victim of any crime.

[sheerbliss]

Originally Posted by gemstone1

IMO, Carmel is not small, a suburb of Indy...but by all means stay out of Scott County.

Regards
Gemstone1

It's not a small town, but it offers most of what the OP is looking for, plus a lot more opportunities than there are in small towns here.

[Ivory Lee Spurlock]

I hear Columbus is the nicest mid-sized small town in Indiana that is not a college town or a suburb. It's one of the few, if not the only mid size cities in Indiana that has never had a population decline from one census to the next, beginning in 1850, so that speaks volumes for the city, in my opinion.

Columbus is clean, safe, well kept, good schools, and good architecture. It's about 40,000 people, and a good central location - about 30 miles from where I-465 and I-65 intersect on the far southside of Indianapolis, about 30 miles east of Bloomington, about 70 miles north of the Ohio River in Louisville metro. Maybe 80 miles NW of Cincinatti metro I am guessing.

Columbus is one of the most prosperous cities in Indiana with only about 7% living in poverty. However, Columbus is not very diverse at about 86% white, and Bartholomew County is even less diverse than that. It's also worth noting Columbus is mostly conservative community. Columbus is home to VP Pence and Bartholomew County did not vote for Obama either time, in 2008 or 2012. So depending on your outlook on diversity and politics, this could be a positive or a negative for you.

I'm sure there's some really good videos about Columbus, Indiana on YouTube.

[WestsideMac]

I'd agree on Columbus. I posted that as a potential city for another thread. Ivory Lee Spurlock mentioned most of the pluses though I'd assume ( I know I shouldn't do that) you probably enjoy outdoor activities. Columbus would be great for that. It's only a hop, a skip and a jump from Brown County State Park and rivers and other activities. They also have some great running paths in the area.

If you want a truly small town look at Nadhville, IN. Has the scenery you are looking for and is about 30 min (more or less) from both Columbus and Bloomington. 1 hour to Indy. It is a very touristy area and cannot speak on the drugs in the area. Good weather it can be packed but does sit at front door of Brown County State Park. Not far from Lake Monrie or other big reservoir lakes in area. Beautiful area and quite a few decent homes and properties, though some rural poverty as well.

North Salem in western Hendricks County might be another potential spot to look. Very close to McCloud Nature Preserve, but close to Turkey Run and Shades Stste Parks. Lots of canoe or kayak fun on Sugar River. I know you said you are homeschooling but for being rural area Tri-west schools are fairly strong. Due to lots of rivers in area its rather pretty snd not just farmland. They have an Old Fashioned Days Festival every year.

Finally as other posters mentioned it is less sunny here than Colorado. But i don't think the difference is that noticeable. Most of our weather is a little more predictable too. Since we don't have mountains that can change weather in different parts of Colorado. The wind also can vary. Really depends to pn topography around you, if you have trees to block wind, etc. Most winds come from the west. So if you do decide to move here snd that might bother you look for properties with trees lining your western property line. Hope that helps.

[Epic Bandage]

How small of a town are you talking? Jasper and Madison are the towns that come to mind based on the limited and somewhat idealized-sounding description of what your are looking for. They are in the southern part of the state and will have that pretty street and low crime you are looking for, and are both relatively far away from the major drug centres.


I haven't been to Denver long enough to have a strong perspective on the weather but it is probably sunnier there. However, we have a good share of sunny days and if there's less, it's probably due to the fact that we have heavier rainfall. Those cloudy days are nice this time of year anyway, and there's a nice breeze most days. The winters go from wet to icy repeatedly here, with very random temperatures throughout. The heavier spring rains make gardening a breeze, summers are sweltering hot/humid, and autumn here is brisk and majestic.