Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety3#15,148/15,637
Economy58#6,591/15,631
Housing52#7,161/14,977
Health30#10,911/15,609
Healthcare66#5,392/15,650
Environment16#12,908/15,453
Education27#11,411/15,649
Infrastructure55#7,083/15,650
Community29#11,041/15,651
Leisure & amenities60#6,259/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Lawrence, Indiana ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Marion County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

New business applications · high22.5 /1k
94/100Indiana 12.9 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauMarion County value
Distance to an emergency room · low3.2 mi
89/100Indiana 5.2 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesMarion County value
Average weekly wage · high$1,551
86/100Indiana $1,251United States $1,5142025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsMarion County value
Drinking water violations · low0
86/100Indiana 0United States 02024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMarion County value
Dentists · high95 /100k
85/100Indiana 61 /100kUnited States 75 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMarion County value
Distance to an Amtrak station · low7 mi
85/100Indiana 29 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauMarion County value

Weaknesses

Homicide rate · high14.6 /100k
3/100Indiana 5.6 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataMarion County value
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) · high9.9 µg/m³
3/100Indiana 8.8 µg/m³United States 8.0 µg/m³2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyMarion County value
Drug overdose deaths · high32.2 /100k
7/100Indiana 18.5 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataMarion County value
Injury deaths · high137 /100k
7/100Indiana 96 /100kUnited States 87 /100k2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMarion County value
Median Air Quality Index · high54
7/1002025U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyMarion County value
Violent crime rate · high549 /100k
8/100Indiana 254 /100kUnited States 328 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationMarion County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Child poverty rateImproving
23.5% (2015-2019) → 9.6% (2020-2024)
−14 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
78.4% (2015-2019) → 92.2% (2020-2024)
+14 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Poverty rateImproving
14.8% (2015-2019) → 8.7% (2020-2024)
−6.1 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
Median household incomeImproving
$56,819 (2015-2019) → $74,022 (2020-2024)
+30%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Home price to income ratioWorsening
2.6× (2015-2019) → 3.1× (2020-2024)
+19%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×
New homes permittedImproving
1.0 /1k (2021) → 1.2 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
+15%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Lawrence, Indiana improved on 5 of 14 measures with a comparison and declined on 1. 8 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved5

Child poverty−14 points23.5% → 9.6%
Poverty−6.1 points14.8% → 8.7%
Inequality−0.0460.449 → 0.403
Broadband+14 points78.4% → 92.2%
Household income+30%$56,819 → $74,022

Declined1

Price / income+0.5×2.6× → 3.1×

All 14 measures

Change of every measure of Lawrence, Indiana between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	26.5 min2015-2019	24.7 min2020-2024	−1.8 min	Within the margin of error	69%
Bachelor's degree or higher	33.5%2015-2019	35.6%2020-2024	+2.1 points	Within the margin of error	43%
Broadband subscriptions	78.4%2015-2019	92.2%2020-2024	+14 points	Improved	75%
Child poverty rate	23.5%2015-2019	9.6%2020-2024	−14 points	Improved	88%
Effective property tax rate	0.91%2015-2019	0.84%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	28%
High school diploma or higher	87.7%2015-2019	89.1%2020-2024	+1.4 points	Within the margin of error	52%
Home price to income ratio	2.6×2015-2019	3.1×2020-2024	+0.5×	Declined	48%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4492015-2019	0.4032020-2024	−0.046	Improved	82%
Median household income	$56,8192015-2019	$74,0222020-2024	+30%	Improved	56%
Poverty rate	14.8%2015-2019	8.7%2020-2024	−6.1 points	Improved	84%
Rent as share of income	31.0%2015-2019	32.0%2020-2024	+1 points	Within the margin of error	47%
Rent-burdened households	51.5%2015-2019	53.7%2020-2024	+2.3 points	Within the margin of error	48%
Unemployment rate	5.7%2015-2019	4.5%2020-2024	−1.2 points	Within the margin of error	73%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	12.9%2015-2019	10.2%2020-2024	−2.6 points	Within the margin of error	74%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Lawrence, Indiana five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Lawrence, Indiana in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Lawrence, Indiana itself moved +4.8 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

49,517 residents (±55)

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69
50–59
40–49
30–39
20–29
10–19
Under 10

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 50–59 men (−2.1 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

49,517 residents (±55)

Lawrence, Indiana
Indiana share

White46%22,847
Black28%14,076
Hispanic or Latino18%8,899
Asian2.0%†993
American Indian and Alaska Native0.0%†24
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander0.1%†61
Other or two or more races5.3%2,617

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: White (−8.4 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B03002View table on data.census.gov

Education

31,509 residents (±996)

Lawrence, Indiana
Indiana share

No high school diploma11%3,431
High school or GED26%8,260
Some college17%5,471
Associate degree10.0%3,135
Bachelor's degree24%7,427
Graduate degree12%3,785

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B15003View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

19,579 households (±699)

Lawrence, Indiana
Indiana share

Under $25k13%2,604
$25k–50k19%3,788
$50k–75k18%3,586
$75k–100k14%2,799
$100k–150k16%3,077
$150k–200k13%2,527
$200k or more6.1%1,198

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Under $25k (−8.3 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

19,579 households (±699)

Lawrence, Indiana
Indiana share

Own66%12,941
Rent34%6,638

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

6,568 households (±786)

Lawrence, Indiana
Indiana share

Under $7509.0%†588
$750–1,00024%†1,547
$1,000–1,50040%2,637

Home values

12,941 homes (±686)

Lawrence, Indiana
Indiana share

Under $150k28%3,587
$150k–250k29%3,747
$250k–400k33%4,287

Age of homes

20,422 homes (±683)

Lawrence, Indiana
Indiana share

2010 or later8.6%1,757
2000–200918%3,627
1980–199939%7,901

Size of homes

20,422 homes (±683)

Lawrence, Indiana
Indiana share

Studio1.7%†346
1 bedroom6.9%1,415
2 bedrooms27%5,417

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

25,831 workers (±994)

Lawrence, Indiana
Indiana share

Drive alone72%18,655
Carpool11%2,836
Public transit0.0%0
Walk0.7%†178
Bike0.2%†44
Work from home15%3,774
Other1.3%†344

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Drive alone (−13.1 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

22,057 workers (±1,049)

Lawrence, Indiana
Indiana share

Under 15 min23%5,135
15–29 min40%8,904
30–44 min27%6,051

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Marion County, the county holding most of Lawrence's residents.

Marion County has 24,248 employer establishments, 247 for every 10,000 residents (1.00× the US rate of 248; 1.09× Indiana's), with 544,147 paid employees at an average annual pay of $69,754. The Census Bureau also counts 86,661 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 24,248; 86,661 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 247; US 248 · Indiana 226
Paid employees: 544,147
Average annual pay: $69,754; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Marion County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	1,950	19.9	0.95×About typical	38,081	$86,438	3,555
Restaurants and other eating places	1,868	19.1	1.04×About typical	38,551	$22,704	552
Lessors of real estate	1,343	13.7	1.11×About typical	10,338	$85,249	6,889
Specialty trade contractors	1,281	13.1	0.84×About typical	20,762	$78,129	5,562
Limited-service restaurants	895	9.1	1.14×About typical	17,190	$19,561	223
Full-service restaurants	775	7.9	1.03×About typical	18,825	$25,827	231
Religious organizations	652	6.7	1.20×About typical	7,568	$31,330	—
Management, scientific and technical consulting	607	6.2	0.92×About typical	10,204	$82,135	2,502
Services to buildings and dwellings	594	6.1	0.90×About typical	6,834	$36,457	5,287
Truck transportation	561	5.7	1.13×About typical	10,979	$66,492	4,077
Construction of buildings	559	5.7	0.75×Fewer than typical	8,012	$93,048	2,494
Individual and family services	558	5.7	2.03×More than typical	10,494	$35,974	737

Rank places for an industry Open Marion County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 980,327 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $14.2M of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Lawrence, Indiana: $286 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $14.2M; +47% vs FY2025
Per resident: $286; US $1,994
Sole-source: 14%; US 30%
Single offer: 5.6%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

U.S. Customs and Border Protection$6.5M46%
Defense Finance and Accounting Service$3.3M23%
Department of the Army$1.2M8.8%
Department of the Navy$841.9K5.9%
Department of Veterans Affairs$795.2K5.6%
Public Buildings Service$727.8K5.1%
Defense Commissary Agency$406.4K2.9%
Defense Health Agency$118.4K0.8%

Top recipients

DEXTERA CORP$6.5M46%
CREATIVE SOLUTIONS CONSULTING INC$2.7M19%
ROCHE DIAGNOSTICS CORPORATION$970K6.8%
GW COMMERCIAL SERVICES INC$766.8K5.4%
SCIENCE APPLICATIONS INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION$515.2K3.6%

Spending by fiscal year

10MFY2017
19.5MFY2018
11.3MFY2019
13MFY2020
11.6MFY2021
70.9MFY2022
21.4MFY2023
28.9M

Top industries (NAICS)

Accounting, tax preparation, bookkeeping, and payroll services · 5412$6.5M46%
Computer systems design and related services · 5415$3.3M23%
Navigational, measuring, electromedical, and control instruments manufacturing · 3345$744.3K5.2%
Nonresidential building construction · 2362$550K3.9%
Services to buildings and dwellings · 5617$486.4K3.4%

Largest awards whose ZIP code lies mostly in Lawrence, Indiana

MTEF/SSEF BUILDING CONSTRUCTION.$17.5M
KREMPP CONSTRUCTION INC· Marion County, IN· Construction & real property· Dec 8, 2023 – Jun 2, 2026· W912QR24C0001
DEFENSE DEPARTMENTAL REPORTING SYSTEM SUPPORT$9.6M
CREATIVE SOLUTIONS CONSULTING INC· Marion County, IN· IT & telecom· Feb 24, 2022 – Feb 25, 2026· HQ042322F0022
THE CONTRACTOR SHALL PROVIDE ACCOUNTING CLERKS, ACCOUNTANTS, PROGRAM ANALYSTS, PROJECT MANAGERS AND BUSINESS ANALYSTS TO SUPPORT CBP OFFICE OF FINANCE.$6.5M
DEXTERA CORP· Marion County, IN· Professional services· Sep 16, 2026 – Sep 16, 2026· 70B01C26F00000752
SHELF STOCKING, RECEIVING/STORAGE/HOLDING AREA AND CUSTODIAL OPERATIONS

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Lawrence, Indiana, so they do not add up across cities.

Lawrence, Indiana's figures are part of those of Marion County, IN ($1.9B in FY2026), never added to them: 0.7% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Lawrence is mostly in Marion County.

See federal money in Marion County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Lawrence, Indiana is split between congressional districts: each representative is shown with the share of its residents in their district (current boundaries).

House

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Marion County41100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN68

Other cities and towns in Marion County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/1842426

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends