Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety100#2/924
Economy52#446/925
Housing66#314/925
Health46#504/925
Healthcare5#881/923
Environment19#746/917
Education13#806/925
Infrastructure5#875/925
Community48#480/925
Leisure & amenities25#698/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Decatur, IN micropolitan area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Property crime rate · low163 /100k
100/100Indiana 1,052 /100kUnited States 1,535 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationAggregated from counties
Income inequality (Gini index) · low0.404
97/100Indiana 0.452United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083
Homicide rate · low0.0 /100k
93/100Indiana 5.6 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Violent crime rate · low89 /100k
93/100Indiana 254 /100kUnited States 328 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationAggregated from counties
Injury deaths · low66 /100k
92/100Indiana 96 /100kUnited States 87 /100k2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Social associations · high15.4 /10k
89/100Indiana 11.8 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

New business applications · low5.9 /1k
0/100Indiana 12.9 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Uninsured residents (under 65) · high23.9%
2/100Indiana 9.0%United States 9.8%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B27010
Broadband subscriptions · low78.4%
3/100Indiana 89.9%United States 91.0%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B28002
Mental health providers · low55 /100k
3/100Indiana 226 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Some college · low46.6%
6/100Indiana 63.1%United States 67.8%2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Bachelor's degree or higher · low16.2%
7/100Indiana 29.5%United States 35.7%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003

Trends

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

Drought exposureWorsening
0% (2021) → 50% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+50 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Distance to an airportWorsening
21 mi (2020) → 70 mi (2025)
+227%5 yearsUS 33 mi → 33 mi
Homicide rateImproving
3.4 /100k (2021) → 0.0 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
−100%5 yearsUS 7.8 /100k → 4.8 /100k
Arts, entertainment and recreationImproving
1.4 /10k (2020) → 2.7 /10k (2025)
+96%5 yearsUS 4.8 /10k → 5.5 /10k
Gyms and fitness centersImproving
0.6 /10k (2020) → 1.1 /10k (2025)
+96%5 yearsUS 1.2 /10k → 1.3 /10k
Child care cost burdenWorsening
17.1% (2020 & 2021) → 28.7% (2023 & 2024)
+12 pts3 yearsUS 24.5% → 27.9%

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, Decatur, IN micropolitan area improved on 13 of 28 measures with a comparison and declined on 3. 8 moved within the margin of error and 4 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved13

Arts & recreation+96%1.4 /10k → 2.7 /10k
Gyms+96%0.6 /10k → 1.1 /10k
Poverty−5.6 points16.8% → 11.2%
Child poverty−11 points24.5% → 14.0%
Traffic deaths−44%18.7 /100k → 10.5 /100k

Declined3

Airport+48 mi21 mi → 70 mi
Commute+2.6 min21.9 min → 24.6 min
Suicides+16%11.9 /100k → 13.8 /100k

All 28 measures

Change of every measure of Decatur, IN micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	1.4 /10k2020	2.7 /10k2025	+96%	Improved	99%
Average commute time	21.9 min2015-2019	24.6 min2020-2024	+2.6 min	Declined	7%
Average weekly wage	$8072020	$9662025	+20%	Improved	19%
Bachelor's degree or higher	15.5%2015-2019	16.2%2020-2024	+0.7 points	Within the margin of error	13%
Broadband subscriptions	71.1%2015-2019	78.4%2020-2024	+7.3 points	Improved	28%
Child poverty rate	24.5%2015-2019	14.0%2020-2024	−11 points	Improved	96%
Distance to an airport	21 mi2020	70 mi2025	+48 mi	Declined	0%
Drug overdose deaths	22.0 /100k2020	9.5 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−57%	Improved	88%
Effective property tax rate	0.69%2015-2019	0.70%2020-2024	+0 points	Within the margin of error	7%
Firearm deaths	9.9 /100k2020	10.3 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+4%	Little change	43%
Grocery stores	1.1 /10k2020	1.1 /10k2025	−2.2%	Little change	41%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.6 /10k2020	1.1 /10k2025	+96%	Improved	95%
High school diploma or higher	84.7%2015-2019	88.9%2020-2024	+4.2 points	Within the margin of error	92%
Home price to income ratio	2.5×2015-2019	2.7×2020-2024	+0.3×	Within the margin of error	73%
Income adjusted for local prices	$44,6822019	$60,0512024	+34%	Improved	68%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4232015-2019	0.4042020-2024	−0.019	Within the margin of error	88%
Median household income	$52,5042015-2019	$65,2892020-2024	+24%	Improved	34%
New business applications	5.3 /1k2020	5.9 /1k2025	+12%	Improved	10%
Pharmacies	1.1 /10k2020	1.1 /10k2025	−2.2%	Little change	64%
Poverty rate	16.8%2015-2019	11.2%2020-2024	−5.6 points	Improved	98%
Public libraries	0.8 /10k2019	0.8 /10k2024	−2.3%	Little change	43%
Rent as share of income	25.2%2015-2019	27.8%2020-2024	+2.6 points	Within the margin of error	15%
Rent-burdened households	37.2%2015-2019	41.3%2020-2024	+4.2 points	Within the margin of error	23%
Restaurants and bars	6.4 /10k2020	7.1 /10k2025	+11%	Improved	81%
Suicide rate	11.9 /100k2020	13.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+16%	Declined	30%
Traffic deaths	18.7 /100k2015-2019	10.5 /100k2020-2024	−44%	Improved	98%
Unemployment rate	6.1%2020	3.4%2025	−2.7 points	Improved	40%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	21.9%2015-2019	23.9%2020-2024	+2 points	Within the margin of error	9%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 879 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. 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 925 metro and micro areas 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.

Metro and micro areas like Decatur, IN micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Decatur, IN micropolitan area 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, Decatur, IN micropolitan area itself moved +4.9 points in standing on average over the same 28 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

36,227 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

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

Household income

12,401 households (±244)

Decatur, IN micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k13%1,615
$25k–50k24%2,974
$50k–75k20%2,499

Homes

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

Owners and renters

12,401 households (±244)

Decatur, IN micropolitan area
United States share

Own83%10,349
Rent17%2,052

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+6.4 points).

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

15,272 workers (±460)

Decatur, IN micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone75%11,429
Carpool13%2,037
Public transit0.1%†18

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 no occupation wages for Decatur, IN micropolitan area.

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.

Decatur, IN has 768 employer establishments, 211 for every 10,000 residents (0.85× the US rate of 248), with 11,967 paid employees at an average annual pay of $48,667. The Census Bureau also counts 3,694 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 768; 3,694 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 211; US 248
Paid employees: 11,967
Average annual pay: $48,667; US $68,342

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

Specialty trade contractors	58	15.9	1.03×About typical	259	$55,278	398
Restaurants and other eating places	43	11.8	0.64×Fewer than typical	785	$15,166	12
Ambulatory health care services	36	9.9	0.47×Fewer than typical	377	$66,143	51
Religious organizations	35	9.6	1.73×More than typical	267	$18,730	—
Automotive repair and maintenance	30	8.2	1.64×More than typical	210	$39,157	47
Truck transportation	29	8	1.57×More than typical	294	$66,741	64
Construction of buildings	27	7.4	0.98×About typical	190	$47,953	1,067
Services to buildings and dwellings	24	6.6	0.98×About typical	75	$32,600	154
Building equipment contractors	21	5.8	0.96×About typical	126	$46,833	51
Insurance agencies and brokerages	21	5.8	1.31×More than typical	59	$56,915	44
Full-service restaurants	20	5.5	0.71×Fewer than typical	378	$13,299	3
Lessors of real estate	20	5.5	0.45×Fewer than typical	103	$43,621	267

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 36,438 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.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
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 contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $11M on contracts performed in Decatur, IN micropolitan area: $299 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $11M; −4.2% vs FY2025
Per resident: $299; US $1,994
Sole-source: 0.0%; US 30%
Single offer: 0.0%; 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

Agricultural Marketing Service$11M100%

Top recipients

RED GOLD, INC.$11M100%

Spending by fiscal year

4MFY2017
5.4MFY2018
5.8MFY2019
2.4MFY2020
10MFY2021
16MFY2022
19.5MFY2023
21.4M

Top industries (NAICS)

Fruit and vegetable preserving and specialty food manufacturing · 3114$11M100%

Largest awards

COMMODITIES FOR USG FOOD DONATIONS: 2000009705/4400001894/4100028585/TOMATO DICED CAN-24/300$7.3M
RED GOLD, INC.· Adams County, IN· Other equipment & supplies· Nov 15, 2023 – Feb 10, 2026· 123J1424F0169
COMMODITIES FOR USG FOOD DONATIONS: 2000011244/4400002445/4100033932/TOMATO DICED CAN-24/300$1.9M
RED GOLD, INC.· Adams County, IN· Other equipment & supplies· Apr 2, 2026 – Jul 14, 2026· 123J1426F0864
COMMODITIES FOR USG FOOD DONATIONS: 2000011368/4400002445/4100034457/TOMATO DICED CAN-24/300$1.7M
RED GOLD, INC.· Adams County, IN· Other equipment & supplies· Jun 15, 2026 – Sep 10, 2026· 123J1426F1397
COMMODITIES FOR USG FOOD DONATIONS: 2000011177/4400002445/4100033648/TOMATO DICED CAN-24/300,TOMATO DICED CAN-6/10

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.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $180.2M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Decatur, IN micropolitan area: $4,915 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $180.2M; −3.2% vs FY2025
Per resident: $4,915; US $12,955
Loan face value: $8.1M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 2.8%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$126.5M70%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$14.4M8.0%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$10.9M6.0%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$8.3M4.6%
20.279 · National Highway Performance Program (NHPP)$4.5M2.5%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$3.1M1.7%
10.988 · Supplemental Disaster Relief Program$2.5M1.4%
10.990 · Farmer Bridge Assistance Program$1.7M0.9%

Top recipients (organizations)

INDIANA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$6.4M3.6%
INDIANAPOLIS, IN
COMMUNITY ACTION OF NORTHEAST INDIANA INC$1.3M0.7%
FORT WAYNE, IN
SWISS MEADOWS OF BERNE, LLC.$424.6K0.2%
BERNE, IN
BELMONT ASSOCIATES, L.P.$392.3K0.2%
DECATUR, IN
BIGGS PC, LP$261.7K

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$154.9M86%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$9.6M5.3%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Federal Highway Administration$6.4M3.6%
Department of Transportation
Farm Service Agency$4M2.2%
Department of Agriculture
Administration for Children and Families

Assistance by fiscal year

152.4MFY2021
146.3MFY2022
160.2MFY2023
167MFY2024
186.1MFY2025
180.2MFY2026

County aggregates

92%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Decatur, IN

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Adams CountyCentral county4436,650

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

DecaturPrincipal city9,811

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Indiana

Areas based in Indiana, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

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.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
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
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M19540

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved13

Declined3

Metro and micro areas like Decatur, IN micropolitan area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Decatur, IN

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Indiana

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved13

Declined3

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought