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Quality of Life in Howard County
A livable area that tracks near national norms for affordability, walkability, and neighborhood health.
What does Quality of Life tell us?
Quality of Life measures an area by evaluating factors like cost of living, nearby amenities, country club access, airport proximity, socioeconomic signals and neighborhood character. For large states, this is a general average — quality of life can vary dramatically between metro areas, suburbs, and rural communities within the same state.
What does this tell us?
Quality of Life measures an area by evaluating factors like cost of living, nearby amenities, country club access, airport proximity, socioeconomic signals and neighborhood character. For large states, this is a general average — quality of life can vary dramatically between metro areas, suburbs, and rural communities within the same state.
Cost of Living
31% below national average
144%
The Real Cost of Living in Howard County for 2026
| Tier | Individual | Family (4) |
|---|---|---|
| Survival | $15k | $27k |
| Comfortable | $29k | $43k |
| Luxury | $104k+ | $162k+ |
| Elite (Top 5%) | $123k+ | $190k+ |
Quality-of-Life Analysis
Howard County, Indiana, offers a distinct quality-of-life spectrum that ranges from the small-city amenities of its county seat, Kokomo, to the quiet, unincorporated crossroads of Cassville and the agricultural expanse of the county’s northern and eastern townships. The county’s overall cost of living index sits at 69—well below the national average of 100—which, combined with a median home value of $151,500 and a median rent of $915, attracts a mix of manufacturing workers, retirees seeking affordable acreage, and young families priced out of Indianapolis suburbs. The character of daily life shifts noticeably depending on whether you live within Kokomo’s city limits, in a bedroom community like Russiaville, or on a farm road near Hemlock.
Largest town(s) & population centers
Kokomo is the county’s undisputed hub, home to roughly 60,000 residents and the majority of the county’s jobs, retail, and healthcare. Daily life here centers around major employers such as Stellantis (formerly Chrysler), Haynes International, and Indiana University Kokomo. The city offers a walkable downtown with the Kokomo Municipal Stadium, the Kokomo Beach Family Aquatic Center, and a growing craft brewery scene. Housing stock is older and more varied than in the suburbs, with many bungalows and mid-century ranches under $150,000. The average commute in the county is just over 20 minutes, meaning most Kokomo residents can reach their jobs, the Kokomo Mall, or the Kokomo-Howard County Public Library within a 10-minute drive. For families, the Kokomo School Corporation operates several magnet programs, though some opt for the nearby Taylor Community School Corporation or Northwestern School Corporation for smaller class sizes.
Smaller towns & rural pockets
Outside Kokomo, the county’s smaller communities offer a markedly slower pace. Russiaville (pop. ~1,100) is the largest of these, with a historic downtown, a well-regarded elementary school, and easy access to Kokomo via State Road 26. Greentown (pop. ~2,400) sits on the county’s eastern edge and retains a small-town Main Street with a pharmacy, a hardware store, and the Greentown Glass Museum. Galveston (pop. ~1,200) is a quiet village near the Mississinewa River, popular with hunters and anglers. Unincorporated places like Cassville, Hemlock, and West Middleton are essentially crossroads with a few dozen homes, no commercial districts, and direct access to farmland. These areas are served by volunteer fire departments and rely on Kokomo for most shopping and medical care. The rural pockets in Clay Township and Taylor Township feature large lots, older farmhouses, and a strong agricultural economy centered on corn and soybeans.
Cost & lifestyle range
The cost of living in Howard County varies less dramatically than in a major metro, but the spread is still meaningful. At the low end, Kokomo’s older neighborhoods—such as the South Side near the industrial corridor—offer homes under $100,000 and rents below $800, attracting first-time buyers and renters on tight budgets. At the higher end, newer subdivisions in northern Kokomo and around Forest Park feature homes in the $200,000–$300,000 range, with larger lots and newer construction. The median home value of $151,500 is roughly half the national median, and the median rent of $915 is similarly affordable. Rural properties in Clay Township or Ervin Township often cost less per acre than similar land in neighboring Hamilton County, making them attractive for hobby farmers or those seeking privacy. Amenities thin out quickly outside Kokomo: Russiaville has a gas station and a pizza place, but Greentown and Galveston lack full-service grocery stores, so residents drive 15–20 minutes for major shopping. The trade-off is lower property taxes and a quieter environment.
Howard County works best for people who want a low-cost, low-stress lifestyle with access to a small city’s employment base and a short commute. Retirees on fixed incomes, manufacturing workers, and remote employees who need to be within an hour of Indianapolis but want to avoid its housing costs all find a fit here. The county’s range—from Kokomo’s urban amenities to the solitude of a Cassville farmstead—means that the choice of quality of life is largely a choice of how much convenience versus how much space you are willing to trade.
Crime in Howard County
Generally safer than 59% of comparable U.S. locations.
Violent CrimeViolent Crime Analysis
Property CrimeProperty Crime Analysis
Crime Analysis
Howard County, Indiana, reports a violent crime rate of 263 incidents per 100,000 residents and a property crime rate of 1,093.6 per 100,000, placing it slightly above national averages but below many peer Midwestern counties. The county's largest city, Kokomo, drives the majority of reported offenses, while smaller communities like Russiaville and Greentown experience significantly lower crime volumes. Residents should be aware that the county's overall safety picture is mixed, with property crime—particularly theft and vehicle break-ins—being the most common concern for daily life.
Crime in context
Howard County's violent crime rate of 263 per 100,000 is roughly 25% higher than the national average of 202 per 100,000 but remains well below the Indiana state average of 310 per 100,000. Property crime in the county, at 1,093.6 per 100,000, is nearly identical to the national rate of 1,089 per 100,000 and slightly below the Indiana average of 1,150 per 100,000. These figures place Howard County in a moderate-risk tier among Indiana's 92 counties. For comparison, neighboring Tipton County reports a violent crime rate of just 145 per 100,000, while Marion County (Indianapolis) posts rates nearly double Howard County's. The county's crime index is driven primarily by Kokomo, which accounts for roughly 70% of all reported offenses despite housing only 55% of the county's population.
What residents experience
Property crime dominates the day-to-day safety experience in Howard County. Theft from vehicles, burglary, and shoplifting are the most frequently reported offenses, particularly in Kokomo's commercial corridors along U.S. 31 and East Markland Avenue. Residents in the county's smaller towns—Russiaville, Greentown, and Galveston—report property crime rates roughly 40% lower than Kokomo's. Violent crime, while less common, is concentrated in specific Kokomo neighborhoods, particularly around the downtown core and near the city's public housing complexes. The Howard County Sheriff's Office and Kokomo Police Department maintain a joint task force that has reduced gang-related violence by 12% since 2022, though drug-related offenses remain a persistent issue. The county's judicial system, overseen by the Howard County Superior Court, has been criticized by some residents for what they perceive as lenient sentencing in drug and property crime cases, though no formal progressive prosecutor policies have been adopted.
Neighborhood-level variation
Safety in Howard County varies dramatically by location. Kokomo's western and southern neighborhoods, including the areas around Kokomo High School and the Indiana University Kokomo campus, report the lowest violent crime rates within the city—often below 150 per 100,000. In contrast, the central and northeastern sections of Kokomo, particularly near the former Chrysler plant and along Apperson Way, see violent crime rates exceeding 400 per 100,000. The county's unincorporated areas and smaller towns offer a markedly different experience: Russiaville, with a population under 1,100, reported zero violent crimes in 2024, while Greentown and Galveston each recorded fewer than five property crimes. For families and retirees seeking the safest environments, these outlying communities provide a substantial safety buffer, though they lack the retail and employment density of Kokomo. Prospective residents should also note that Howard County's rural areas, particularly near the Wildcat Creek corridor, have experienced an uptick in agricultural equipment theft since 2023, a trend mirrored across central Indiana.
* Values derived from national, state, county, city and local statistics and may differ in a specific area. Last updated: 2026-07-10T05:47:51.000Z
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