What it's like to live in Clarksville
Clarksville is a small city in Indiana with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, county unemployment below the national average, and crime rates well below the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Clarksville deals with household incomes below the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, college degree attainment below the national average, and larger class sizes than the national average.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low unemployment in the county
- Low crime rates
- Short commutes
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Air quality concerns
- Low college degree attainment
- High student-teacher ratio
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Clarksville compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Clarksville
Based on Clarksville's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,220
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $44,400 a year
- 49% of Clarksville renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$35,940
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $17,970
- Homes cost 3.0× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 21% below US
$1,110/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,110 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $179,700. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $179,700 · 49% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
3.5% county unemployment
Unemployment in Clark County is 3.5%, a little below the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Clark County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 35% below US
214 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 3864/100k · Clarksville Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 28% below US
19 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 18.7 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 10% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 87°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 29°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 40% below US
22% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 22%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
7 public schools inside the boundary
There are 7 public schools inside the boundary and 2 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 21:1, above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park (51 miles away). There are 6 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Clarksville's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks. A year of median rent ($1,110/mo) equals 22% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, anyone prioritizing low crime, and people who want short commutes. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Clarksville
All Indiana guides →Moving to New Albany →
3 mi away · pop. 37,581
Rent $1,026/mo · Income $54,710
Compare with Clarksville →Moving to Jeffersonville →
4 mi away · pop. 51,043
Rent $1,148/mo · Income $70,930
Compare with Clarksville →Moving to Sellersburg →
6 mi away · pop. 10,137
Rent $1,151/mo · Income $72,179
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