What it's like to live in Plymouth
Plymouth 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. Plymouth deals with household incomes below the national average, cold winters, snowy winters, and fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low unemployment in the county
- Low crime rates
- Short commutes
- Growing population
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Cold winters
- Snowy winters — 55" per year
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Plymouth compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Plymouth
Based on Plymouth's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,914
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $38,280 a year
- 25% of Plymouth renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$26,360
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $13,180
- Homes cost 2.2× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 32% below US
$957/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $957 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $131,800. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $131,800 · 25% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
3.5% county unemployment
Unemployment in Marshall 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.
Marshall County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 46% below US
178 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 826/100k · Plymouth Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 16% below US
22 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 21.8 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 9 in 10 workers drive to work.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 82°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 19°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
2 hospitals
There are 2 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 4.0 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 34% below US
24% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 24%. 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 15:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Indiana Dunes National Park (45 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Plymouth'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 cold winters. A year of median rent ($957/mo) equals 20% 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 Plymouth
All Indiana guides →Not sure Plymouth is the one?
Put it side by side with another city.