Best Places46236, IN Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood inside ZIP code 46236, scored on 40 measures of daily life and ranked to fit what matters to you. Local pay runs high here, and housing takes the biggest bite out of it. To work out which city fits you best, start with the best places to live tool.
46236 ranks 3,158th of 33,110 U.S. zip codes on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on what local pay buys by a wide margin, and the weather ranks lowest.
The best neighborhoods in 46236
BestNeighborhood is the only ranking that scores 40 measures of daily life neighborhood by neighborhood and lets you re-weight every one of them yourself.
46236's strengths and weaknesses
Where 46236 ranks high
- Cost of living vs incomeBetter than 96% of zip codes
- Low vacancyBetter than 91% of zip codes
- Internet speedBetter than 91% of zip codes
- Household income$122,416 median, better than 90% of zip codes
- Disaster safetyBetter than 89% of zip codes
Where 46236 ranks low
- Nice weatherabout 61 pleasant days a year, better than only 9% of zip codes
- Low income/sales/gas taxBetter than only 13% of zip codes
- Air qualityBetter than only 19% of zip codes
- QuietBetter than only 20% of zip codes
- School gradeC−, better than only 25% of zip codes
What it costs to buy a home in 46236
A household needs to earn about $81,000 a year to comfortably buy the median 46236 home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That is below the area's own median income of $122,416, so a typical household can afford the median home outright.
Where the monthly payment goes
Assumes a 20% down payment, a 6.6% 30-year fixed rate, and a 28% share of income going to the payment. The rate is the 2026-07-23 30-year fixed average, series MORTGAGE30US from the St. Louis Fed, which publishes Freddie Mac's weekly survey. Against the median home value, property tax uses 46236's effective rate of 0.87%, and insurance is estimated at 0.4% of home value a year.
Renting versus buying
At today's prices, buying tends to cost more than renting for about the first 5 years, then pulls ahead as rent keeps rising and the mortgage builds equity. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in 46236
46236's age mix sits close to the national median.
Residents by age
Racial and ethnic makeup has its own map. See the race and diversity map for 46236.
Who works in 46236, and how
Work in 46236 centers on health care & social and professional & technical. Unemployment is low, and jobs are growing.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 79%
- Work from home 19%
- Transit, walk, or bike 3%
Life in 46236
46236 has fewer places to eat and drink per resident than most zip codes. That concentrates in some parts of 46236 and thins out in others, which the map shows.
What the weather is like in 46236, month by month
46236 sees roughly 61 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 84 degrees. January highs sit near 37, with lows near 19. The comfortable stretch runs May through September.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 37° | 28° | 19° |
| April | 64° | 50° | 39° |
| July | 84° | 73° | 62° |
| October | 68° | 54° | 43° |
Flying in and out of 46236
Indianapolis International sits about 21 miles away. It is a medium hub and boarded 5.2 million passengers in 2025, with 92 nonstop destinations.
The best schools in and around 46236
Schools across 46236 average a C−, better than 25% of zip codes.
Top elementary schools
- Geist Elementary SchoolA · 69% proficient
- Forest Glen Elementary SchoolB · 49% proficient
- Amy Beverland ElementaryB · 48% proficient
Top middle schools
- Hamilton Se Int And Jr High SchA− · 56% proficient
- Mt Vernon Middle SchoolB · 45% proficient
- Fall Creek Valley Middle SchoolD · 22% proficient
Top high schools
- Hamilton Southeastern HsA · 73% proficient
- Mt Vernon High SchoolB+ · 54% proficient
- Lawrence North High SchoolC+ · 39% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every 46236 school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
46236 measure by measure
Cards are ordered by how much each measure matters to you, so the ones you weighted highest come first. Expand to see every measure. Percentages compare 46236 against the other 33,109 zip codes.
Who 46236 suits
Families
Schools land around the 25th percentile and crime safety beats 71%.
Remote workers
Cost of living against local pay beats 96% of zip codes, internet is fast and widely advertised, and 19% already work from home.
Common questions about living in 46236
Is 46236 a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, 46236 ranks 3,158th of 33,110 zip codes. It scores highest on what local pay buys, few empty homes, and fast internet, and lowest on the weather and taxes. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is 46236 expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $307,085. The overall cost of living runs about 15% below the national average. Set against a $122,416 median income, cost of living beats 96% of zip codes.
Is 46236 safe?
Yes, 46236 is safer than 71% of zip codes. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $224 per resident a year.
What is the weather like in 46236?
July highs average about 84 degrees, and January highs near 37 with lows near 19. That works out to about 61 pleasant days a year, more than 9% of zip codes.
Is 46236 good for families?
Schools beat 25% of zip codes, crime safety beats 71%, and childcare runs $808 a month.
Compare 46236 with other zip codes
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to 46236. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in 46236 represents the same real quantity as a 60 anywhere else, and the ranking is a weighted average of those absolutes. The map colors come from a national scale calibrated against a population weighted random sample of 5,000 neighborhoods. That absolute scoring is what no other places-to-live ranking does: it puts a single neighborhood, a town, a metro, and a state on one scale, so the same 40 measures answer both which metro to move to and which street inside it to buy on. Read the full methodology.
46236 detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for 46236: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in 46236: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of 46236: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in 46236: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
46236 detail on related sites:
- CrimeGrade: neighborhood crime rates behind the crime safety score.
- ISPreports.org: provider by provider internet availability and advertised speeds.
- CoverageWatch: the car insurance premiums behind the cheap car insurance score.
Federal and public data:
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey: income, home value, rent, vacancy, commute time and mode, educational attainment, home age, age structure, household type, industry, and race.
- NOAA Global Surface Summary of the Day: the daily station record behind the monthly temperatures and the pleasant-day count.
- FAA Passenger Boarding Data: airport size and annual passenger counts.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey: the 30-year fixed rate used in the cost-to-buy estimate.
- FBI Crime Data Explorer: reported offenses behind the tangible crime cost estimate.
- U.S. EPA Air Quality System: five year average air quality index.
- FEMA National Risk Index: expected annual loss from natural hazards.
- CDC PLACES: disease burden, preventable risk, and barriers to care.
- National Center for Education Statistics: school enrollment and assessment inputs behind the school grade.
- FCC National Broadband Map: internet and wireless availability.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: employment and job growth behind the local economy score.
- Religious activity uses a proprietary religious signal measurement.
Your priorities
Move a slider to say how much a measure matters. Zero turns it off.