The Town FilesBass Lake, Indiana
Community in Starke County · population 1,384 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $324,600
- Household income
- $73,086
- Jan low / Jul high
- 16° / 82°
- Snow a year
- 29 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 19
- Median age
- 56.2
Bass Lake is a community of 1,384 people in Starke County, Indiana. The median home is worth $324,600, above the typical Indiana town ($150,400). It ranks quieter than 99% of Indiana towns, better for a vacation home than 96% of Indiana towns, easier by car than 84% of Indiana towns.
How Bass Lake ranks
Percentile among Indiana towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Indiana towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Bass Lake is worth $324,600, above the typical Indiana town ($150,400). Homes cost about 4.4 times the median household income of $73,086, which is more affordable than 2% of Indiana towns. Median rent is $1,278 a month. 79.4% of households own their home.
| Housing | Bass Lake | Typical Indiana town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $324,600 | $150,400 |
| Median rent | $1,278 | $888 |
| Median household income | $73,086 | $61,953 |
| Home value ÷ income | 4.4× | 2.5× |
| Homeownership | 79.4% | 73.4% |
| Median year built | 1977 | 1966 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 55.8% | — |
Who lives in Bass Lake
| People | Bass Lake | Typical Indiana town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 56.2 | 38.9 |
| Age 65 and over | 33.9% | 17.1% |
| Under 18 | 5.7% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.8% | 17.4% |
| Below the poverty line | 0.7% | 11.6% |
| Veterans | 5.6% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 3.9% | — |
| Work from home | 6.9% | 6.2% |
| Average commute | 38.6 min | 24.7 min |
| Homes with broadband | 98.6% | 89.2% |
Weather in Bass Lake
July highs average 82.4°F and January lows 15.8°F. About 42.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 28.5 inches of snow (typical Indiana town: 21.1 in). Expect about 7 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 137 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
19 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Bass Lake since 1950, compared with 23 for the typical Indiana town. 6 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on March 12, 1976 about 4.8 miles from the town center. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 4 deaths and 35 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on March 10, 2026.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 37 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on June 25, 2023.
Severe weather in Starke County since 1996
Starke County has been included in 18 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, tornado, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| August 25, 2026 | Flood | DR-4933: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| August 15, 2026 | Flood | EM-3651: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| January 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | EM-3641: Severe Winter Storm |
| April 3, 2020 | Biological | DR-4515: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3456: Covid-19 |
Jobs and pay in Starke County
Starke County had 4,134 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $44,150 a year. Unemployment was 4.1% in 2023; in Bass Lake itself the ACS puts it at 16.6%.
Towns near Bass Lake
- Knox, IN4.9 mi · 3,662 people · home $140,300
- Culver, IN8.9 mi · 1,129 people · home $243,900
- North Judson, IN9.4 mi · 1,857 people · home $134,500
- Hamlet, IN10.8 mi · 773 people · home $112,300
- Winamac, IN11.7 mi · 2,318 people · home $147,600
- Koontz Lake, IN14.4 mi · 1,667 people · home $143,200
- La Crosse, IN16.6 mi · 555 people · home $140,700
- Plymouth, IN16.8 mi · 10,214 people · home $131,800
Bass Lake questions
Is Bass Lake, Indiana a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Bass Lake scores better for retirees than 25% of Indiana towns and quieter than 99%. 33.9% of residents are 65 or older (median age 56.2).
How much does a house cost in Bass Lake?
The median owner-occupied home in Bass Lake is valued at $324,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $73,086, so homes cost about 4.4 times income. Median rent is $1,278 a month.
What is the weather like in Bass Lake?
July highs average 82.4°F and January lows 15.8°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 42.2 inches of precipitation a year and 28.5 inches of snow.
Does Bass Lake get tornadoes?
19 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Bass Lake since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on March 12, 1976. The typical Indiana town has had 23.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)