The Town FilesBrookston, Indiana
Town in White County · population 1,631 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $158,500
- Household income
- $63,182
- Jan low / Jul high
- 16° / 83°
- Snow a year
- 20 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 33
- Median age
- 40.0
Brookston is a town of 1,631 people in White County, Indiana. The median home is worth $158,500, above the typical Indiana town ($150,400). It ranks better for retirees than 96% of Indiana towns, better for families than 92% of Indiana towns, better transit than 83% of Indiana towns.
How Brookston 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 Brookston is worth $158,500, above the typical Indiana town ($150,400). Homes cost about 2.5 times the median household income of $63,182, which is more affordable than 52% of Indiana towns. Median rent is $969 a month. 73.4% of households own their home.
| Housing | Brookston | Typical Indiana town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $158,500 | $150,400 |
| Median rent | $969 | $888 |
| Median household income | $63,182 | $61,953 |
| Home value ÷ income | 2.5× | 2.5× |
| Homeownership | 73.4% | 73.4% |
| Median year built | 1964 | 1966 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Brookston
| People | Brookston | Typical Indiana town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 40.0 | 38.9 |
| Age 65 and over | 19.8% | 17.1% |
| Under 18 | 20.5% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.0% | 17.4% |
| Below the poverty line | 8.4% | 11.6% |
| Veterans | 10.0% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 1.4% | — |
| Work from home | 8.7% | 6.2% |
| Average commute | 25.4 min | 24.7 min |
| Homes with broadband | 90.9% | 89.2% |
Weather in Brookston
July highs average 83.0°F and January lows 16.2°F. About 41.0 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 20.3 inches of snow (typical Indiana town: 21.1 in). Expect about 15 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 134 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
33 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Brookston since 1950, compared with 23 for the typical Indiana town. 13 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on March 20, 1976 about 5.0 miles from the town center. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 10 deaths and 84 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on June 11, 2026.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 30 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on May 25, 2011.
Severe weather in White County since 1996
White County has been included in 18 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, tornado, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| 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 15, 2023 | Severe Storm | DR-4704: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes |
| April 3, 2020 | Biological | DR-4515: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3456: Covid-19 |
Jobs and pay in White County
White County had 8,815 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $48,614 a year. Unemployment was 2.7% in 2023; in Brookston itself the ACS puts it at 0.6%.
Public schools in Brookston
1 public school with 383 students, about 13.7 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frontier Elementary | PK-6 | 383 | 13.7 |
Towns near Brookston
- Chalmers, IN4.3 mi · 523 people · home $162,500
- Battle Ground, IN6.5 mi · 1,838 people · home $277,600
- Reynolds, IN10.3 mi · 531 people · home $123,900
- Delphi, IN10.5 mi · 2,961 people · home $141,300
- Monticello, IN11.2 mi · 5,508 people · home $149,600
- West Lafayette, IN11.3 mi · 44,595 people · home $350,000
- Lafayette, IN13.9 mi · 70,783 people · home $172,800
- Otterbein, IN14.0 mi · 1,144 people · home $158,500
Brookston questions
Is Brookston, Indiana a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Brookston scores better for retirees than 96% of Indiana towns and quieter than 77%. 19.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 40.0).
How much does a house cost in Brookston?
The median owner-occupied home in Brookston is valued at $158,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $63,182, so homes cost about 2.5 times income. Median rent is $969 a month.
What is the weather like in Brookston?
July highs average 83.0°F and January lows 16.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 41.0 inches of precipitation a year and 20.3 inches of snow.
Does Brookston get tornadoes?
33 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Brookston since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on March 20, 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)