The Town Files

Fort Branch, Indiana

Town in Gibson County · population 2,965 (2020 Census)

Map: where Fort Branch is in IndianaFort Branch
Median home
$195,900
Household income
$58,707
Jan low / Jul high
21° / 88°
Snow a year
12 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
37
Median age
35.1

Fort Branch is a town of 2,965 people in Gibson County, Indiana. The median home is worth $195,900, above the typical Indiana town ($150,400). It ranks more of a college town than 87% of Indiana towns.

How Fort Branch 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.

Fort Branch lifestyle rankings vs other Indiana townsRetirement36th pctFamilies51st pctQuiet32nd pctWalkability26th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals46th pctVibrancy49th pctHip & trendy37th pctCollege town87th pctUpscale29th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransitbottomDriving68th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Fort Branch is worth $195,900, above the typical Indiana town ($150,400). Homes cost about 3.3 times the median household income of $58,707, which is more affordable than 12% of Indiana towns. Median rent is $877 a month. 68.7% of households own their home.

Fort Branch vs Gibson County vs typical Indiana townFort BranchGibson CountyTypical Indiana townHome value$195,900$180,000$150,400Household income$58,707$67,573$61,953Monthly rent$877$935$888
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Indiana towns with 500+ people.
HousingFort BranchTypical Indiana town
Median home value$195,900$150,400
Median rent$877$888
Median household income$58,707$61,953
Home value ÷ income3.3×2.5×
Homeownership68.7%73.4%
Median year built19741966
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Fort Branch

PeopleFort BranchTypical Indiana town
Median age35.138.9
Age 65 and over15.4%17.1%
Under 1818.7%—
Bachelor's degree or higher24.2%17.4%
Below the poverty line17.2%11.6%
Veterans2.9%—
Born outside the U.S.0.0%—
Work from home7.2%6.2%
Average commute17.2 min24.7 min
Homes with broadband95.4%89.2%

Weather in Fort Branch

July highs average 88.0°F and January lows 21.1°F. About 49.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 12.2 inches of snow (typical Indiana town: 21.1 in). Expect about 38 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 100 nights at or below freezing.

Fort Branch monthly temperatures and precipitation20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing40°21°Jan45°24°Feb55°32°Mar67°43°Apr77°54°May85°63°Jun88°66°Jul87°64°Aug81°57°Sep69°45°Oct55°33°Nov44°26°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue3.43.63.23.44.51.25.35.74.54.53.34.23.40.14.10.23.83.7
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Princeton 1 W station (7.7 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

37 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Fort Branch since 1950, compared with 23 for the typical Indiana town. 11 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF3, struck on February 28, 2017 about 0.9 miles from the town center. The most recent was on March 15, 2025.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Fort Branch by decade01950s21960s21970s61980s11990s52000s112010s102020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 43 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on May 3, 1996.

Severe weather in Gibson County since 1996

Storm events in Gibson County since 1996 by typeHail84Heat51Flood277Drought20Tornado19Dense Fog76Flash Flood40Strong Wind66
NOAA Storm Events Database, Gibson County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 3 deaths recorded.

Gibson County has been included in 22 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
January 24, 2026Winter StormEM-3641: Severe Winter Storm
April 3, 2020BiologicalDR-4515: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3456: Covid-19
May 4, 2018FloodDR-4363: Severe Storms And Flooding
June 23, 2011Severe StormDR-1997: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And

Jobs and pay in Gibson County

Gibson County had 21,424 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $67,856 a year. Unemployment was 2.4% in 2023; in Fort Branch itself the ACS puts it at 2.5%.

Largest industries in Gibson CountyManufacturing10,719 jobs · $84,656Retail1,596 jobs · $31,609Administrative & support1,169 jobs · $41,059Transportation & warehousing990 jobs · $59,767Hotels & restaurants928 jobs · $19,457Wholesale trade475 jobs · $61,891
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Gibson County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Gibson 2.4%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Fort Branch

2 public schools with 1,347 students, about 19.2 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Gibson Southern High School9-1277120.3
Fort Branch Community SchoolK-857618.0

Towns near Fort Branch

Fort Branch questions

Is Fort Branch, Indiana a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Fort Branch scores better for retirees than 36% of Indiana towns and quieter than 32%. 15.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 35.1).

How much does a house cost in Fort Branch?

The median owner-occupied home in Fort Branch is valued at $195,900 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $58,707, so homes cost about 3.3 times income. Median rent is $877 a month.

What is the weather like in Fort Branch?

July highs average 88.0°F and January lows 21.1°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 49.8 inches of precipitation a year and 12.2 inches of snow.

Does Fort Branch get tornadoes?

37 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Fort Branch since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF3 on February 28, 2017. The typical Indiana town has had 23.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Fort Branch's Census boundary (GEOID 1824250). Comparisons use the median of Indiana towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.