Lawrence, Indiana

City in Marion County · population 49,370 (2020 Census)

Median home: $230,100
Household income: $74,022
Jan low / Jul high: 20° / 85°
Snow a year: 27 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 40
Median age: 34.3

Lawrence is a city of 49,370 people in Marion County, Indiana. The median home is worth $230,100, above the typical Indiana town ($150,400). It ranks better for young professionals than 93% of Indiana towns, more vibrant than 85% of Indiana towns, more walkable than 84% of Indiana towns.

How Lawrence 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.

The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Lawrence is worth $230,100, above the typical Indiana town ($150,400). Homes cost about 3.1 times the median household income of $74,022, which is more affordable than 19% of Indiana towns. Median rent is $1,178 a month. 66.1% of households own their home.

Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Indiana towns with 500+ people.

Housing	Lawrence	Typical Indiana town
Median home value	$230,100	$150,400
Median rent	$1,178	$888
Median household income	$74,022	$61,953
Home value ÷ income	3.1×	2.5×
Homeownership	66.1%	73.4%
Median year built	1992	1966
Seasonal / vacation homes	0.0%	—

Who lives in Lawrence

People	Lawrence	Typical Indiana town
Median age	34.3	38.9
Age 65 and over	12.4%	17.1%
Under 18	26.6%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	35.6%	17.4%
Below the poverty line	8.7%	11.6%
Veterans	5.3%	—
Born outside the U.S.	11.6%	—
Work from home	14.6%	6.2%
Average commute	24.7 min	24.7 min
Homes with broadband	92.2%	89.2%

Weather in Lawrence

July highs average 84.8°F and January lows 19.8°F. About 47.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 26.7 inches of snow (typical Indiana town: 21.1 in). Expect about 19 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 113 nights at or below freezing.

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Castleton 2 S station (3.4 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

40 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Lawrence since 1950, compared with 23 for the typical Indiana town. 12 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on June 11, 1998 about 6.0 miles from the town center. The most recent was on April 2, 2025.

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 115 times; the largest was 3.25 inches on June 18, 2021.

Severe weather in Marion County since 1996

NOAA Storm Events Database, Marion County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 25 deaths recorded.

Marion County has been included in 20 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.

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 Marion County

Marion County had 625,533 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $76,163 a year. Unemployment was 3.3% in 2023; in Lawrence itself the ACS puts it at 4.5%.

BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.

Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Lawrence

McCordsville, IN
4.4 mi · 8,503 people · home $345,400
Cumberland, IN
6.0 mi · 5,954 people · home $239,200
Fishers, IN
6.7 mi · 98,977 people · home $391,000
Fortville, IN
8.6 mi · 4,784 people · home $254,900
Indianapolis, IN
10.3 mi · 887,642 people · home $224,800
New Palestine, IN
10.7 mi · 2,744 people · home $357,500
Carmel, IN
10.9 mi · 99,757 people · home $486,800
Beech Grove, IN
11.6 mi · 14,717 people · home $182,600

Lawrence questions

Is Lawrence, Indiana a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Lawrence scores better for retirees than 6% of Indiana towns and quieter than 4%. 12.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 34.3).

How much does a house cost in Lawrence?

The median owner-occupied home in Lawrence is valued at $230,100 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $74,022, so homes cost about 3.1 times income. Median rent is $1,178 a month.

What is the weather like in Lawrence?

July highs average 84.8°F and January lows 19.8°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 47.2 inches of precipitation a year and 26.7 inches of snow.

Does Lawrence get tornadoes?

40 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Lawrence since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on June 11, 1998. The typical Indiana town has had 23.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Lawrence's Census boundary (GEOID 1842426). 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.

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)

Data snapshot 2026-11-12.