The Town FilesParagon, Indiana
Town in Morgan County · population 556 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $104,100
- Household income
- $73,750
- Jan low / Jul high
- 19° / 84°
- Snow a year
- 17 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 23
- Median age
- 45.6
Paragon is a town of 556 people in Morgan County, Indiana. The median home is worth $104,100, below the typical Indiana town ($150,400). It ranks quieter than 91% of Indiana towns.
How Paragon 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 Paragon is worth $104,100, below the typical Indiana town ($150,400). Homes cost about 1.4 times the median household income of $73,750, which is more affordable than 98% of Indiana towns. Median rent is $1,019 a month. 84.5% of households own their home.
| Housing | Paragon | Typical Indiana town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $104,100 | $150,400 |
| Median rent | $1,019 | $888 |
| Median household income | $73,750 | $61,953 |
| Home value ÷ income | 1.4× | 2.5× |
| Homeownership | 84.5% | 73.4% |
| Median year built | 1951 | 1966 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Paragon
| People | Paragon | Typical Indiana town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 45.6 | 38.9 |
| Age 65 and over | 15.6% | 17.1% |
| Under 18 | 13.6% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 2.1% | 17.4% |
| Below the poverty line | 24.7% | 11.6% |
| Veterans | 2.8% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.4% | — |
| Work from home | 5.4% | 6.2% |
| Average commute | 28.8 min | 24.7 min |
| Homes with broadband | 100.0% | 89.2% |
Weather in Paragon
July highs average 83.9°F and January lows 18.9°F. About 45.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 16.7 inches of snow (typical Indiana town: 21.1 in). Expect about 12 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 127 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
23 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Paragon since 1950, compared with 23 for the typical Indiana town. 14 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF3, struck on June 17, 2026 about 4.8 miles from the town center. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 2 deaths and 48 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on June 17, 2026.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 47 times; the largest was 3.25 inches on April 5, 2010.
Severe weather in Morgan County since 1996
Morgan 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 |
| July 22, 2025 | Flood | DR-4882: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| April 15, 2023 | Severe Storm | DR-4704: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes |
Jobs and pay in Morgan County
Morgan County had 15,502 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $49,967 a year. Unemployment was 3% in 2023; in Paragon itself the ACS puts it at 13.5%.
Public schools in Paragon
1 public school with 203 students, about 13.5 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paragon Elementary School | PK-4 | 203 | 13.5 |
Towns near Paragon
- Gosport, IN6.3 mi · 842 people · home $108,300
- Martinsville, IN7.1 mi · 11,932 people · home $163,400
- Painted Hills, IN11.4 mi · 766 people · home $305,200
- Ellettsville, IN11.7 mi · 6,655 people · home $243,600
- Spencer, IN13.5 mi · 2,454 people · home $162,900
- Monrovia, IN13.9 mi · 1,643 people · home $233,200
- Brooklyn, IN14.6 mi · 2,511 people · home $119,000
- Cloverdale, IN15.3 mi · 2,060 people · home $136,500
Paragon questions
Is Paragon, Indiana a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Paragon scores better for retirees than 5% of Indiana towns and quieter than 91%. 15.6% of residents are 65 or older (median age 45.6).
How much does a house cost in Paragon?
The median owner-occupied home in Paragon is valued at $104,100 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $73,750, so homes cost about 1.4 times income. Median rent is $1,019 a month.
What is the weather like in Paragon?
July highs average 83.9°F and January lows 18.9°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 45.5 inches of precipitation a year and 16.7 inches of snow.
Does Paragon get tornadoes?
23 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Paragon since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF3 on June 17, 2026. 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)