Patoka, Indiana

Town in Gibson County · population 706 (2020 Census)

Median home: $99,000
Household income: $48,958
Jan low / Jul high: 21° / 88°
Snow a year: 12 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 28
Median age: 37.2

Patoka is a town of 706 people in Gibson County, Indiana. The median home is worth $99,000, below the typical Indiana town ($150,400). It ranks quieter than 97% of Indiana towns, better for first-time buyers than 97% of Indiana towns, easier by car than 91% of Indiana towns.

Patoka in our rankings:

How Patoka 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 Patoka is worth $99,000, below the typical Indiana town ($150,400). Homes cost about 2.0 times the median household income of $48,958, which is more affordable than 78% of Indiana towns. Median rent is $850 a month. 78.8% of households own their home.

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

Housing	Patoka	Typical Indiana town
Median home value	$99,000	$150,400
Median rent	$850	$888
Median household income	$48,958	$61,953
Home value ÷ income	2.0×	2.5×
Homeownership	78.8%	73.4%
Median year built	1971	1966
Seasonal / vacation homes	0.0%	—

Who lives in Patoka

People	Patoka	Typical Indiana town
Median age	37.2	38.9
Age 65 and over	14.0%	17.1%
Under 18	24.2%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	11.3%	17.4%
Below the poverty line	26.5%	11.6%
Veterans	7.0%	—
Born outside the U.S.	1.1%	—
Work from home	1.5%	6.2%
Average commute	21.0 min	24.7 min
Homes with broadband	85.7%	89.2%

Weather in Patoka

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.

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Princeton 1 W station (2.7 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

28 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Patoka since 1950, compared with 23 for the typical Indiana town. 11 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on June 2, 1990 about 3.5 miles from the town center. The most recent was on July 9, 2024.

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 36 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on May 3, 1996.

Severe weather in Gibson County since 1996

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.

Declared	Incident	Declaration
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
May 4, 2018	Flood	DR-4363: Severe Storms And Flooding
June 23, 2011	Severe Storm	DR-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 Patoka itself the ACS puts it at 2.1%.

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 Patoka

Princeton, IN
3.0 mi · 8,301 people · home $128,700
Francisco, IN
9.1 mi · 545 people · home $98,300
Mount Carmel, IL
9.6 mi · 7,015 people · home $89,300
Owensville, IN
10.1 mi · 1,338 people · home $131,700
Fort Branch, IN
10.5 mi · 2,965 people · home $195,900
Haubstadt, IN
13.4 mi · 1,638 people · home $228,100
St. Francisville, IL
13.8 mi · 568 people · home $63,900
Oakland City, IN
13.9 mi · 2,279 people · home $109,500

Patoka questions

Is Patoka, Indiana a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Patoka scores better for retirees than 85% of Indiana towns and quieter than 97%. 14.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 37.2).

How much does a house cost in Patoka?

The median owner-occupied home in Patoka is valued at $99,000 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $48,958, so homes cost about 2.0 times income. Median rent is $850 a month.

What is the weather like in Patoka?

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 Patoka get tornadoes?

28 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Patoka since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on June 2, 1990. The typical Indiana town has had 23.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Patoka's Census boundary (GEOID 1858320). 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 2026-11-13.