The Town FilesSunman, Indiana
Town in Ripley County · population 914 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $194,500
- Household income
- $73,413
- Jan low / Jul high
- 21° / 87°
- Snow a year
- 16 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 17
- Median age
- 35.0
Sunman is a town of 914 people in Ripley County, Indiana. The median home is worth $194,500, above the typical Indiana town ($150,400). It ranks better for retirees than 72% of Indiana towns.
How Sunman 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 Sunman is worth $194,500, above the typical Indiana town ($150,400). Homes cost about 2.6 times the median household income of $73,413, which is more affordable than 47% of Indiana towns. Median rent is $916 a month. 68.6% of households own their home.
| Housing | Sunman | Typical Indiana town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $194,500 | $150,400 |
| Median rent | $916 | $888 |
| Median household income | $73,413 | $61,953 |
| Home value ÷ income | 2.6× | 2.5× |
| Homeownership | 68.6% | 73.4% |
| Median year built | 1985 | 1966 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Sunman
| People | Sunman | Typical Indiana town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 35.0 | 38.9 |
| Age 65 and over | 9.0% | 17.1% |
| Under 18 | 26.2% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.8% | 17.4% |
| Below the poverty line | 8.6% | 11.6% |
| Veterans | 4.6% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 7.5% | — |
| Work from home | 9.4% | 6.2% |
| Average commute | 23.5 min | 24.7 min |
| Homes with broadband | 93.5% | 89.2% |
Weather in Sunman
July highs average 87.1°F and January lows 20.5°F. About 43.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 15.5 inches of snow (typical Indiana town: 21.1 in). Expect about 32 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 119 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
17 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Sunman since 1950, compared with 23 for the typical Indiana town. 3 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on June 2, 1990 about 9.3 miles from the town center. The most recent was on May 16, 2025.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 17 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on August 25, 2018.
Severe weather in Ripley County since 1996
Ripley County has been included in 17 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.
| 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 3, 2020 | Biological | DR-4515: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3456: Covid-19 |
| March 9, 2012 | Severe Storm | DR-4058: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes |
Jobs and pay in Ripley County
Ripley County had 11,325 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $54,394 a year. Unemployment was 3.5% in 2023; in Sunman itself the ACS puts it at 2.8%.
Public schools in Sunman
2 public schools with 324 students, about 13.0 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunman Elementary School | K-5 | 324 | 13.0 |
| Ripley-Ohio-Dearborn Special Ed Coop | PK-12 | — | — |
Towns near Sunman
- Batesville, IN7.7 mi · 7,202 people · home $225,400
- Milan, IN7.9 mi · 1,823 people · home $157,400
- St. Leon, IN8.0 mi · 660 people · home $280,800
- Moores Hill, IN8.6 mi · 675 people · home $143,800
- Oldenburg, IN9.2 mi · 647 people · home $276,100
- Bright, IN12.4 mi · 5,814 people · home $279,500
- Osgood, IN13.1 mi · 1,587 people · home $149,800
- Brookville, IN13.6 mi · 2,622 people · home $180,700
Sunman questions
Is Sunman, Indiana a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Sunman scores better for retirees than 72% of Indiana towns and quieter than 51%. 9.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 35.0).
How much does a house cost in Sunman?
The median owner-occupied home in Sunman is valued at $194,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $73,413, so homes cost about 2.6 times income. Median rent is $916 a month.
What is the weather like in Sunman?
July highs average 87.1°F and January lows 20.5°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 43.8 inches of precipitation a year and 15.5 inches of snow.
Does Sunman get tornadoes?
17 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Sunman since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on June 2, 1990. 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)