New Castle receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
New Castle
Washington
Opportunity
67 · Top 28%
vs68 · Top 26%
Growth
52 · Top 47%
vs47 · Bottom 44%
Climate
68 · Bottom 40%
vs73 · Top 39%
Physical resilience
65 · Top 43%
vs55 · Bottom 46%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 9%
vs94 · Top 22%
Schools
41 · Bottom 36%
vs40 · Bottom 35%
Access
72 · Bottom 14%
vs75 · Bottom 17%
Economic stability
32 · Bottom 9%
vs41 · Bottom 18%
Measured values
| Metric | New Castle | Washington | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 17,367 | 12,367 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $51,606 | $50,331 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $28,155 | $26,853 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,371/sq mi | 1,854/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $98,000 | $152,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $781 | $858 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 61.5% | 54.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% | 3.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.8% | 0.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 13.3% | 16.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 20.1% | 18.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 15 | 23 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.9 | 1.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 15.4% | -77.9% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 86°F | 88°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 21°F | 23°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 40.3" | 41.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 51 mi | 47 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 21.8 min | 18.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 41.2 | 37.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 6 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 12.47 | 15.43 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 31.3% | 38.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 33.7% | 33.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 57.0% | 50.0% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
New Castle
Elevated or high exposure: tornado, earthquake.
Washington
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
New Castle
62
Your Score
65
Area Score
Washington
62
Your Score
63
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: New Castle, IN · Washington, IN · How this is calculated: methodology