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In any workplace, encountering a colleague who tends to shift their responsibilities onto others can be frustrating. If you find yourself living in one of the following Indiana towns, you might just see that same lack of motivation reflected in your community.
This isn’t meant to be harsh; rather, we recognize that the culture of a location can influence workplace productivity. No one enjoys collaborating with individuals who consistently underperform.
To identify the towns in Indiana where residents may be less engaged, we meticulously analyzed data from the most recent American Community Survey. Our goal was to pinpoint areas where people might be spending more time on social media than on their careers. Here’s what we found after analyzing the data:
Continue reading to discover which towns are home to the least productive residents, or skip to the end to find out how your town ranks.
Interestingly, St. John emerges as the most industrious place in Indiana.
How We Identified the Least Productive Places in Indiana
At Zippia, we prioritize data-driven insights to tackle complex questions. Our rigorous approach involves diving into the latest data sets, including the most recent American Community Survey.
We focused on a range of criteria to pinpoint the least productive towns in Indiana:
- Lowest average hours worked
- Shortest commute times
- Fewest workers per household (number of workers divided by number of households)
- Highest unemployment rates
- Lowest percentage of adults with a college degree
The rationale behind our metrics is straightforward: towns where individuals are less likely to pursue higher education, spend minimal time at work, and where few residents contribute to household income likely reflect lower productivity levels.
After gathering data for 119 locations in Indiana with populations exceeding 5,000, we assigned rankings from 1 to 119 for each criterion, with 1 indicating the “least productive.”
We then averaged these rankings to create a productivity index, ultimately designating the location with the lowest index as the “Least Productive Place in Indiana.” Peru topped the list.
Explore the detailed chart below for further insights into the rankings.
1. Peru
Population: 11,199 College Educated: 7.9%
Unemployment Rate: 14.4%
2. Gas City
Population: 6,093 College Educated: 9.4%
Unemployment Rate: 13.5%
3. East Chicago
Population: 29,387 College Educated: 7.5%
Unemployment Rate: 17.0%
4. Connersville
Population: 13,267 College Educated: 7.9%
Unemployment Rate: 16.1%
5. Portland
Population: 6,408 College Educated: 8.1%
Unemployment Rate: 11.5%
6. Richmond
Population: 36,527 College Educated: 17.8%
Unemployment Rate: 12.5%
7. New Castle
Population: 17,859 College Educated: 12.8%
Unemployment Rate: 14.1%
8. Wabash
Population: 10,534 College Educated: 11.8%
Unemployment Rate: 11.2%
9. Hartford City
Population: 6,166 College Educated: 9.3%
Unemployment Rate: 13.1%
10. Brazil
Population: 8,022 College Educated: 13.1%
Unemployment Rate: 15.3%
Conclusion: Understanding Productivity Trends in Indiana
While determining the least productive places in Indiana can be subjective, our analysis reveals communities where work engagement may be lacking. This list serves as a reflection of educational attainment and employment rates, offering insights into the productivity culture of these areas.
Detailed List of the Least Productive Places in Indiana
| City | Rank |
|---|---|
| Peru | 1 |
| Gas City | 2 |
| East Chicago | 3 |
| Connersville | 4 |
| Portland | 5 |
| Richmond | 6 |
| New Castle | 7 |
| Wabash | 8 |
| Hartford City | 9 |
| Brazil | 10 |
Author
Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.
