Living

Orange County is located in South Central Indiana. We take pride in our Hoosier hospitality and warm inviting culture. The landscape is scenic with many things to offer both through services and recreation, you can find it here. Pair that with a low cost of living and easy access to major markets and you have it all.

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Lost River Career Cooperative students from Orange and Washington counties, under the leadership of construction trades department instructor Jon Shellenberger, will construct the home with innovative insulated concrete forms that increase energy efficiency and reduce construction costs. The home will be sold to a private resident upon completion, and project leaders hope it will serve as a model for future housing development.
The Paoli Housing Task Force strives to build and renovate 25 homes by 2025 through partnerships with community organizations, developers and builders, financial institutions, and local, state, and federal programs.

 

There is no other place in the world that offers everything Orange County and South Central Indiana Region does.

 

A dynamic, thriving community of businesses, anchored by major employers and Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, provides more economic stability and opportunity than less diverse ecosystems.

The beautiful rolling hills of the rural landscape provide exceptional recreational opportunities and quiet, safe, small-town living, yet big-city amenities are within an hour’s drive for most people in Orange County.

Come experience Orange County and the South Central Indiana way of living:

  • A cost of living 27.8% below the national average, with a wide variety of affordable housing
  • Access to quality healthcare, whether you need routine care or highly specialized treatment
  • Recreational opportunities like Patoka Lake and Hoosier National Forest, access to gaming at the French Lick Resort Casino, and much more
  • Safe, small towns
  • Median home costs that are about two-thirds lower than the national average and hold their value better than the national average

With below-average costs throughout the county, Orange County is an affordable place to call “home.”

COST OF LIVING INDEX BY TOWNSHIP

Orleans, IN 84.9
French Lick, IN 68.2
West Baden, IN 69.7
Paoli, IN 72.2
Millersburg, IN 87.2
US Average 100

source: Best Places

Committed to offering the best educational opportunities possible

Orange County has three school districts (Orleans, Paoli & Springs Valley) serving 3,100 students. The teacher student ratio is 1-18.

source: Niche

Orleans Elementary School in Orange County has earned the prestigious Indiana Four Star Award

This statewide program was established to recognize schools that have demonstrated academic excellence in the past year. To be eligible, a school must place in the upper 25% in:

  • Student attendance rates
  • Mathematics proficiency scores
  • Language arts proficiency scores
  • The percent of students passing both Language Arts and Mathematics

Most high schools in Orange County participate in Project Lead the Way. Project Lead the Way is a not-for-profit organization that promotes Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) courses for middle and high school students.

The Lost River Vocational Career Cooperative provides students with hands on training in collaboration with several of the businesses in the county. Reynolds Inc. trains students in using and opperating heavy equipment. Other businesses provide job site training through cooperative educational experiences.

Local schools have an outstanding track record for meeting Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)standards required by the federal No Child Left Behind Act

Three county schools have met AYP standards in 2008

  • Orleans Elementary School
  • Springs Valley Elementary School
  • Throop Elementary School

Innovative care is available throughout the Region

Whether you need routine care or highly specialized treatment, you’ll find excellent healthcare access in Orange County:

  • Ready access to a Level 1 Trauma Center
  • Top cancer, heart and orthopedic centers
  • The area’s premier women’s health center is in nearby Bloomington
  • Specialty care in everything from genetic testing to otolaryngology

Indiana University Hospital is a leader in healthcare throughout the state of Indiana. Orange County is lucky to have one based hospital in Paoli that hosts an array of services to include minor surgery, ambulance service and emergency room. This hospital also offers an AirEvac service. This hospital is expanding and will soon be offering many additional services. An operational health information exchange organization Databases that connect 39 hospitals, 10,000 physicians and 6 million patients. Real-time, secure delivery of lab results, reports, and medication and treatment histories. Other Facilities Orange County has health care facilities to meet the special needs of counseling services, senior nursing care or housing needs, 24 hour emergency needs, EMS services, AIR EVAC and trained volunteer emergency units in each community while also providing access to care through several different primary care physicians.

Orange county is a safe place to live

You have good cause to feel safe at home when you live in Orange County as part of the South Central Indiana Region. Towns and cities throughout the region offer some of the lowest crime rates in the country.

Orange County offers something for everyone

Whether you prefer to spend your leisure time exploring the great outdoors, visiting small hometowns, delving into local history or enjoying a little nightlife, you’ll find it all in Orange County.

Orange County is home to some of the country’s most beautiful natural scenery, including the Hoosier National Forest and Patoka Lake, an 8,800 acre water playground. Bring your family to enjoy the largest covered water park in Indiana and winter snow skiing. Enjoy visiting Amish settlements and the Lost River, which is part of a karst system of caves. Orange County is home to restored historic hotels dating back to the 1880s providing a casino, luxury spas, and two 18 hole PGA rated golf courses, Pete Dye, a new modern golf course and Donald Ross, an old restored historic course.

For additional information on county-specific resources please visit:
www.visitfrenchlickwestbaden.com

Orange County Chamber of Commerce resources please visit:
Orleans Chamber of Commerce
Paoli Chamber of Commerce
French Lick-West Baden Chamber of Commerce

Affordable housing that holds its value well is available throughout the County

Whether you prefer a quiet house on a lake, an apartment in an historic downtown, a hobby farm, or virtually anything in between, come see what Orange County offers:

  • Median home costs about two-thirds lower than the national average
  • Homes that hold their value better than the national average
  • Vacancy rates below the national average
  • Property taxes also well below the national average.

HOUSING WITHIN THE SOUTH CENTRAL INDIANA REGION

County (City) Median Home Cost  Home Appreciation Housing Vacant Property Tax Rate
Orange $111,800 -3.40% 8.18% $9.15
US Average $291,700 -4.60% 14.48% $13.28

Source: bestplace.net

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