The Town FilesBright, Indiana
Community in Dearborn County · population 5,814 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $279,500
- Household income
- $108,974
- Jan low / Jul high
- 24° / 86°
- Snow a year
- 16 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 12
- Median age
- 42.1
Bright is a community of 5,814 people in Dearborn County, Indiana. The median home is worth $279,500, above the typical Indiana town ($150,400). It ranks more upscale than 90% of Indiana towns, better for families than 87% of Indiana towns.
How Bright 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 Bright is worth $279,500, above the typical Indiana town ($150,400). Homes cost about 2.6 times the median household income of $108,974, which is more affordable than 47% of Indiana towns. Median rent is $869 a month. 89.3% of households own their home.
| Housing | Bright | Typical Indiana town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $279,500 | $150,400 |
| Median rent | $869 | $888 |
| Median household income | $108,974 | $61,953 |
| Home value ÷ income | 2.6× | 2.5× |
| Homeownership | 89.3% | 73.4% |
| Median year built | 1993 | 1966 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 3.5% | — |
Who lives in Bright
| People | Bright | Typical Indiana town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 42.1 | 38.9 |
| Age 65 and over | 21.8% | 17.1% |
| Under 18 | 24.8% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 27.9% | 17.4% |
| Below the poverty line | 3.3% | 11.6% |
| Veterans | 6.7% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.0% | — |
| Work from home | 18.8% | 6.2% |
| Average commute | 29.0 min | 24.7 min |
| Homes with broadband | 95.7% | 89.2% |
Weather in Bright
July highs average 85.7°F and January lows 24.3°F. About 47.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 16.0 inches of snow (typical Indiana town: 21.1 in). Expect about 22 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 101 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
12 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Bright since 1950, compared with 23 for the typical Indiana town. 6 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on June 2, 1990 about 0.6 miles from the town center. The most recent was on June 18, 2026.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 30 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on March 1, 2017.
Severe weather in Dearborn County since 1996
Dearborn County has been included in 22 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, tornado, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| August 25, 2026 | Flood | DR-4933: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| 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 |
Jobs and pay in Dearborn County
Dearborn County had 14,586 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $50,978 a year. Unemployment was 3.3% in 2023; in Bright itself the ACS puts it at 0.7%.
Towns near Bright
- Hidden Valley, IN4.0 mi · 5,529 people · home $289,400
- Harrison, OH4.6 mi · 12,563 people · home $229,400
- Greendale, IN5.6 mi · 4,602 people · home $198,700
- Cleves, OH7.7 mi · 3,414 people · home $197,300
- Lawrenceburg, IN8.2 mi · 5,129 people · home $227,600
- Miami Heights, OH8.8 mi · 5,166 people · home $327,300
- Taylor Creek, OH9.9 mi · 4,056 people · home $334,000
- Francisville, KY10.9 mi · 9,952 people · home $398,000
Bright questions
Is Bright, Indiana a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Bright scores better for retirees than 59% of Indiana towns and quieter than 68%. 21.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 42.1).
How much does a house cost in Bright?
The median owner-occupied home in Bright is valued at $279,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $108,974, so homes cost about 2.6 times income. Median rent is $869 a month.
What is the weather like in Bright?
July highs average 85.7°F and January lows 24.3°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 47.5 inches of precipitation a year and 16.0 inches of snow.
Does Bright get tornadoes?
12 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Bright 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)