New Palestine, Indiana, is a rural alternative to the Indianapolis urban jungle.

New Palestine is a small, one-stoplight town in the heart of Indiana. It’s a rural oasis just thirty minutes from Indianapolis on State Road 52, and it’s the place I’m proud to call home. 

Over the past 20 years, New Palestine—or New Pal—has become one of Indy’s fastest-growing communities. Our population has increased by 167.4% since 2000, and we’re expanding further every year. But that growth doesn’t come from a vibrant nightlife or a booming financial district. It comes from a lowkey, rural environment that welcomes both new families and old friends. 

With our growing population, it seems like a new neighborhood pops up every week! Every time I’d come home from college, there’d be a new subdivision in the area. Now, New Palestine has enough new housing to support the increased demand, whether you’re looking for a small apartment or a few acres of land. 

Outside the town center, you can have your pick of whatever home you want to live in. If you want a tight-knit community where neighbors share fences, you can easily find a cozy home. But if you want to live out in the middle of nowhere, you can do that, too. When it comes to rural living, New Palestine is the place to look.

New Palestine is the ideal place for families.

In my opinion, New Palestine is the perfect place to settle down and raise a family. The Community School Corporation of Southern Hancock County is an exceptional school district, ranking amongst the state’s top schools. Our town is only about thirty minutes from Indy’s most popular parks, museums, and attractions. And all you parents out there will have an easy commute, whether you work in New Pal or the heart of Indianapolis. 

In fact, my family has lived in New Palestine for over a decade. My parents built our house on an acre of land in 2012, and there have been no thoughts of moving since. We love living in New Pal, experiencing the local scenery and making friends in our community. Depending on the season, you can watch the seas of corn and beans as they surround our neighborhood and provide a sense of peace. 

But you can also drive into town and find lots of great restaurants, shops, and parks right here in New Pal. One of the best new resources is the Hancock Wellness Center, which provides a variety of fitness and health services for local families. The center has a basketball court, an indoor pool, on-site childcare, and important health services. They even offer nutrition classes and a Kids Fit Program to help families stay healthy. 

Explore our small-town shops and delicious local dining.

New Palestine is a small town, and that means most of our businesses are small businesses. One of the best ways to support our community is simply to eat, shop, and enjoy the local spots around town. 

Two of my favorite local restaurants are The Sugar Creek Brickhouse and the Round the Corner Grill. Both of these places are American-style restaurants with delicious food, fully loaded bars, and massive TVs to watch your favorite sports team. But Round the Corner—colloquially known as “The Pub”—also has live music and karaoke on weekends! The Pub truly is the heart of New Pal’s quaint nightlife scene—with an emphasis on quaint. 

Obviously, every town has to have a classic, family-owned Mexican restaurant, and ours is The Nopal. Their traditional Mexican cuisine attracts people from all over, including everything from carne asada to enchiladas. They even have churros and fried ice cream for dessert! 

But if you really want to satisfy your sweet tooth, Nopal isn’t the only place with ice cream. From Memorial Day to Labor Day, you can stop the famous Frosty Boy Drive-In to get some of the best ice cream you’ve ever had. Frosty Boy has been a staple in our community for almost 50 years and has a very family-friendly environment. You can often see kids sitting on the sidewalk, eating ice cream, and waving at the cars going by. 

With all of these restaurants and the nearby Needler’s Fresh Market, I don’t think you’ll struggle to find what you’re craving in New Pal. However, if you find yourself wanting something different, you’re just a quick, fifteen-minute drive from Greenfield or the East Washington Street area.

The New Pal culture supports small business.

Beyond food, New Pal also has a variety of small businesses run by local families. Sugar Creek Consignment and Redefined Hope are two boutiques where all the ladies out there can get everything you need. 

At Sugar Creek Consignment, you can find original artwork from local artists, clothing, home decor, and other handmade goods. Meanwhile, Redefined Hope is a one-stop shop for new clothes, coffee, and even a haircut. Best of all, all of their proceeds go toward the Hope Center—an organization that supports women impacted by human trafficking, sexual exploitation, and addiction. 

While small, local businesses tend to be a bit more expensive, they’re also an important part of every community. When you shop local, you help support your neighbors and strengthen the New Pal community.

New Palestine’s school system is rapidly growing.

As more and more people move here, our school district has expanded to meet the growing demand. Since I graduated in 2018, the town’s invested millions in renovating the New Palestine High School and other buildings. They even converted the old Doe Creek Middle School into the New Palestine Junior High—one of 36 schools to receive the prestigious STEM Certification from the Indiana Department of Education! 

On top of that, the Community School Corporation of Southern Hancock County (CSCSHC) offers many different opportunities to help your children excel. Every child has access to 1:1 technology from kindergarten to senior year, and our high school consistently earns “A Ratings”  for producing transformational leaders.

The teachers at New Palestine care a lot about their students, and they treat every kid with respect and dignity. As a former student myself, I witnessed firsthand how much our teachers care about their students. They made me feel heard, while challenging me to be the best version of myself—inside and outside of the classroom.

If your kids are into sports or the arts, New Pal also offers extracurricular opportunities to set them up for success. Our varsity teams are always contenders for the sectional championship in pretty much every sport. In fact, New Palestine High School has won 17 state titles across baseball, softball, football, wrestling, and track!

During football season, the whole town shows up to support our students. But those stands don’t just fill for the football team! Locals love watching the halftime performances with our marching band and color guard. With a hefty list of awards, the NPHS Marching Band always impresses the crowds. So, whether your children are band kids or athletic jocks, the CSCSHC has everything they need to pursue their passions! 

Our community turns new neighbors into lasting friendships.  

The booming metropolis of Indianapolis stretches across 368 square miles, but New Palestine only spans two square miles in its entirety. You have to keep this in mind—and understand that our “city life” looks very different from Indianapolis. But honestly, that’s where the appeal comes from!

New Palestine is a small-town community where everyone knows everyone. We’re a residential town, so pretty much everything around New Pal is either a subdivision or a crop field. That means the most common way to meet people is through neighborhood connections or after-school extracurriculars! 

From my own experience, youth sports and other activities are the catalyst for friendships between parents. Whether it’s basketball, choir, theater, or anything in between, your kids will form lifelong friendships, while you get to make some friends of your own. Through these activities, you can meet tons of other families who share similar interests and values.

When I was a kid, my parents got me involved in New Pal’s youth baseball and football leagues. Now, more than 12 years later, three of the friends I met there will be groomsmen at my wedding! This just goes to show how strong those small-town connections are in New Pal. 

As for neighborhood connections, I personally haven’t lived in a close-knit neighborhood community. But I have plenty of friends who have! 

From my perspective, I can see how wholesome those neighborhood relationships were. Seeing my friends’ parents interact with their friends showed me that their sideline conversations had grown outside of sports. I think these friendly relationships are important for the health of a community and the growth of children. With plenty of positive role models and influences, your kids will have a great environment to grow up in.

New Palestine welcomes you with open arms.

As you’ve seen here, New Pal is a small town that’s perfect for new residents and growing families. Our community is rural enough to enjoy peaceful cornfields around neighborhood subdivisions. But we’re also close enough to urban areas like Indianapolis, Greenfield, Greenwood, and more. With just a short drive, you can access just about anywhere you’d like to go, whether that’s Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the White River State Park, or the Indianapolis International Airport. 

But honestly, you won’t need to leave New Pal to have a good time. New Palestine has pretty much everything you could ever need—right in our small town. We have delicious restaurants, fun shops, great schools, a state-of-the-art wellness center, and plenty of nature to explore. All of these amenities make up the greatness of New Palestine and help make our community a wonderful place to live. 

So, come find your new home here in New Palestine! We hope to see you and your family here soon.