Austin is a city in Jennings Township, Scott County, in the U.S. state of Indiana.

The population was 4,272 at the 2000 census, at which time it was a town; Austin became a city on January 1, 2008.

[4] The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirms that Austin “contains the largest drug-fueled H.I.V.

outbreak to hit rural America in recent history.” Its 5 percent infection rate “is comparable to some African nations.” According to New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, who visited with Austin's only doctor, Will Cooke, Austin "doesn’t just sit at the intersection between Indianapolis and Louisville but at the intersection of hopelessness and economic ruin.”[5] In 2015, press reports indicated the city was the center of an outbreak of HIV caused by the use of Opana as an injectable recreational drug.

[7] After 29 days, by the time Governor Mike Pence determined a course of action, the number of HIV cases had skyrocketed to 79.

In response to the crisis Scott County established "one-stop shop," where people could also get drug treatment referrals, free HIV testing, syringe exchanges, and other services.

[8] According to the 2010 census, Austin has a total area of 2.58 square miles (6.68 km2), all land.

[9] The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters.