Indianapolis, Indiana
Cost of living, housing, income, commute, climate, and safety — compiled for relocators researching Indianapolis.
Key figures
Each metric shows how Indianapolis compares with the U.S. baseline (ACS/BLS nationals where available; catalog-city averages for crime, climate, and commute). Income, housing, population, and crime are for the incorporated city (city limits), not the broader metro/MSA — unemployment is county-level (BLS LAUS).
- Population
- 882,043City limits · not metro/MSA
- Median household income
- $62,995Incorporated place (ACS)20% below U.S. avgU.S. $78,538
- Housing cost index
- 75ACS home+rent vs U.S. (100 = avg)25% below U.S. avgU.S. 100
- Median home value
- $207,000City limits (ACS)32% below U.S. avgU.S. $303,400
- Median rent
- $1,112City limits (ACS)18% below U.S. avgU.S. $1,348
- Unemployment
- 3.3%County LAUS · not city-onlyNear U.S. avg (4.2 pts)U.S. 4.2 pts
- Avg commute
- 24 minNear U.S. avg (25 min)U.S. 25 min
- Walk Score
- 3131% below U.S. avgU.S. 45
- Violent crime rate
- UnavailableFBI CDE gap
- Property crime rate
- UnavailableFBI CDE gap
- Summer high
- 84°F3.0°F below U.S. avgU.S. 87°F
- Winter low
- 24°F10.0°F below U.S. avgU.S. 34°F
- Annual rainfall
- 43.6 in33% above U.S. avgU.S. 32.9 in
- Sunny days
- 23711% below U.S. avgU.S. 266
Compare Indianapolis with another city
Midwest industrial corridors and flat farmland still set the cost baseline. Expect summer highs near 84°F and winter lows around 24°F. Average one-way commute time is about 24 minutes, and Walk Score estimates land around 31/100. Labor-market readings near 3.3% unemployment are neither boom nor bust by national standards. Crime rates are marked unavailable for this municipality in our FBI CDE pull; do not rely on a citywide index.
Indianapolis (pop. 882,043) sits in Indiana. With median income around $62,995 and a cost index of 75, the market reads among the more affordable large markets in this catalog on housing costs. Entry home prices around $207,000 still look attainable compared with coastal metros.
Indianapolis sits in that mid-to-large city band where urban and quieter residential pockets often share one municipal boundary. Figures on this page are merged from Census ACS, BLS LAUS, FBI Crime Data Explorer, and NOAA Climate Normals — use them to compare Indianapolis with nearby alternatives before you relocate.
Nearby & similar cities
Continue researching with these internal links — each page is a full data profile.
Sources
- Census / ACS: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 5-year (Indianapolis city (balance), 1600000US1836003)
- BLS: BLS LAUS LAUCN180970000000003 (Marion County, May 2026)
- Crime: data unavailable
- Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 Monthly Normals (USW00093819 INDIANAPOLIS)
Last updated 2026-07-28