Marion County · Indiana · Midwest · 886k residents
Indianapolis, IN: cost of living, taxes & quality of life
Residential facts for Indianapolis: housing, taxes, monthly costs, climate, schools, and household income, with the Indiana median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: Curated city row; coverage varies by fact.
The median home value in Indianapolis is $250,000, 28% above the Indiana median. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,400/mo. Day-to-day costs index at 90 against a national baseline of 100. The median household here earns $59,000 a year.
What the numbers show
Source-confirmed findingsLimited coverage: This profile does not yet have enough source-confirmed local data for a city brief.
This profile does not yet have enough source-confirmed local data for a city brief.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates(2024 ACS 5-year; tables B01003, B15003, B19013, B25077). Geography: Census place where available. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
WhereToHQ calculates the comparisons. Figures are estimates for context, not a guarantee or personal financial advice. Read the methodology or send a correction.
What makes this place distinctive
A factual snapshot of the place, based on the profile data. It is not a tourism or cultural claim.
A Midwestern capital where a global race weekend shapes the city’s civic rhythm.
Known for: The Indianapolis 500, amateur sports, museums, and a walkable downtown canal district.
Calendar note: The Indianapolis 500 is the city’s defining annual event.
Story source: Visit Indy
- Scale: A large city with a quarter-million or more residents in the profile data.
- Setting: The profile places Indianapolis about 141 miles from the nearest tracked lake.
- Climate signal: The profile records 186 sunny days.
- Daily pace: The profile records a walk score of 32 and an average commute of 24 minutes.
WhereToHQ derives these signals from the committed city dataset. Read the methodology for coverage and source limits.
Compare Indianapolis side by side
Cost of living index
90
Median home value
$250,000
2-bedroom rent
$1,400/mo
Median household income
$59,000
Housing momentum
How fast Indianapolis's housing market is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
37/100
Steady
Ranks Indianapolis's home-price and rent growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. Not investment or relocation advice.
Adjusted by Indianapolis's cost-of-living index versus the US average.
| Median home value | $250,000 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $155 |
| Property tax rate | 1.05% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $1,150/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,400/mo |
| State & local income tax | 5.07% |
| Sales tax | 7% |
| Cost of living index | 90 |
| Groceries index | 95 |
| Utilities | $170/mo |
| Transit pass | $60/mo |
| Gas price | $3.05/gal |
| Healthcare index | 95 |
| Childcare (per child) | $1,050/mo |
| Median household income | $59,000 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% |
| Population | 886k |
| Crime index | 57/100 |
| School rating | 5.5/10 |
| Walkability | 32/100 |
| Disaster risk | 98/100 |
| Avg. commute | 24 min |
| Sunny days / year | 186 days |
| July high | 84°F |
| January low | 19°F |
| Annual snowfall | — |
| Home price YoY | -0.2% |
| Home price MoM | -0.4% |
| Rent YoY | +2.0% |
| Rent MoM | +0.2% |
| Ocean coast | 580 mi |
| Big lake | 141 mi |
| Mountains | 292 mi |
| Major airport | 10 mi |
| Ski resort | 78 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- Lawrence, IN · 50k
- Greenwood, IN · 66k
- Carmel, IN · 102k
- Fishers, IN · 102k
- Zionsville, IN · 32k
Similar size
- Fort Wayne, IN · 269k
- Evansville, IN · 116k
- South Bend, IN · 103k
- Bloomington, IN · 80k
- Hammond, IN · 77k
Real listings in Indianapolis
Homes on Zillow ↗Realtor.com ↗Rentals on Zillow ↗Apartments.com ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- What is the cost of living in Indianapolis, IN?
- Indianapolis indexes at 90 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $1,400/mo and a median home value of $250,000.
- How much does a house cost in Indianapolis?
- The median home value in Indianapolis is $250,000, 28% above the Indiana median (compiled estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in Indianapolis?
- A two-bedroom in Indianapolis rents for about $1,400/mo.