Advantages & Disadvantages of Moving to Indiana

You think about moving to Indiana but want to get additional information about overall quality of life, safety, living costs, housing, entertainment, public infrastructure and much more before making your final decision in this regard?

Great! This article is exactly for you since I will show you the pros and cons of living in Indiana in the following chapters.

Living in Indiana – Overview

Advantages of Living in Indiana

1. Living costs in Indiana are rather low
2. Housing shortage is not a big deal in most parts of Indiana
3. Rents are reasonably low in many regions of Indiana
4. Property prices are still affordable for the general public
5. Many people in Indiana can still live the American dream
6. You don’t have to make lots of money to live a decent lifestyle
7. Low overall financial pressure for many people living in Indiana
8. Indiana is a rather relaxed place
9. You will be able to meet many friendly people in Indiana
10. People in the big cities of Indiana are usually pretty tolerant
11. Easy to socialize in the big cities of Indiana
12. You can enjoy warm and sunny summers in Indiana
13. Cold winters allow you to go skiing or do other winter sports
14. Real seasons make your life in Indiana interesting
15. Lots of beautiful nature in Indiana
16. People in Indiana have the incentive to spend lots of time outdoors
17. You can get lots of fresh air in Indiana
18. People in Indiana can exercise in a natural manner
19. More than enough recreational spaces in Indiana
20. Decent bars and clubs in the major cities of Indiana
21. Solid medical infrastructure in the urban parts of Indiana
22. People in Indiana are often honest and real
23. You can make friends for a lifetime in Indiana
24. People in Indiana are not as career-focused as people in other states
25. Decent air quality in Indiana
26. You may be able to live self-sufficient in Indiana
27. Indiana is a rather safe state
28. Rather low unemployment rates in Indiana
29. Indiana is a rather pet-friendly place
30. Indiana may be an interesting place for real estate investors
31. Indiana becomes increasingly bicycle-friendly
32. Decent internet connection in most parts of Indiana
33. Traffic is not a big problem in most regions of Indiana
34. Rather easy to find a parking lot in Indiana
35. Easy to get to the biggest cities in Indiana
36. You don’t have to worry about running out of material goods in Indiana
37. Indiana may be an interesting place to retire
38. Cultural diversity in the big cities of Indiana
39. Indiana may still be underrated
40. Lots of public space for yourself in Indiana

Living costs in Indiana are rather low

One advantage of moving to Indianapolis is that living costs are rather low compared to many other states in the US and while people living in Los Angeles or other popular regions often have to spend lots of money on drinks and many other things of daily life, you will be able to afford much more for the same budget in most parts of Indianapolis.

Housing shortage is not a big deal in most parts of Indiana

Since housing shortage is not a big issue in many parts of Indiana, you will also find a decent place to stay rather quickly and don’t have to search for a place to rent or buy for many months as people moving to NYC or other more popular regions often have to do and you may therefore have more time to spend on nicer things instead.

Rents are reasonably low in many regions of Indiana

Since the Indiana housing market is rather relaxed, also rents are still reasonably low in this region and many people out there don’t have to spend a big fraction of their disposable income and will have more funds left to spend on other important things.

Property prices are still affordable for the general public

Not only rents are pretty low, but also property prices are still affordable for many people in the Indiana region and this means that you will be able to buy a decent home at a rather low price and may not have to pay back huge amounts of money on your mortgage each month as people moving to San José or other places where property prices are much higher often have to do.

Many people in Indiana can still live the American dream

Thanks to rather low living and housing costs, many people in Indiana are still able to live the American dream, including owning a nice home, a fancy car and so on without having to financially overcommitting themselves.

You don’t have to make lots of money to live a decent lifestyle

While people in more expensive regions often have to make quite a lot of money from their jobs to be able to survive, many people in Indiana can still live a decent lifestyle even if they don’t make a really good income since overall price level is pretty low.

Low overall financial pressure for many people living in Indiana

Due to rather low prices in various parts of life, also overall financial pressure for people in Indiana may be much lower compared to people living in San Diego or other much more expensive places where people often have to worry about financial problems quite a lot.

Indiana is a rather relaxed place

Another upside to moving to Indiana is that it is a rather laid-back place where people usually take the time to help you out on various occasions of daily life and you can therefore have a great time in this region, especially while you are still new to this place and support of locals may be crucial to start a new and successful life.

You will be able to meet many friendly people in Indiana

People in Indiana are also well-known to be pretty friendly and you will therefore have a rather easy time getting in touch with people and you can also experience many new lifestyles in the urban regions of Indiana.

People in the big cities of Indiana are usually pretty tolerant

You should also know that many people in Indiana are also pretty tolerant and open to new things so you can live your life according to your own rules and values as long as you obey the law and will still be respected by many other people so you don’t have to give up your attitude towards life just to fit in as would be the case in many other regions out there.

Easy to socialize in the big cities of Indiana

Since people in Indiana are usually pretty tolerant and you will also find many decent places to hang out with other people in the bigger cities of Indiana, you will also be able to meet many new people and can make many social connections rather quickly so you don’t have to worry about getting socially isolated.

You can enjoy warm and sunny summers in Indiana

Another benefit of moving to Indiana is that summers are rather warm while they are still not too hot and if you love warm and sunny summers but don’t like hot and humid weather as much, you may be better off moving to Indiana compared to moving to Austin or other pretty hot places.

Cold winters allow you to go skiing or do other winter sports

Not only will you be able to enjoy warm summers but it also gets pretty cold in winter in many parts of Indiana and while not all people like cold weather, Indiana may be perfect for you if you are the kind of person who loves doing winter sports since you will find many opportunities to go skiing or to do other nice things in the snow.

Real seasons make your life in Indiana interesting

Since you can experience warm summers and cold winters, you will also live in an interesting climatic zone and may therefore have a more exciting life compared to people living in El Paso or other regions where it is just warm all year long and people may miss real winters quite often.

Lots of beautiful nature in Indiana

Another benefit of living in Indiana is that you will also find many nice lakes, forests and other places in nature where you can go fishing, hiking and do many other things to relax and unplug from your stressful life while you can still have a great time with your family.

People in Indiana have the incentive to spend lots of time outdoors

Since there are so many things to do in nature in the Indiana region, you will also have the incentive to spend lots of time outdoors and this may get you in a pretty good mood compared to people who are not able to enjoy nice nature and may rather sit at home quite often.

You can get lots of fresh air in Indiana

Since you will be able to spend lots of time outdoors in interesting and beautiful locations, you can also get lots of fresh air and oxygen which can help your body and brain to work properly so you can stay on top of your game and perform in various parts of life in the best possible manner.

People in Indiana can exercise in a natural manner

Since you can do so many nature activities, you will also be able to exercise in a natural manner and can burn lots of calories by hiking or doing other things in nature while other people who don’t have this luxury may have to go to the gym to stay fit in the long run.

More than enough recreational spaces in Indiana

While you will find many recreational spaces outside the big cities in Indiana, you will also find many parks and other green spaces within city borders so you will be able to relax and recharge your batteries during lunch break or after work.

Decent bars and clubs in the major cities of Indiana

Another upside to living in Indiana is that you will also find many decent bars and clubs in the big cities and you will therefore find many opportunities to party and to socialize with other like-minded people on a regular basis.

Solid medical infrastructure in the urban parts of Indiana

Also in case you get sick, you can be pretty sure to find decent doctors and hospitals in the big cities in Indiana so you can get cured of your health condition in a proper manner and may be able to recover from your health condition as quickly as possible.

People in Indiana are often honest and real

People in Indiana are often also not as artificial as in many other parts of the US and may be more honest and real so you may have an easier time trusting people and may also just feel more welcome than in many other regions.

You can make friends for a lifetime in Indiana

Since you will be able to find many honest and genuine people in Indiana, you may also be able to make many friends for a lifetime and can spend your life with great people you may be able to really rely on even during the darkest times of your life.

People in Indiana are not as career-focused as people in other states

Another advantage of living in Indiana is that you will also find many rather relaxed people who are not as career-focused as in many other states and this can be great since those people will often take more time to help you out and you may also be able to make deeper connections on an emotional level compared to regions where people just care about their career progress and about money in general.

Decent air quality in Indiana

You should also know that you will have pretty decent air quality in many regions of Indiana outside the big cities and this can be great for you since you may be at lower risk of suffering from pulmonary issues in the long run compared to people living in more polluted regions.

You may be able to live self-sufficient in Indiana

Since property prices in Indiana are still rather low, you may also be able to live a self-sufficient lifestyle since you can just buy a large piece of land and may be able to grow all sorts of crops and keep cattle and other farm animals so you no longer have to rely on conventional stores for many things of daily life and may be able to become completely independent in the long run.

Indiana is a rather safe state

You should also know that apart from the big cities, Indiana is also considered a rather safe state and while nothing is guaranteed, you may be at lower risk of getting involved in serious incidents compared to people living in Detroit or other regions with pretty high crime rates.

Rather low unemployment rates in Indiana

Compared to the rest of the US, Indiana also has pretty low unemployment rates and as long as you have solid education, chances are you will find a decent job sooner or later and don’t have to worry about long-term unemployment as much as in other economically weaker regions.

Indiana is a rather pet-friendly place

You should also keep in mind that Indiana is a rather pet-friendly state and you will therefore be able to meet many other pet owners and can therefore socialize in a playful manner so you can make many new social connections with like-minded people in the long run.

Indiana may be an interesting place for real estate investors

Since Indiana is considered a rather landlord-friendly state since there is no strict rent control and landlords have more rights than in many other regions, it may also be a good place for property investors since you may be in a pretty good position as a landlord from a legal point of view and also overall rental yields are decent so you can build a solid positive cash flow rather quickly.

Indiana becomes increasingly bicycle-friendly

While Indiana is not yet the most bicycle-friendly place, the state still takes a lot of effort to improve overall bicycling infrastructure and over the next years, Indiana may become a rather bike-friendly region so you may be able to get around by bicycle without needing a car for smaller distances anymore.

Decent internet connection in most parts of Indiana

Many people in Indiana also have pretty good internet connection and this helps them stay connected to the world and may also be really important to work from home since without proper internet connection, you would not be able to make video calls or virtual meetings.

Traffic is not a big problem in most regions of Indiana

Since Indiana is not the most crowded state, traffic jams are also not a big deal outside the big cities and you will therefore be able to get around by car in a pretty efficient manner without losing lots of time in traffic as people living in Chicago or other more crowded places often do.

Rather easy to find a parking lot in Indiana

Since traffic is not a big deal in most parts of Indiana yet, it is also rather easy to find a parking lot and you therefore don’t have to spend as much time and money in this regard as in more crowded regions.

Easy to get to the biggest cities in Indiana

Since there are some solid international airports, you will have a rather easy time getting to the biggest cities of Indiana and will therefore be well-connected to the world and can also travel the world in a pretty efficient manner.

You don’t have to worry about running out of material goods in Indiana

Also overall supply of material goods is pretty decent in most parts of Indiana and this means that you don’t have to worry about running out of important things of daily life anytime soon and you will find many things pretty close to your home.

Indiana may be an interesting place to retire

Since living and housing costs are still rather low while you can still enjoy lots of beautiful nature, Indiana may also be a great place to retire since you can live a decent lifestyle at rather low costs and can also do many free things.

Cultural diversity in the big cities of Indiana

You will also be able to experience many different cultural influences in the big cities of Indiana and can therefore have a great time with many interesting people from all over the US and even the world and you will also be able to try many delicious foods in this region.

Indiana may still be underrated

Since living and housing costs in Indiana are rather low and you can still experience many nice things and activities in this region, Indiana may still be underrated and by moving to Indiana, you may be able to enjoy many nice things at a much lower price compared to many regions out there and may be able to have a really great time.

Lots of public space for yourself in Indiana

Since Indiana is not the most crowded state, you will also have more than enough public space for yourself and during times you just don’t want to talk to other people, you will find many places where you can be on your own and can really think about your life.

As you can see, there are many reasons for moving to Indiana.

Yet, there are also some drawbacks of living in Indiana that I want to address in the following so you will get a more realistic picture of reality and can better decide for yourself whether you still want to move to Indiana or rather want to live in Alabama or other interesting states instead.

Disadvantages of Living in Indiana

1. Hard to find really good education in the rural parts of Indiana
2. Public transport is not great outside the big cities of Indiana
3. You may urgently need a car to get around in an efficient manner
4. Overall income level in Indiana is rather low
5. Hard to get to the rural regions of Indiana
6. Entertainment options outside the big cities may be rather limited
7. Not many great bars and clubs in the rural regions of Indiana
8. Indiana doesn’t have a coastline
9. Cold winters may deter many people from moving to Indiana
10. Indiana is not the most popular state for tourists
11. The big cities in Indiana have to deal with many social problems
12. Natural disasters may hit your home in Indiana
13. Climate change may have an adverse impact on overall quality of life in Indiana
14. Pollution may become a serious problem
15. Indiana may not be the greatest state for students
16. Many young people consider leaving the rural parts of Indiana
17. Indiana may not be the most exciting state
18. You may get bored in Indiana in the long run
19. Hard to build a strong business network in Indiana
20. Your loved ones may not understand your decision of moving to Indiana
21. Not many great sports teams outside the big cities of Indiana
22. You may not find as many great shopping opportunities as in other states
23. Cultural diversity may be rather limited in the rural parts of Indiana
24. Many people are still pretty traditional and conservative
25. Not many really big cities in Indiana
26. Moving to Indiana may not be great if you don’t like nature
27. You may meet snakes and other rather unpleasant animals in Indiana
28. The rural parts of Indiana may be too quiet for you
29. You may have a hard time organizing your life in the rural regions of Indiana
30. You may have a hard time socializing in the rural parts of Indiana

Hard to find really good education in the rural parts of Indiana

One problem with living in Indiana is that you may have a hard time finding really good schools and colleges outside the big cities and if you want to live in a rather rural region, you may have to spend lots of time bringing your kids to and picking your kids up from school and this may become really annoying in the long run since you would have to spend lots of time in your car.

Public transport is not great outside the big cities of Indiana

You should also not forget that public transport is pretty poor in many rural parts of Indiana and you will therefore not be able to get around by bus or train in an efficient manner outside the big cities.

You may urgently need a car to get around in an efficient manner

Due to rather poor public transportation, many people in Indiana urgently need a car to get from A to B in an efficient manner and this may not only hurt our environment but also your pocket in the long run.

Additionally, in case you are no longer able to drive due to various possible reasons, you may just not be mobile enough in many regions in Indiana and your overall quality of life may be quite low due to that.

Overall income level in Indiana is rather low

Another downside to living in Indiana is that income levels are pretty low and the average person just doesn’t make great money in this region.

Hence, if your goal is to get rich, you may be better off moving to Oakland or other regions where income levels are usually much higher.

Hard to get to the rural regions of Indiana

While the big cities of Indiana are well-accessible since they often have big airports, it is often still hard to get to the smaller towns and in case you want to move to a rather rural region, your loved ones may have a rather hard time visiting you and you may not have guests as often as people living in more accessible regions.

Entertainment options outside the big cities may be rather limited

Another disadvantage of living in Indiana is that overall entertainment options are rather limited outside the big cities and you may just not find many things to do in this region and may run out of options regarding what to do with your leisure in the long run.

Not many great bars and clubs in the rural regions of Indiana

While you may find decent bars in the big cities, you will not find many locations to party in the rural parts of Indiana and in case you are a party person, you may just not become happy in those regions and may get fed up with nightlife in Indiana sooner or later.

Indiana doesn’t have a coastline

You should also know that Indiana isn’t located at the coast and you will therefore not have the same opportunities to go surfing or relaxing at the beach compared to people living in Sacramento or other coastal regions.

Cold winters may deter many people from moving to Indiana

Another downside to moving to Indiana is that you will also have to deal with cold winters and while some people love having real seasons, others just like warm weather all year long and if you belong to the second group of people, moving to Dallas or other warmer regions may make more sense for you.

Indiana is not the most popular state for tourists

You should also be aware of the fact that Indiana is just not the most popular place for tourists and you may therefore not be able to meet as many great people from all over the world compared to people living in Washington D.C. or other globally-renowned places.

The big cities in Indiana have to deal with many social problems

You should also know that Indianapolis and other big cities in Indiana have to deal with many social problems which may lead to even higher crime rates and social inequality in the long run and may greatly lower overall quality of life for the local population.

Natural disasters may hit your home in Indiana

Another disadvantage of moving to Indiana is that storms, wildfires or other natural disasters may damage or even destroy your home sooner or later and in case you are really unlucky, you may not only lose your home but even your life.

Climate change may have an adverse impact on overall quality of life in Indiana

Due to global warming, natural disasters and also water scarcity may become serious problems in Indiana in the near future and homeowners insurance premiums may therefore also increase significantly in the long run.

Pollution may become a serious problem

You should also know that natural environments in Indiana become increasingly polluted since many unreasonable tourists just dispose of their garbage in nature and in case this trend continues, chances are that nature will no longer be as beautiful as it is right now and many recreational spaces may rather turn into landfills in the long run.

Indiana may not be the greatest state for students

Since there are not many great universities outside the big cities of Indiana and nightlife is also not really great, many people may also not want to study in Indiana but may rather want to study in Chicago or other more vibrant places.

Many young people consider leaving the rural parts of Indiana

Another problem with moving to Indiana is that many people also consider moving to the rural parts of this state since there are just not as many exciting things to do as in many other regions and this means that the average age of people in the rural parts of Indiana may be pretty high and you may just not be able to meet as many young people as you might have wished.

Indiana may not be the most exciting state

While there are some exciting things to do in the urban parts of Indiana, it is still not the most exciting state and if you need action 24/7, you may be better off moving to more vibrant regions instead.

You may get bored in Indiana in the long run

Since Indiana may not be the most exciting state, you may also get bored with your life in Indiana in the long run and may want to move to more exciting regions where you can just have more action and more events on a regular basis.

Hard to build a strong business network in Indiana

Since there are not as many big corporations in Indiana as in many other states, you may also have a harder time building a strong business network compared to people living in Houston or other economically strong regions.

Your loved ones may not understand your decision of moving to Indiana

You may also have to invest quite a lot of time in convincing your loved ones that moving to Indiana may be a great idea since it is just not the most popular region in the US and your family and friends may therefore be quite skeptical in this regard.

Not many great sports teams outside the big cities of Indiana

Also in case you are a sports team, you may also not be able to really enjoy your life in Indiana since you will just not find many great sports teams, at least if you want to live in the rather rural regions where sports entertainment will often be rather limited and you may not be able to watch many great games live in person.

You may not find as many great shopping opportunities as in other states

Compared to many other states, you may also not find as many fancy boutiques and shopping malls in Indiana and in case shopping and following fashing trends is really important to you, you may be better off moving to a region where fashion plays a much bigger role.

Cultural diversity may be rather limited in the rural parts of Indiana

While you will have lots of cultural diversity in the big cities of Indiana and will also be able to meet many interesting people, things may change if you want to move to rather rural regions where you may often miss cultural diversity.

Many people are still pretty traditional and conservative

You should also know that many people outside the big cities of Indiana still live pretty conservative and traditional lifestyles and in case you don’t want to live the mainstream lifestyle, you may have a hard time connecting to locals in this region.

Not many really big cities in Indiana

While you will have Indianapolis and some other big cities, the number of big cities in Indiana is still rather limited and you may therefore just not be able to make as many nice day trips to other cities as would be possible in other regions where bigger cities are much more common.

Moving to Indiana may not be great if you don’t like nature

Before moving to Indiana, you should also ask yourself whether you really like nature since in case you don’t, you may run out of leisure activities rather quickly and may not get happy with your life in the long run.

You may meet snakes and other rather unpleasant animals in Indiana

You should also know that you may meet snakes and other rather exotic animals in Indiana and if you are not careful and unlucky, you may get bitten by one of those animals and may need medical support pretty quickly.

The rural parts of Indiana may be too quiet for you

Since there are not as many exciting things to do in the rural parts of Indiana, this state may also just be too quiet for you and you may therefore want to move to more vibrant places in the long run.

You may have a hard time organizing your life in the rural regions of Indiana

Since distances are often pretty long in the rural parts of Indiana, you would often have to spend lots of time in your car to drive to the grocery store and to do many other important things of life while people in more urban regions will often have an easier time organizing their lives and can also live a more efficient lifestyle in general.

You may have a hard time socializing in the rural parts of Indiana

While it is pretty easy to make many new social connections in the urban parts of Indiana, you may have a harder time doing so in the rural regions since you may just not have as many locations to hang out with other people.

Top 10 Moving To Indiana Pros & Cons – Summary List

Is Indiana A Good Place To Live?

While moving to Indiana can make quite a lot of sense since living and housing costs are rather low and you can enjoy beautiful nature, you should also know that public transport, medical infrastructure and entertainment options are not great outside the big cities and you may also have to spend lots of time organizing your life in Indiana.

In the end, it is on you to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of moving to Indiana carefully so you can make the best possible decision in this regard according to your individual circumstances.

Most Popular Cities To Live In Indiana – Comparison

Alternative States To Live

If you no longer want to move to Indiana, you may also want to have a look at the following articles:

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Illinois

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Florida

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Idaho

Sources

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/IN

About the author

This site is about living, moving and traveling to various parts of our fascinating planet.

My name is Andreas and when I was younger, I traveled the world and learned a lot about different cultures and countries.

Thus, I want to share my experiences with you so that you can benefit from them and avoid common mistakes in this regard.

In my articles, you will find everything you need to find the best location for a happy and successful life.