Advantages & Disadvantages of Moving to Indianapolis

You think about moving to Indianapolis but want to get additional information about the city before making your final decision in this regard?

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

Living in Indianapolis – Overview

Advantages of Living in Indianapolis

1. Property prices in Indianapolis are pretty low
2. Rents are still affordable
3. Housing shortage is not a big problem yet
4. Easy to find a place to stay in Indianapolis
5. Average person can still afford a decent home
6. Living costs in Indianapolis are lower compared to other major cities
7. Indianapolis is not that crowded yet
8. You have lots of space for yourself
9. Traffic jams are not a big problem in Indianapolis yet
10. Relatively easy to find a parking lot
11. You can get from one end to the other within a reasonable amount of time
12. Decent income level in Indianapolis
13. Many big companies to work for
14. Unemployment rate in Indianapolis is pretty low
15. People don’t have to make lots of money to make a decent living
16. Financial pressure is lower compared to living in other major cities
17. People are not as shallow
18. People in Indianapolis are friendly
19. You will find many people to support you
20. Easy to socialize in Indianapolis
21. You can make many new friends soon
22. Indianapolis has decent public transport in the center
23. Indianapolis is a bike-friendly city
24. You may not need a car to get around
25. You can enjoy real seasons
26. You can go skiing or do other winter sports in Indianapolis
27. Indianapolis has decent nightlife
28. You can go out to many different restaurants
29. You can enjoy the comfort of a big city at a reasonably low price
30. You will find most things for daily life within walking distance
31. Growing population in Indianapolis
32. Decent future outlook for the Indianapolis region
33. Indianapolis has an international airport

Property prices in Indianapolis are pretty low

One benefit of moving to Indianapolis is that property prices are pretty low and you can buy a home for rather small amounts of money compared to other major cities in the US.

Consequently, while people living in San José or other more expensive cities often have to spend lots of money to pay back their mortgages, you in Indianapolis will often have pretty low rates and will be able to spend more of your disposable income on other things.

Rents are still affordable

Not only property prices are reasonably low, but also rents are much lower in Indianapolis compared to other major cities and this means that you don’t have to spend that much money on housing and will have more money to save and invest for retirement or for other important things.

Housing shortage is not a big problem yet

Since Indianapolis is not the most popular city, demand for housing is not as high as in other major cities and this means that housing shortage is not a big problem yet.

In turn, you will find many good housing opportunities and can just choose the ones that fit your personal preferences and budget.

Easy to find a place to stay in Indianapolis

Since housing shortage is not a big problem yet, also competition for housing is not that serious and you will therefore find a decent place to stay within a reasonable amount of time, at least if your financial situation is decent and you also have a clean financial background and track record.

Average person can still afford a decent home

Since property prices and rents are still reasonably low, the average person can still afford to rent or buy a decent home while many people living in Los Angeles or other bigger and more expensive cities often struggle in this regard.

Living costs in Indianapolis are lower compared to other major cities

Another reason to move to Indianapolis is that living costs are far lower compared to other big cities in the US.

For instance, if you go to the movies, bowling or just go for a drink, you will pay less in Indianapolis compared to L.A. or other major cities and can therefore save lots of money in this regard in the long run.

Indianapolis is not that crowded yet

While Indianapolis is a big city, it is still not as crowded as other metropolitan areas in the US and this gives you lots of room to navigate and to spend time on your own without running into people on a regular basis.

You have lots of space for yourself

You will also have lots of space for you in general and can spend your time in parks or other places on your own in case you have to think about complex problems and how to solve them and don’t want to get distracted by other people.

Traffic jams are not a big problem in Indianapolis yet

Since Indianapolis is not that crowded, traffic jams are also not a big problem yet and you will therefore be able to get from A to B by car within a reasonable amount of time while you would often get stuck in traffic jams if you lived in other more crowded places in the US.

Relatively easy to find a parking lot

Since traffic is not a serious problem in Indianapolis yet, it is also relatively easy to find a parking lot and you will also not have to spend lots of time and money in this regard but can rather use your time in the most efficient manner.

You can get from one end to the other within a reasonable amount of time

Another upside to living in Indianapolis is that the city is relatively small compared to other big cities in the US and this means that you can get from one end to the other pretty soon.

In turn, you don’t have to spend lots of time if you want to visit your friends in other parts of the city and will be back at your home within a reasonable amount of time.

Decent income level in Indianapolis

People in Indianapolis can also make decent money.

While you will not have the same high income level as people living in NYC, you will still be able to make good money as long as you have decent education and are also able to provide enough value to the corporate world.

Many big companies to work for

There are also many big companies in Indianapolis in various niches and it therefore doesn’t matter whether you are an engineer, financial expert or lawyer since you will find more than enough jobs to choose from if you are highly-qualified and also know how to sell your skills well.

Unemployment rate in Indianapolis is pretty low

Indianapolis also has a relatively low unemployment rate and this means that you will have many job opportunities and will also not have to worry about getting laid off since even in case this happens, chances are that you will find a new job pretty soon.

People don’t have to make lots of money to make a decent living

Since living costs and property prices are fairly low, people in Indianapolis also don’t have to make lots of money to live a decent lifestyle.

In fact, you will need far less money in Indianapolis compared to NYC or other more expensive regions and you may just be able to afford more nice things.

Financial pressure is lower compared to living in other major cities

Since you don’t have to make that much money to afford a decent lifestyle, you will also not have the same high level of financial pressure as people living in San Francisco or other more expensive cities and this can be a great relief for you in the long run since you don’t always have to worry about your finances and how they may adversely affect you in the future.

People are not as shallow

Another advantage of living in Indianapolis is that people are not as shallow as in many other big cities.

Instead, they are more real and honest and will also tell you the truth more often.

People in Indianapolis are friendly

Even though this is not true for all people, you will also meet many friendly people in Indianapolis and can have a great time together so that you will feel comfortable in your new home pretty soon.

You will find many people to support you

If you hang out with the right people, you can also be pretty sure that they will support you in case you get into trouble and need advice to overcome those issues.

In fact, you can really count on many people in Indianapolis and they will do their best to help you out.

Easy to socialize in Indianapolis

Since people in Indianapolis are usually friendly and outgoing, it is also pretty easy to socialize.

In fact, you can make new social connections in various daily-life situations.

For instance, when you wait for the bus, you can just talk to other people at the bus station and can really expand your social circle pretty soon.

You can make many new friends soon

If you are an open and friendly person, you will also get in touch with many people and some of those people will become really good friends in the long run with whom you may want to hang out with on a regular basis so that you don’t feel alone and don’t have to worry about becoming socially isolated.

Indianapolis has decent public transport in the center

Another upside to moving to Indianapolis is that the city provides decent public transport in the city center and this gives you the opportunity to get around by bus or train to make a positive impact on our environment and to save money on gas in the long run.

Indianapolis is a bike-friendly city

Indianapolis can also be a great city if you love bicycling and want to get around by bike on a regular basis.

In fact, the city invested lots of money in bike lanes and other things that make your biking experience as nice as possible and you can therefore get around by bike in a pretty efficient manner.

You may not need a car to get around

Since Indianapolis is a bike-friendly city and you can also get around by public transport in a reasonable manner as long as you live close to the center, you may not even need a car to get around and this can not only save you lots of money but may also make your life less stressful in the long run.

You can enjoy real seasons

While many people like warm weather all year long, others really enjoy real seasons and the snow and if you want to have cold weather for some months of the year, Indianapolis can be a great place to live for you.

You can go skiing or do other winter sports in Indianapolis

Thanks to cold winters, you will also have many opportunities to go skiing or to participate in other winter sports and you will therefore have many things to do while people in warmer regions may often struggle to find things to do in winter due to the absence of snow.

Indianapolis has decent nightlife

While you will not have the same high-quality nightlife in Indianapolis as you would find in NYC or other major cities, you can still choose among many decent bars and clubs and may be able to party until the early morning.

You can go out to many different restaurants

Another advantage of moving to Indianapolis is that you can also go out to many different restaurants and can try foods from all over the world for a reasonable price.

In turn, you will learn about many different cuisines and can also try to cook many foods at home.

You can enjoy the comfort of a big city at a reasonably low price

In general, Indianapolis is a great city if you want to have the comfort of a big city and many amenities while you still don’t want to spend lots of money on housing and other things for daily life so that you can save and invest enough money for retirement or other important things.

You will find most things for daily life within walking distance

Indianapolis is also a convenient city to live in since you will find many things for daily life within walking distance at almost every corner and don’t have to spend lots of time in this regard but can rather get what you need pretty soon.

You will also find almost everything you find in other big cities and don’t have to drive to other cities as would be the case if you lived in a small town.

Growing population in Indianapolis

Population has also been growing in Indianapolis over the past years and this is usually an indication of prosperity and that the region becomes increasingly popular by people from all over the US.

Consequently, the city may even become more popular in the future and may attract many highly-qualified people with whom you can have interesting conversations in the long run.

Decent future outlook for the Indianapolis region

Another upside to moving to Indianapolis is that it is an important economic region and due to growing population numbers, Indianapolis will most likely also stay an important place for many decades.

Indianapolis has an international airport

It is also pretty easy to get from Indianapolis to various parts of the world since you will have an international airport from which you can reach many interesting cities without having to accept any layovers.

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

However, it is still not all sunshine and we also have to talk about the negative things that come along with it so that you can better decide whether you still want to move to Indianapolis or rather want to live in a different region instead.

Disadvantages of Living in Indianapolis

1. High crime rate in Indianapolis
2. You may just not feel safe
3. Air quality in Indianapolis is pretty poor
4. Not that many great schools to choose from
5. Indianapolis may not be the best place to live for families
6. Cold winters may be annoying
7. You may miss the sun
8. Indianapolis is not located at the coast
9. You may not spend that much time outdoors
10. Indianapolis is not a fancy city
11. You may miss the charm of bigger cities
12. Indianapolis is not the most popular city
13. Your friends may not understand your decision of moving to Indianapolis
14. Not that many great sports teams in Indianapolis
15. Indianapolis doesn’t have a great art scene
16. You may not find as many museums as you might have wished
17. People are not as tolerant as in many other cities
18. You may not be able to experience many different cultures
19. Indianapolis is not that popular among tourists
20. Indianapolis has pretty poor reputation
21. Many locals may leave the region
22. Significant number of people living below the poverty line
23. Increasing gap between the poor and the rich
24. Homelessness is a big problem in Indianapolis
25. Property prices may increase significantly
26. You may have to spend more of your disposable income on housing
27. You may get bored with living in Indianapolis in the long run
28. Indianapolis is not close to other big cities
29. Indianapolis may become increasingly crowded
30. Many dodgy neighborhoods in Indianapolis
31. You may leave the region soon
32. Natural disasters may destroy your home
33. You should not have too high expectations
34. Insufficient public transport in the outskirts of Indianapolis
35. Nightlife is not as great in Indianapolis as in other major cities
36. You may miss fancy shopping opportunities
37. Indianapolis is not a great city for you if you need glamor
38. You will not meet many celebrities in Indianapolis

High crime rate in Indianapolis

One downside to living in Indianapolis is that the city has pretty high crime rates and this increases your risk of getting involved in serious incidents sooner or later.

You may just not feel safe

Due to high crime rates, you may also just not feel safe in Indianapolis and may really wish to live in a different region.

Moreover, a constant feeling of insecurity may also greatly decrease your overall quality of life in general.

Air quality in Indianapolis is pretty poor

You should also know that air quality in Indianapolis is pretty poor and this not only decreases overall quality of life, but it also increases the risk of you suffering from serious health problems in the long run.

Not that many great schools to choose from

Another reason not to move to Indianapolis is that overall education levels are not that high and you will also not find as many reputable schools and colleges as in many other parts of the US.

In turn, your kids may not get the best education possible and may struggle to find a good job later on.

Indianapolis may not be the best place to live for families

Since education levels are pretty low and crime rates are high, Indianapolis may also not be the best place to move to for families since you may want to live in a safer place where you don’t have to worry that much about your kids getting involved in serious incidents in this regard.

Cold winters may be annoying

Another problem with living in Indianapolis is that you will also have to deal with cold winters on a regular basis and if you love the heat and want to enjoy warm weather all year long, moving to Indianapolis is not a great idea for you and you should rather move to Oakland or other places on the West Coast instead.

You may miss the sun

Not only will you have to deal with cold winters, but also summers are not that awesome in Indianapolis and you will also not have as many hours of sun as in other major cities.

Indianapolis is not located at the coast

Since Indianapolis is not located at the coast, it also takes you quite long to reach the next beach and while people in coastal towns will be able to go surfing or swimming before or after work, you will just not have this luxury in Indianapolis.

You may not spend that much time outdoors

Since you will have pretty cold winters, you may also not spend as much time outdoors compared to people living in San Antonio or other places where it is warm all year long.

Indianapolis is not a fancy city

While Indianapolis offers the comfort of a big city, it is still not as fancy as NYC or L.A. and you will just not be able to live the same lifestyle as in one of those other major cities.

You may miss the charm of bigger cities

Another disadvantage of living in Indianapolis is that you may also miss the unique charm of other big cities and may just not get the feeling of big city life and everything that comes along with it.

Indianapolis is not the most popular city

You should also know that Indianapolis is not the most popular city and that you may not find as much entertainment as you may be used to from other big cities.

Your friends may not understand your decision of moving to Indianapolis

Since Indianapolis is not the most popular place to live, your friends may also not understand your plans of moving to Indianapolis and you may also have to explain and justify quite a lot in this regard.

Not that many great sports teams in Indianapolis

Another downside to moving to Indianapolis is that you will also not be able to watch as many great sports events as in other major cities.

For instance, while you can watch different sports at the highest level in L.A., you will often only have minor sports teams in Indianapolis.

Indianapolis doesn’t have a great art scene

You should also know that Indianapolis doesn’t have the greatest of all art scenes and if you are an art lover or even a professional artist, you may rather want to move to other regions where you can meet more like-minded people.

You may not find as many museums as you might have wished

Another disadvantage of moving to Indianapolis is that you will also not find that many great museums compared to other major cities and if you are interested in spending lots of time in world-class exhibitions, you should rather move to a bigger city and more culturally diverse place instead.

People are not as tolerant as in many other cities

While many people in Indianapolis are friendly, they are often still not as tolerant as in other big cities in the US and you may run into problems due to your ethnicity if you meet the wrong people, even though this rarely happens.

You may not be able to experience many different cultures

Since Indianapolis isn’t the most tolerant city, it also doesn’t attract that many people from all over the world and you may therefore also not be able to meet many people from different cultures which may make your life less interesting in the long run.

Indianapolis is not that popular among tourists

Indianapolis is also not the most popular place for tourists and you may therefore just not have the same opportunities to have conversations with people from all over the world as you would have in many other more popular places.

Indianapolis has pretty poor reputation

Due to high crime rates and unpleasant incidents in the past, Indianapolis also has pretty poor reputation and you may therefore move to a place where not that many other people want to live and your friends may also often have to worry about you getting in trouble in this regard.

Many locals may leave the region

Due to high crime rates, many locals also consider leaving Indianapolis and in case those plans become reality, the city will lose part of its charm and overall quality of life may drop significantly.

Significant number of people living below the poverty line

Another problem with moving to Indianapolis is that many people live below the poverty line and this means that you will see lots of poverty.

While this is just not a pretty picture, it may also lead to further increasing crime rates and all the bad things that come along with it.

Increasing gap between the poor and the rich

The gap between the rich and the poor is increasing in general and many people in Indianapolis just lost hope for a better future but just accept that they will stay poor and without options forever.

Homelessness is a big problem in Indianapolis

You should also know that homelessness is a big problem in Indianapolis, especially for low-qualified people who often work in low-wage jobs and are often not able to pay rent in the long run and get evicted sooner or later.

Property prices may increase significantly

While property prices are still pretty low in Indianapolis, this may change in the near future and once property prices and rents go up, poor people may no longer be able to afford to live in Indianapolis and may have to leave the region.

You may have to spend more of your disposable income on housing

Once property prices increase, you will also have to spend more money on housing and even though the region is still pretty cheap in this regard right now, times may change just a few years from now.

You may get bored with living in Indianapolis in the long run

Since Indianapolis is not the most exciting city, you may also get bored with living in Indianapolis sooner or later and may just wish to live in a different region where you would find more entertainment and more things to do in general.

Indianapolis is not close to other big cities

Another downside to moving to Indianapolis is that it is also not close to other big cities and in case you get bored with your life in Indianapolis, you will not be able to make day trips to other more exciting cities within a reasonable amount of time.

Indianapolis may become increasingly crowded

Since population in Indianapolis is growing, the city may become increasingly crowded over time and this may greatly lower overall quality of life since you would no longer have as much public space for yourself.

Many dodgy neighborhoods in Indianapolis

You should also know that there are many dodgy neighborhoods in Indianapolis and it is therefore crucial that you take your time and inform yourself in this regard so that you don’t buy a property in an area where you might get into serious trouble sooner or later.

You may leave the region soon

Since you will not have that much great entertainment, you may just not want to stay in Indianapolis for many years or even decades and may rather leave the region relatively soon.

Natural disasters may destroy your home

Indianapolis may also be vulnerable to natural disasters and if you don’t live in the city center but rather live in the outskirts, you may lose your home to wildfires or storms and may even lose your life if you are unlucky.

You should not have too high expectations

Many people who consider moving to Indianapolis also often have too high expectations and are disappointed when they finally experience what living in Indianapolis really looks like.

Insufficient public transport in the outskirts of Indianapolis

While public transport is decent within the city center, it is also pretty poor in the outskirts of Indianapolis and you may therefore need a car to get around in an efficient manner if you don’t live close enough to the city center.

Nightlife is not as great in Indianapolis as in other major cities

While you will find some decent bars and clubs, nightlife in Indianapolis is not as great as in other major cities and if you want to go out almost every day, you may get bored with nightlife in Indianapolis pretty soon.

You may miss fancy shopping opportunities

Although you will find everything you need for daily life, you may also miss fancy shopping opportunities in Indianapolis and if you are a shopping victim, there are definitely better places to live for you.

Indianapolis is not a great city for you if you need glamor

Indianapolis is also not the most glamorous city and if you want to be at the heart of the universe, you will just be pretty disappointed by your life in Indianapolis and may leave the region pretty soon.

You will not meet many celebrities in Indianapolis

Since Indianapolis is not the most glamorous city, you will also not find many celebrities and will not get many opportunities to talk to famous and influential people.

Top 10 Moving To Indianapolis Pros & Cons – Summary List

Should You Move To Indianapolis?

As you can see, it can make sense to move to Indianapolis since property prices and rents are pretty low and people therefore don’t have to spend a high fraction of their disposable income on housing and are able to afford many other nice things while they are still able to enjoy the comfort of a big city.

However, Indianapolis is not a safe city and has a pretty high crime rate.

Moreover, Indianapolis is also not the most popular city and you may just miss big city life as you know it from NYC or other big metropolitan regions.

Thus, before moving to Indianapolis, make sure to have a look at all the advantages and disadvantages of living in Indianapolis in this article carefully to avoid common mistakes and to make the best possible decision in this regard.

Alternative Cities To Live In

If you don’t want to move to Indianapolis anymore, you should also have a look at the following articles:

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Chicago

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Columbus

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Jacksonville

Sources

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

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.