Advantages & Disadvantages of Retiring in Indianapolis

You think about retiring in Indianapolis but want to get additional information about the city, living costs, housing situation, entertainment options, overall quality of life and much more before making your final decision in this regard?

Great! Stick with me since I will show you the pros and cons of retiring in Indianapolis in the following chapters.

Retire in Indianapolis – Overview

Reasons to Retire in Indianapolis

1. Pretty easy to find a decent place to stay in Indianapolis
2. You don’t have to spend lots of time searching for a new home
3. Rents in Indianapolis are still affordable for the average retiree
4. Living costs in Indianapolis are lower compared to many other big cities
5. Many retirees in Indianapolis are able to afford decent lifestyles
6. Most pensioners don’t need to work during retirement age
7. Indianapolis may still be underrated
8. Many parks and other green spaces in Indianapolis
9. Decent supply of material goods
10. Good medical infrastructure in Indianapolis
11. You can hang out in senior centers
12. Easy to socialize with other pensioners in Indianapolis
13. Many decent bars to hang out with other people of your age
14. You can make many nice culinary experiences in Indianapolis
15. Indianapolis is a tolerant place
16. Easy to get to Indianapolis
17. You have a decent internet connection in Indianapolis
18. Retirees in Indianapolis can experience real seasons
19. You have enough entertainment as a pensioner in Indianapolis
20. Indianapolis will be an important place to live and retire for many decades

Pretty easy to find a decent place to stay in Indianapolis

One advantage of retiring in Indianapolis is that you will find a decent place to stay rather easily since housing shortage is not a big problem in Indianapolis yet compared to people retiring in San José or other more popular places where competition in the housing market is often much fiercer.

You don’t have to spend lots of time searching for a new home

Since housing shortage is not as of a big problem as in many other more popular cities, you will also find a decent place to stay relatively soon and don’t have to search for many months as people retiring in Los Angeles or other fancy places often have to do.

Rents in Indianapolis are still affordable for the average retiree

Also rents are pretty cheap compared to most other big cities in the US and while people retiring in San Diego have to spend lots of money on housing, you will be able to save lots of money in Indianapolis in this regard and will have more money to spend on other nice and important things instead.

Living costs in Indianapolis are lower compared to many other big cities

Not only housing is affordable for retirees in Indianapolis, but also living costs are fairly low and this means that you don’t need a great pension to afford many nice things in this region.

Many retirees in Indianapolis are able to afford decent lifestyles

Since living and housing costs are pretty low, many retirees in Indianapolis are able to afford a decent lifestyle with just a fraction of the money they would need in other fancier and more expensive regions and overall financial pressure for pensioners in Indianapolis will therefore be far lower.

Most pensioners don’t need to work during retirement age

Thanks to rather low costs related to retiring in Indianapolis, many retirees also don’t need to work during retirement age and can live off their pensions so they can really enjoy the last chapter of their lives and will have enough leisure to do many nice things.

Indianapolis may still be underrated

While Indianapolis is a pretty big city and known all over the US, it may still be underrated and by retiring in Indianapolis, you may be able to benefit from decent public infrastructure at a pretty reasonable price compared to most other big cities out there.

Many parks and other green spaces in Indianapolis

Another upside to retiring in Indianapolis is that there are many green spaces and recreational areas where you can just sit down in quiet areas and really enjoy your leisure without getting disturbed by loud noises.

Decent supply of material goods

You also don’t have to worry about running out of material goods in the Indianapolis region since public infrastructure is decent and you will find everything you need in this city to live a comfortable and convenient lifestyle from a materialistic point of view.

Good medical infrastructure in Indianapolis

You will also find many good doctors and hospitals in the Indianapolis region and will therefore find good medical treatment in case you suffer from a serious health condition which will become quite likely once you get older and good medical support is therefore pretty important for many pensioners.

You can hang out in senior centers

You can also hang out in senior centers where you can play parlor games or just chat with many other retirees so you can get valuable information about how to use your time wisely and what to do as a retiree and can also make many new friends in the long run.

Easy to socialize with other pensioners in Indianapolis

In general, there are many ways how you can meet new people as a retiree in Indianapolis and if you are a friendly and outgoing person, chances are that you will find many new social connections soon and can have a great time with many like-minded people.

Many decent bars to hang out with other people of your age

You will also find many good bars to hang out with other people of your age where you can have a great time and can also talk about things that are going on in the world so you can get different perspectives and can become a more tolerant person in general.

You can make many nice culinary experiences in Indianapolis

Another benefit of retiring in Indianapolis is that you can also have many nice culinary experiences since there are many good restaurants in the city and as long as you have the money, you can enjoy many delicious foods which can make your life as a retiree much better.

Indianapolis is a tolerant place

You should also know that Indianapolis is a pretty tolerant city and you will be welcome no matter where you come from as a retiree as long as you are friendly and tolerant and also willing to adapt to local cultures and traditions at least a little bit.

Easy to get to Indianapolis

Since Indianapolis has a big international airport, your loved ones will also have a rather easy time visiting you and this can be great to stay in touch with your family and friends so you will not lose your social connections in the long run.

You have a decent internet connection in Indianapolis

You also have a pretty good internet connection in Indianapolis and this can be great since you can get the latest news in real-time and can also make video calls with your loved ones to stay emotionally connected to them even though they might be hundreds or even thousands of miles away.

Retirees in Indianapolis can experience real seasons

Retiring in Indianapolis can also be pretty interesting since you can enjoy different seasons.

While you will have warm summers, you will also experience pretty cold winters and may therefore have a more interesting time compared to people retiring in Austin or other places where you have warm weather all year long.

You have enough entertainment as a pensioner in Indianapolis

There are also many entertainment options you can use in Indianapolis as a retiree.

For instance, you can visit a museum, go to the opera, watch a movie, enjoy your time in nature or do many other things according to your individual preferences and chances are that you will never run out of options in this regard.

Indianapolis will be an important place to live and retire for many decades

Since Indianapolis is the biggest city in Indiana, it will also be an important place to live and retire for many decades and you therefore don’t have to worry about too many people leaving this region anytime soon.

Now that you know the reasons for retiring in Indianapolis, we also have to talk about the drawbacks of retiring in Indianapolis so you can get a more realistic picture of reality and can better decide whether you still want to retire in Indianapolis or rather want to go for a different region instead.

Disadvantages of Retiring in Indianapolis

1. Public transport in Indianapolis is not great
2. Indianapolis is not the most bicycle-friendly city
3. You may need a car to get around in Indianapolis
4. Winters in Indianapolis may be too cold for you
5. Many dodgy districts in Indianapolis
6. Many retirees no longer feel safe in certain parts of the city
7. Social inequality is a big problem in Indianapolis
8. Indianapolis may be too crowded and busy for many pensioners
9. Your loved ones may worry about your well-being
10. Natural disasters may destroy your home in Indianapolis
11. Indianapolis is a landlord-friendly state
12. Air quality in Indianapolis is not great

Public transport in Indianapolis is not great

One downside to retiring in Indianapolis is that public transport is not great in this region and you may therefore have a hard time getting around by bus or other means of public transport as a retiree in Indianapolis.

Indianapolis is not the most bicycle-friendly city

You should also know that Indianapolis is not the most bicycle-friendly city and this can be an issue since bicycling is a great way to stay fit for many pensioners and you may therefore get lazy as a retiree in Indianapolis and may also have a hard time getting around.

You may need a car to get around in Indianapolis

Since public transport is rather poor and Indianapolis is also not the most bicycle-friendly place, you may also have a hard time getting around while pensioners in NYC often have a much easier time in this regard.

Winters in Indianapolis may be too cold for you

Another problem with retiring in Indianapolis is that the city may just be too cold for you during winter.

Hence, if you are a sun lover and also want to have warm weather all year long, you may be better off retiring in San Antonio or other warmer places instead.

Many dodgy districts in Indianapolis

You should also know that you will have many dodgy neighborhoods in Indianapolis and if you are not careful, you may end up in a place where you may just not feel welcome at all and may also worry about your safety.

Many retirees no longer feel safe in certain parts of the city

You should also know that crime rates in Indianapolis are pretty high and many retirees therefore no longer want to leave their homes during nighttime since they fear getting involved in serious incidents.

Social inequality is a big problem in Indianapolis

Another disadvantage of retiring in Indianapolis is that the city has to deal with many social problems.

In fact, many people in Indianapolis live below the poverty line and social inequality may get even worse in the long run.

Indianapolis may be too crowded and busy for many pensioners

You should also know that Indianapolis is a pretty big city and if you just don’t like big city life and want to spend your pension in a quiet place, Indianapolis will also not be a great place to retire for you.

Your loved ones may worry about your well-being

Since Indianapolis is not a safe city, your family and friends may also worry about your well-being on a regular basis and may also not understand your decision of retiring in Indianapolis.

Natural disasters may destroy your home in Indianapolis

You should also be aware of the fact that natural disasters may destroy your home in the Indianapolis region and should therefore get proper insurance so you are covered in case of emergency at least from a financial perspective.

Indianapolis is a landlord-friendly state

Since Indianapolis is a landlord-friendly state, you may also not be in a great position as a tenant since you may get evicted from your property pretty quickly in case you may temporarily no longer be able to pay rent and may also run into all sorts of other issues since your rights as a tenant are rather limited in this region.

Air quality in Indianapolis is not great

You should also note that air quality in Indianapolis is not great and this may become an issue for retirees who already suffer from serious pulmonary problems and don’t want those things to get worse due to poor air quality.

Top 10 Retiring in Indianapolis Pros & Cons – Summary List

Is Indianapolis A Good Place To Retire?

While retiring in Indianapolis can be great since living and housing costs are still affordable for many retirees and you can also benefit from pretty decent public infrastructure and medical facilities, you should also know that crime is a big problem in Indianapolis and many retirees just no longer feel safe in this city.

Alternative Cities To Retire

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

Advantages and disadvantages of retiring in Columbus

Advantages and disadvantages of retiring in Fort Worth

Advantages and disadvantages of retiring in Houston

Sources

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

Own research.

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 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.