Moving to Indiana: The Ultimate Guide 2022-2023

Knowing is it a good idea to move to Indiana just takes getting familiar with Indiana.  This guide will help you get familiar with the state and help you know whether is Indiana a good place to live for you.

Table of Contents

Quick Facts To Know About Indiana

• One reason why live in Indiana is the taxes. Indiana has a flat state income tax rate of 3.23%. Long or short term capital gains are also taxed at the same rate.
• The median household in Indiana is $56,303.
• The average worker’s commute in Indiana is less than 24 minutes.
• Over 88% of Indiana residents have a high school diploma and 27% have obtained a bachelor’s degree.
• The median owner-occupied house costs $141,700.
• Another fact that makes Indiana a good place to live is the state constitution places a 1% of assessed value property tax cap on your primary residence. Indiana has some fantastic property tax exemptions to lower your bill even more, too.

Salary In Indiana

Before answering should I move to Indiana you would probable want to know how much money people in Indiana make.  According to the most recent data, the average salary in Indiana is about $47,000 and household income is about $55,000. In Northwest Indiana, personal per capita income is just under $46,000. Incomes are highest in Indiana’s capital, Indianapolis, with the average salary being nearly $52,000, 10% higher than the state average. Learn more about average Indiana income across the state.

Job Market

An answer to the question of why move to Indiana is the state’s job market Indiana is home to small, medium, and enterprise-size businesses. Agriculture, energy, manufacturing, steel production, healthcare, and professional services are all major industries in Indiana. About 17% of all non-farm employees work in the manufacturing sector. Medium and larger cities are home to major corporations. One of the benefits of moving to Indiana is the state generally maintains a lower unemployment rate than the national average.

A unique characteristic of Indiana’s economy is certain industries are highly concentrated in select, small geographic areas. For example, Northwest Indiana is home to several of the largest steel mills in the U.S. Lake and Porter County are home to more than 50% of the blast furnace capacity in the U.S. Another example 80% of U.S.-built recreation vehicles (RVs) for camping are built in Northeastern Indiana in areas like Goshen. Elkhart County is the “RV Capital Of The World.” Warsaw, Indiana is often called the “Orthopedic Capital Of The World” due to the fact three major orthopedic medical device companies are located there.

Here are some additional facts about the Indiana job market:

• 27% of all steel produced made in the USA is made in Indiana
• 5 Fortune 500 companies are based in Indiana
• Indiana is home to numerous pharmaceutical and medical device companies including Eli Lily and Zimmer Biomet.

Population Of Indiana

Indiana’s population is growing. Today, about 6.79 million people call Indiana home. This is 300,000 more than in 2010. You can learn more about Indiana’s current population here. Also, the Indiana University Kelly School of Business publication INContext has a great segment you can read about Indiana’s projected population increases through 2050.

• According to the 2020 Census, 6.79 million people call the Hoosier State their home.
• From 2010 to 2020 Indiana’s population increased 4.7%.
• There are over 2.5 million households in Indiana, and the average household size is 2.5 people.

Cost Of Living In Indiana

Indiana has been ranked in many surveys as one of the most affordable states to live in. Yes, our salaries may be a bit lower than in other states. However, we more than make up for this with our low state income tax rate, constitutionally protected property tax caps, and close proximity to vital resources, and a competitive business environment that welcomes new business.

U.S. News & World Reports recently ranked Indiana as the 3rd most affordable state. Asking the internet this same question and you will likely find numerous surveys placing Indiana in the Top 10 most affordable states. You can learn more about this topic by reading my deep dive article “What Is The Cost Of Living In Indiana?”

Climate And Weather In Indiana

All regions of the state have experienced the four seasons. However, winter is the wildcard. Spring and fall are temperate with highs in the 50s and 60s and lows in the 40s. Summer brings days in the 70s and as high as the 90s or even over 100. The wild card is winter.

Indiana is a tall state stretching 250 miles from north to south. The southern third gets snow and cold in the winter, as does the middle section, be it a bit more and a bit colder. But northern Indiana has all the makings of what you would expect in a harsh, midwestern winter.

Northern Indiana routinely has lows in the teens and single digits during winter. Seeing the temperature drop below zero is not uncommon at all. Snow amounts are the highest in northern Indiana, and for a few select sections, there is this phenomenon called lake effect snow.

Basically, snow bands set up off of a large body of water, such as Lake Michigan, and if everything is just right, these bands will dump snow on an area. I have always lived in northern Indiana and in one of those few places where this happens a few times a year. Seriously, one year an event happened where my neighborhood received 20 inches of snow in one day. Two miles away they had five inches. Five miles away, they had none.

• Parts of Indiana experience lake effect snow, a weather phenomenon caused by being close to The Great Lakes
• The average January high in Indiana is 36 degrees.
• The lowest temperatures in the winter are in the teens, but single digits and below zero temperatures can occur especially in the northern part of the state.
• Throughout the state average, high temperatures in the summer are in the mid to upper 80s.
• It snows in Indiana. Southern sections of the state get about 2o inches per year whereas central Indiana gets closer to 25 inches of snow. Many towns in northern Indiana get 40 inches of snow, but some have an average annual snowfall of over 60 inches due to lake effect snow events.

Education In Indiana

Indiana’s education system is robust. About 87% of Indiana students graduate high school.  Of those, about 63% go to college immediately. You can learn more about schools in Indiana here. Indiana’s Department of Education works diligently to make data about its public schools easily accessible.

The colleges and universities in Indiana belong to the finest ones in the U.S. Purdue University has produced generations of graduates and has historically been strong in math and sciences. Other major universities in Indiana include Indiana University, Notre Dame, Ball State, Butler, and Valparaiso University.

Crime Rate In Indiana

Indiana’s violent crime rate is slightly above the natural average. Recent data indicates there were about 400 violent crimes and about 2,600 property crimes per 100,000 people. This puts Indiana’s violent crime rate about 9% higher than the national average. The property crime rate was near the median for the nation.

However, Indiana has some great cities and towns. Nine of the top twenty safest cities in Indiana were found in the Northwest Indiana region. These included St. John (ranked first), Crown Point (ranked fourth), and Valparaiso (ranked fourteenth). Learn more about Indiana’s safest towns here.

Transportation

Indiana is known as the “Crossroads of America.” This is due to the fact five different interstates intersect in Indianapolis, IN. Indiana is the gateway from the east coast to the west coast. Equally important to the highways that move goods is the U.S. rail system. Many major freight rail lines cut through Indiana. Indiana is home to rail intermodals, the Ohio River waterway, and borders Lake Michigan which has the Port of Indiana.

• 5 transcontinental routes run through Indiana
• There are more than 3,700 miles of railroads in Indiana
• Indiana has 11 major airports

Real Estate In Indiana

Whether relocating to Indiana or coming for another reason you will need a place to live.  Indiana real estate, homes, and houses will remain in great demand during 2020. Homes for sale in Indiana increased 3% to a little over 4% in 2019. Several factors are contributing to the high demand and value increases in Indiana real estate.

Both businesses and residents like Indiana cause real estate values to increase. Indiana is a business-friendly, low regulation state. The minimum wage is low, schools are good, and public services are robust. Additionally, tax rates in neighboring Illinois are pushing more businesses and residents to move to Indiana. Lastly, Indiana has proven itself as a stable, robust state, and an overall great place to live.

Northwest Indiana real estate saw some of the largest gains in 2019. Homes for sale in Northwest Indiana increased 5.6% last year. We expect this trend to continue. The greatest contributing factors are more residents coming from Illinois and recent economic expansion throughout the Northwest Indiana area.

Nature

One benefit of living in Indiana is the state’s commitment to preserving nature. Indiana has some outstanding natural areas.

The northern part of the state borders Lake Michigan. Here, you can enjoy the Indiana Dunes State Park and the Indiana Dunes National Park. Here, you can enjoy the beach, climb the sand dunes, and take a hike through the forests found at the lakeshore.

The southern part of the state is home to Hoosier National Forest. This forest preserve is managed by the U.S. Forest Service. The Hoosier National Forest covers over 200,000 acres of land and is located at the Appalachian foothills in southern Indiana.

• There are 24 states parks in Indiana
• Indiana has 3 national parks

Culture Of Indiana

Indiana has a varied culture. Indiana has several densely populated areas. These include Ft. Wayne, South Bend, Indianapolis, and the Northwest Indiana region which is within commuting distance of Chicago, our nation’s third-largest city. In these areas, you will find the commerce, entertainment, and dining you would expect in a robust city.

In between, are many smaller cities separated by vast farmland. This gives Indiana residents great balance. Those in the city can live a more city life.  People living in the country can enjoy a slower, tighter community-based lifestyle.

Indiana really has quite a bit of everything so there is something for everyone. When you are looking for a change of scenery hop in your car and head down the highway (Indiana is known as America’s Crossroads) and introduce yourself to a new part of this wonderful state.

Reasons To Move To Indiana

Here are some things to know before moving to Indiana.

1. Low taxes, low cost of living
2. Robust higher education systems, both public and private
3. Stable local economies with pockets of accelerated growth and gentrification
4. Housing costs are low, but values are increasing steadily, and in some areas rapidly increasing values persist
5. Indiana is a nice, free spirit kind of place to live with strong communities full of Midwestern charm

Relocation Realtors® In Northwest Indiana

The Quadwalls Real Estate team is a team of Realtors® based in Northwest Indiana.  The Quadwalls Real Estate team has helped many people relocating successfully find and buy a home for sale in Northwest Indiana.  We know how to make the process of buying a home from far away as convenient as possible.  Homebuyers relocating to Northwest Indiana are strongly encouraged to contact us.

Conclusion

Indiana is a great place to live, work, and raise a family. If you are considering moving to Indiana there are a lot of resources you can read and watch to learn more about Indiana.

If you are moving to Northwest Indiana, contact us. We have a team of real estate agents ready to help you find your Indiana home. Get started by searching for homes on our website or download our app today!