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Place dossier plate
SheetIN-INDIANAPOLIS-IN · Indianapolis, IN 882,043 pop · income 40th pct · 253 tracts
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Indianapolis
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Indianapolis on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Bloomington · lowest
48,918
Bloomington · lowest
48,918 median HH income
34.6% of the leader · rank #1
Watertown · near
62,991
Watertown · near
62,991 median HH income
44.5% of the leader · rank #2
Sidney · near
62,992
Sidney · near
62,992 median HH income
44.5% of the leader · rank #3
Indianapolis · this city
62,995
Indianapolis · this city
62,995 median HH income
44.5% of the leader · rank #4
Keachi · near
63,000
Keachi · near
63,000 median HH income
44.5% of the leader · rank #5
Hatley · near
63,000
Hatley · near
63,000 median HH income
44.5% of the leader · rank #6
San Francisco · highest
141,446
San Francisco · highest
141,446 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Indianapolis on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 882,043.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Indianapolis - the verdict
Indianapolis ranks in the 40th percentile for household income and the 6th percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
40th
percentile, household income
45th
percentile, home value
27th
percentile, median rent
6th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Indianapolis, IN
Indiana's Indianapolis is a mid-sized U.S. city, with 882,043 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Median household income here is $62,995 per year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 11.6%. Home values in Indianapolis run a median of $207,000, and the median resident age is 34.1 years. Educational attainment runs 34.2% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 64.4% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Indianapolis's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: per-100,000 total crime stands at 4213.9 in FBI UCR data, above the national average (a voluntary reporting program, read this as reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). NOAA puts Indianapolis's yearly average temperature at 53.6°F with 43.6 inches of precipitation per year and 25.5 inches of snowfall.
Living costs in Indiana run below the national norm: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Indiana at 93.3 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Below Average). A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,096 per month statewide. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Indiana run around $235, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 45.5 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Low).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Indianapolis's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from work and mobility to schools and households to population change to comparison shortlist to reported crime to housing and income to within-city variation to climate and hazard context; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Indianapolis, city-specific coverage includes commute-mode shares, annual population history, FBI reported-crime rates, matched public-school count, within-city Census tract profiles.
No matched row is reported here for local building permits; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
Question 1
What does the journey to work look like in Indianapolis?
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 73.7%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
What does the education layer cover for Indianapolis?
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
The NCES join finds 234 public schools within the city match. 34.2% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
Which cities make useful reference points for Indianapolis?
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
Within Indiana, the closest population matches are Fort Wayne (266,235 residents, $60,293 income); Evansville (116,441 residents, $52,251 income); South Bend (102,866 residents, $52,512 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Charlotte, NC (886,283 residents); Columbus, OH (906,480 residents); San Francisco, CA (836,321 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
What can 253 Census tracts reveal inside Indianapolis?
PlainCities matches 253 Census tracts to this city.
That layer breaks the citywide income, rent, and home-value medians into smaller Census geographies, which can reveal differences that one municipal median necessarily hides. A tract is a statistical area, not a locally defined neighborhood or a promise about conditions on a particular block. Start with the city profile for the broad comparison, then use the tract layer to test whether the same housing and income pattern is consistent across the city. Large within-city spreads are a reason to avoid treating any citywide median as a universal resident experience.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Population change
Is Indianapolis growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +13,893 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +1.6% change. No comparable local building-permit series is available here, so population change should not be read as a housing-supply measure. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Recent estimates point upward. Growth can increase housing demand and service needs, but the permit record must move in the same direction before calling it a supply response; the two series measure different things.
2020 estimate
887,223
2025 estimate
901,116
Period change
+1.6%
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
What can the FBI record say about safety in Indianapolis?
The joined FBI UCR record reports 4213.9 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, above the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 85% higher in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
Total reported rate
4213.9
Violent rate
877.9
Property rate
3336.1
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, incidents per 100,000. Voluntary agency reporting; not a danger score.
How far does income reach against housing in Indianapolis?
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Income and home value move within the same broad scale here. The useful next check is not a generic affordability label, but whether similar-size cities offer a materially different income, housing, or commute trade-off.
The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 3.3 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 11.6%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
Value / income
3.3×
Home value
$207,000
Household income
$62,995
City-level Census ACS 2023 medians. The ratio divides two separate medians and is descriptive only.
What physical conditions frame life in Indianapolis?
The two sources should not be blended into one comfort or safety score. Use the climate values for baseline conditions and the risk index as a prompt to inspect specific hazards, insurance, and local emergency guidance for a particular address.
NOAA normals put the annual mean temperature at 53.6°F, with 43.6 inches of precipitation and 25.5 inches of annual snowfall. FEMA's state-averaged National Risk Index score for Indiana is 45.5 out of 100. Climate normals describe long-run weather; the FEMA score on PlainCities is a state average of county NRI inputs and combines hazards, exposure, vulnerability, and resilience.
FEMA risk index (state avg)
45.5
Annual precipitation
43.6 in
Mean temperature
53.6°F
NOAA Climate Normals and FEMA National Risk Index (state-averaged on PlainCities). Hazard context is not address-level.
Below median income · poverty 11.6% (Above-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
93.3 (US=100)
Near national cost · BEA RPP 2024, Indiana average
D
City profile score · Indianapolis, IN
41/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Cost of living B
93.3 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Bachelor's+ share B-
34.2%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Household income F
$62,995
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Poverty rate F
11.6%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Violent crime F
878 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Indianapolis profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Cost of living: 72/100 (B) · 93.3 index
Bachelor's+ share: 65/100 (B-) · 34.2%
Household income: 39/100 (F) · $62,995
Poverty rate: 33/100 (F) · 11.6%
Violent crime: 0/100 (F) · 878 /100k
Where Indianapolis sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Indianapolis's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Indianapolis highlighted among 11 peers.Read the chart values
Indianapolis, IN (this city): home $207,000, crime 4,214/100k
Columbus, OH : home $234,500, crime 3,088/100k
San Francisco, CA : home $1,380,500, crime 4,526/100k
Fort Worth, TX : home $277,300, crime 3,158/100k
Austin, TX : home $512,700, crime 3,709/100k
Fort Wayne, IN : home $169,700, crime 2,531/100k
Evansville, IN : home $129,100, crime 4,885/100k
South Bend, IN : home $124,500, crime 3,009/100k
Fishers, IN : home $370,200, crime 732/100k
Carmel, IN : home $455,500, crime 879/100k
Bloomington, IN : home $289,700, crime 3,005/100k
How does Indianapolis compare to other US cities?
Where Indianapolis sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income40% higher than other cities
Home value45% pricier than other cities
Median rent27% pricier than other cities
Safety6% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to Indiana alone, Indianapolis ranks #109 of 110 Indiana cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Indianapolis against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Indiana only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Indiana-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Indianapolis near the bottom of Indiana's cities
Among the 850 Indiana cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Indianapolis ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Indianapolis only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#361 of 766
53rd percentile in Indiana
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 850
0th percentile in Indiana
Median Home Value
#159 of 771
79th percentile in Indiana
Poverty Rate
#248 of 849
70th percentile in Indiana
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#111 of 850
87th percentile in Indiana
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Indiana only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
40th percentile nationally for median household income · 6th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Indianapolis's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Indianapolis's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How Indianapolis's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$207,000Among the most affordablemore affordable than 55% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
Indianapolis's home-value-to-income ratio: 3.3×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#8,061 of 15,516
More affordable than 48% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#22 of 117
Large cities (200,000–999,999)
At 3.3×, Indianapolis sits in the moderate band:
national rank #8,061 of 15,516 and #22 of 117large cities (200,000–999,999).
Income and home value move in the same broad scale; check same-state peers before treating the multiple as an advantage or a warning.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$62,995Indianapolis, IN median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Indianapolis, IN median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Indianapolis, IN.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)34.2%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)11.6%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)64.4%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
882,043
Median Income
$62,995
Median Home Value
$207,000
Median Age
34.1
Poverty Rate
11.6%
Labor force participation
64.4%
Bachelor's Degree+
34.2%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
4213.9
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
877.9
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
3336.1
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Climate
Avg Temperature
53.6°F
Annual Precipitation
43.6"
Annual Snowfall
25.5"
Schools
Total Schools
234
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Indianapolis's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
887,223 residents
2021
882,165 residents
2022
885,016 residents
2023
890,112 residents
2024
899,274 residents
2025
901,116 residents
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
73.7%
Carpool
9.6%
Public Transit
1.4%
Walk
1.8%
Work from Home
12.3%
Other
1.2%
Based on 433,627 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
Indiana statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $235
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Indiana at $235 (electricity about $110 , water and sewer about $45 ).
These are Indiana statewide averages, not a meter reading for Indianapolis. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Indiana's BEA cost-of-living index is 93.3 (Below Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Indianapolis is $1,096/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Indiana statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 45.5 / 100 (Low).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Indiana statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Indianapolis sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Indianapolis compares to similar-size Indiana cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.