Indianapolis

Indianapolis city (balance)

Marion County885,860 residents8 school districts
61
C
Suburbgrade score

14th of 23 Indianapolis suburbs. Strong on amenities and cost of living, held back by housing & affordability.

Launch-day rule. Residents is not counted for Indianapolis city (balance) yet: no poll responses so far. The overall score of 61 is computed on the other six categories, re-normalised to 100%. Answer the poll →

What living here is actually like
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What Indianapolis city (balance) is like to live in, by category

Bars show Indianapolis city (balance) against Indianapolis. Weights are published in full.

Housing & affordability

18% of the score · 43/100
D
Median home value$224,800
Indianapolis $265,900
Median rent$1,156/mo
Indianapolis $1,191/mo
Cost-burdened households33%
Indianapolis 27%

Schools

18% of the score · 52/100
D+
Within-state proficiency30th pct
Indianapolis median 82nd pct
Student–teacher ratio13.1
Indianapolis median 16.1
Graduation rate87%
Indianapolis median 95%
EDFacts SY2021–22 · NCES CCD 2024–25 · EDFacts ACGR SY2018–19Full page →

Cost of living

14% of the score · 74/100
B
Housing cost index94
Indianapolis 100
Eff. tax rate0.88%
Indianapolis 0.82%
Local sales tax7.00%
Indianapolis median 7.00%
Composed in-house · ACS 2020–24 · ACS 2020–24 · Tax Foundation state average, January 1, 2026Full page →

Commute & transport

14% of the score · 67/100
C+
Mean commute24.6 min
Indianapolis 25.5 min
Under 30 minutes68%
Indianapolis 63%
Transit stops / sq mi16
Indianapolis median 0.0 · within 2 miles

Amenities

12% of the score · 90/100
A
Restaurants & cafés264
Indianapolis median 23 · within 2 miles
Groceries10
Indianapolis median 3 · within 2 miles
Parks173
Indianapolis median 25 · within 2 miles

Employment & income

12% of the score · 50/100
D+
Median household income$66,219
Indianapolis $79,852
Unemployment5.1%
Indianapolis 4.0%
Professional occupations41%
Indianapolis 44%

Residents

12% of the score · inactive
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No responses yet. Residents is excluded from the score until eight people answer.

Ask the people who live here

Twelve yes/no questions, one tap each. No dataset knows whether the yards are kept or whether anyone talks to their neighbours. Answers feed the Residents grade, which needs eight responses before it counts.

0 responses·Residents category: waiting for first responses·Live

Nobody has answered for Indianapolis city (balance) yet. If you live here, you can be the first.

Is it quiet at night?
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Do you feel safe walking after dark?
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Can you walk to a grocery store?
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Is it good for young children?
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Are yards and streets well kept?
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Tap either button to answer — no account neededAll twelve questions →

Better than Indianapolis city (balance) on housing & affordability

Indianapolis city (balance)'s weakest grade is D. Six suburbs are within 25 miles and score higher on the same four inputs.

SuburbHousingMedian home valueOwnership rateOverall
Zionsville18 mi from Indianapolis city (balance)A$588k84% 69 B− Carmel13 mi from Indianapolis city (balance)B+$487k74% 77 B Westfield18 mi from Indianapolis city (balance)B$426k79% 71 B− Fishers16 mi from Indianapolis city (balance)B$391k76% 70 B− Whitestown18 mi from Indianapolis city (balance)B−$374k70% 65 C+ McCordsville15 mi from Indianapolis city (balance)B−$345k85% 65 C+
Median home value: ACS 2020–24 · Ownership rate: ACS 2020–24

Common questions about living in Indianapolis city (balance)

Is Indianapolis city (balance), IN a good place to live?

Indianapolis city (balance) scores 61 out of 100, 14th of 23 Indianapolis suburbs. It is strongest on amenities and weakest on housing & affordability. Every weight behind that score is published on the methodology page.

Is Indianapolis city (balance) expensive to live in?

Cost of living grades B. The median home is $224,800, 15% below the Indianapolis median, and the effective property tax rate is 0.88%. $1,156/mo is the median gross rent.

How good are the schools in Indianapolis city (balance)?

Schools grade D+. The districts serving Indianapolis city (balance) sit at the 30th pct within-state proficiency percentile, with a 87% graduation rate and a 13.1 student–teacher ratio. Indianapolis city (balance) is served by Indianapolis Public Schools, Pike Township Metropolitan School District, Perry Township Metropolitan School District, Franklin Township Community School Corporation, Warren Township Metropolitan School District, Washington Township Metropolitan School District, Wayne Township Metropolitan School District and Decatur Township Metropolitan School District. Proficiency is only ever compared inside the same state.

How long is the commute from Indianapolis city (balance)?

The mean commute is 24.6 min, with 68% of workers travelling under 30 minutes and 14% working from home. Transit density is 16 stops per square mile.

Can you walk anywhere in Indianapolis city (balance)?

Within two miles there are 10 groceries, 264 restaurants and cafés and 173 parks, which grades A on amenities.

Are the homes in Indianapolis city (balance) old or new?

The median home in Indianapolis city (balance) was built in 1973 — older than the Indianapolis median of 1983. That is a median, so a town can be half post-war and half new-build and still land there. 67% of homes are houses rather than flats.

Every answer is built from the figures on this page, with their sources and as-of dates on the methodology page.