Moving to Indiana from Arkansas
What to Expect
Considering a move from Arkansas to Indiana? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Arkansas to Indiana, you would find that Indiana is 1.8% more expensive than Arkansas. A $75,000 salary in Arkansas would need to be roughly $78,775 in Indiana to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Indianapolis averages 62°F vs 72°F in Little Rock, making it significantly cooler.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Arkansas and Indiana.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $78,775
To maintain the same standard of living in Indiana
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 8.0% less
Groceries
pay 3.0% more
Transportation
pay 13.5% more
Housing
pay 1.1% more
Childcare
pay 10.4% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 6.6% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Indiana compared to Arkansas.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Indiana performs significantly better than Arkansas across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
share of people without health insurance
share of adults with obesity
share of adults with diabetes
share of adults who smoke
Indiana generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Arkansas leads in adult obesity rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Arkansas generally does better on what about housing?, though Indiana leads in homeownership rate.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Arkansas generally does better on infrastructure, though Indiana leads in internet access.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
typical annual income of a household
share of people below the poverty line
Indiana performs significantly better than Arkansas across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Indiana performs significantly better than Arkansas across all family life metrics.
Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Little Rock | Indianapolis |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 56°/38°F (13°/3°C) | 42°/26°F (6°/-3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 80°/61°F (27°/16°C) | 72°/53°F (22°/12°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 89°/70°F (32°/21°C) | 81°/63°F (27°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 62°/44°F (17°/7°C) | 51°/35°F (11°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Little Rock | Indianapolis |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49°/33°F (9.7°/0.4°C) | 35°/21°F (1.7°/-6.1°C) |
| Feb | 54°/36°F (12.4°/2.4°C) | 40°/24°F (4.4°/-4.4°C) |
| Mar | 64°/44°F (17.6°/6.8°C) | 51°/33°F (10.8°/0.8°C) |
| Apr | 73°/53°F (22.7°/11.6°C) | 63°/44°F (17.1°/6.4°C) |
| May | 80°/62°F (26.8°/16.4°C) | 72°/53°F (22.5°/11.7°C) |
| Jun | 88°/69°F (31.2°/20.7°C) | 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.4°C) |
| Jul | 92°/73°F (33.4°/22.7°C) | 84°/67°F (28.8°/19.2°C) |
| Aug | 92°/72°F (33.3°/22.2°C) | 83°/65°F (28.4°/18.3°C) |
| Sep | 84°/65°F (29.1°/18.1°C) | 77°/57°F (25.1°/13.9°C) |
| Oct | 73°/54°F (23.0°/12.3°C) | 64°/45°F (18.0°/7.3°C) |
| Nov | 62°/44°F (16.5°/6.6°C) | 52°/36°F (11.0°/2.3°C) |
| Dec | 51°/35°F (10.7°/1.7°C) | 38°/25°F (3.6°/-3.9°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Indiana than Arkansas?
On average Indiana is around 5% pricier than Arkansas, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Indiana?
Budget about $19,694 for 3 months in Indiana (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Indiana safe?
Indiana performs significantly better than Arkansas across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Indiana compared to Arkansas?
Indiana generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Arkansas leads in adult obesity rate.
What's the weather like in Indiana compared to Arkansas?
The average high temperature in Indianapolis is 62°F, compared to 72°F in Little Rock. Indianapolis receives around 40.8 in of rainfall per year, while Little Rock gets 50.0 in.
