Moving to Michigan from Indiana

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What to Expect

Considering a move from Indiana to Michigan? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Indiana to Michigan, you would find that Michigan is 1.0% more expensive than Indiana. A $75,000 salary in Indiana would need to be roughly $75,497 in Michigan to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Indiana and Michigan.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $75,497

To maintain the same standard of living in Michigan

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 2.9% more

Groceries

pay 6.9% more

Transportation

pay 6.8% more

Housing

pay 2.2% less

Childcare

pay 8.8% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 5.1% more

See full cost of living breakdown

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 Michigan compared to Indiana.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

IN
327
MI
453
Property crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

IN
1519
MI
1533

Indiana performs better than Michigan across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rateUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

IN
7.3%
MI
4.9%
Adult obesity rateCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

IN
38.5%
MI
36.0%

Michigan performs significantly better than Indiana across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What about housing?

Median home valueUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

IN
$201,600
MI
$217,600
Median rentUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

IN
$1,020
MI
$1,084

Indiana generally does better on what about housing?, though Michigan leads in homeownership rate.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet accessUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

IN
88.5%
MI
89.4%
Average commuteUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

IN
24 min
MI
24 min

Indiana generally does better on infrastructure, though Michigan leads in internet access.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rateBureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

IN
2.7%
MI
4.8%
GDP per capitaBureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

IN
$59,083
MI
$55,508

Indiana generally does better on employment & economy, though Michigan leads in median household income.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancyOECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

IN
75.0 yrs
MI
76.0 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higherUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

IN
19%
MI
22%

Michigan performs significantly better than Indiana 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.

IndianapolisRain: 40.8 in/yr (1036 mm)
62°/44°F

Avg. annual high / low

LansingRain: 32.2 in/yr (817 mm)
58°/40°F

Avg. annual high / low

MonthsIndianapolisLansing
Jan–Mar42°/26°F (6°/-3°C)36°/21°F (2°/-6°C)
Apr–Jun72°/53°F (22°/12°C)68°/48°F (20°/9°C)
Jul–Sep81°/63°F (27°/17°C)79°/57°F (26°/14°C)
Oct–Dec51°/35°F (11°/2°C)47°/32°F (9°/0°C)
View all months
MonthIndianapolisLansing
Jan35°/21°F (1.7°/-6.1°C)31°/17°F (-0.8°/-8.3°C)
Feb40°/24°F (4.4°/-4.4°C)34°/19°F (0.9°/-7.4°C)
Mar51°/33°F (10.8°/0.8°C)44°/27°F (6.7°/-2.8°C)
Apr63°/44°F (17.1°/6.4°C)58°/38°F (14.2°/3.3°C)
May72°/53°F (22.5°/11.7°C)69°/48°F (20.5°/8.9°C)
Jun81°/63°F (27.4°/17.4°C)78°/58°F (25.8°/14.2°C)
Jul84°/67°F (28.8°/19.2°C)82°/61°F (27.9°/16.2°C)
Aug83°/65°F (28.4°/18.3°C)81°/60°F (27.0°/15.5°C)
Sep77°/57°F (25.1°/13.9°C)74°/51°F (23.1°/10.8°C)
Oct64°/45°F (18.0°/7.3°C)60°/41°F (15.8°/5.1°C)
Nov52°/36°F (11.0°/2.3°C)47°/33°F (8.6°/0.5°C)
Dec38°/25°F (3.6°/-3.9°C)35°/22°F (1.6°/-5.3°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Michigan than Indiana?

Michigan and Indiana are within a few percent on overall cost, though specific items in specific cities can swing either way.

How much money do I need to move to Michigan?

Budget about $18,874 for 3 months in Michigan (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.

Is Michigan safe?

Indiana performs better than Michigan across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Michigan compared to Indiana?

Michigan performs significantly better than Indiana across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What's the weather like in Michigan compared to Indiana?

The average high temperature in Lansing is 58°F, compared to 62°F in Indianapolis. Lansing receives around 32.2 in of rainfall per year, while Indianapolis gets 40.8 in.

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