Moving to Indiana from Iowa
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Iowa to Indiana — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Iowa to Indiana, you would find that Indiana is 0.4% more expensive than Iowa. A $75,000 salary in Iowa would need to be roughly $78,733 in Indiana to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Iowa to Indiana.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $78,733
To maintain the same standard of living in Indiana
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 2.8% less
Groceries
pay 0.8% less
Transportation
pay 7.8% more
Housing
pay 11.7% more
Childcare
pay 6.6% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 13.1% 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.
Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
Compare cities head-to-head
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Iowa to Indiana.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Iowa performs better than Indiana 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
Iowa generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Indiana leads in adult obesity rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Iowa performs better than Indiana across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Iowa 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
Iowa generally does better on employment & economy, though Indiana leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Iowa performs 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.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Des Moines | Indianapolis |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 39°/21°F (4°/-6°C) | 42°/26°F (6°/-3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) | 72°/53°F (22°/12°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) | 81°/63°F (27°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) | 51°/35°F (11°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Des Moines | Indianapolis |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31°/14°F (-0.6°/-9.8°C) | 35°/21°F (1.7°/-6.1°C) |
| Feb | 36°/19°F (2.3°/-7.3°C) | 40°/24°F (4.4°/-4.4°C) |
| Mar | 49°/30°F (9.4°/-1.3°C) | 51°/33°F (10.8°/0.8°C) |
| Apr | 62°/41°F (16.8°/5.1°C) | 63°/44°F (17.1°/6.4°C) |
| May | 72°/52°F (22.4°/11.2°C) | 72°/53°F (22.5°/11.7°C) |
| Jun | 82°/62°F (27.6°/16.7°C) | 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.4°C) |
| Jul | 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.3°C) | 84°/67°F (28.8°/19.2°C) |
| Aug | 84°/65°F (28.8°/18.2°C) | 83°/65°F (28.4°/18.3°C) |
| Sep | 76°/55°F (24.5°/12.9°C) | 77°/57°F (25.1°/13.9°C) |
| Oct | 63°/43°F (17.3°/6.1°C) | 64°/45°F (18.0°/7.3°C) |
| Nov | 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.8°C) | 52°/36°F (11.0°/2.3°C) |
| Dec | 34°/18°F (1.1°/-7.8°C) | 38°/25°F (3.6°/-3.9°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Indiana than Iowa?
No — Indiana is on average about 5% more expensive than Iowa. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Indiana?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $19,683 in Indiana on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is Indiana safe?
Iowa performs better than Indiana across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Indiana compared to Iowa?
Iowa generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Indiana leads in adult obesity rate.
What's the weather like in Indiana compared to Iowa?
The average high temperature in Indianapolis is 62°F, compared to 60°F in Des Moines. Indianapolis receives around 40.8 in of rainfall per year, while Des Moines gets 36.0 in.
