Moving to Indiana from Kansas

moving to

What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Kansas to Indiana — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Kansas to Indiana, you would find that Indiana is 3.5% more expensive than Kansas. A $75,000 salary in Kansas would need to be roughly $78,508 in Indiana to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

What to expect for your wallet after moving from Kansas to Indiana.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $78,508

To maintain the same standard of living in Indiana

Calculate with your salary →

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 2.1% more

Groceries

pay 3.4% less

Transportation

pay 7.8% more

Housing

pay 6.4% more

Childcare

pay 24.1% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 9.9% less

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.

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%).

On average, cities in Indiana cost about 12% less than cities in Kansas.

Kansas

Lawrence 57%

Indiana

Compare cities head-to-head

Key Indicator Comparison

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Kansas to Indiana.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

KS
424
IN
327
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

KS
2068
IN
1519

Indiana performs significantly better than Kansas across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rate US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

KS
8.6%
IN
7.3%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

KS
36.8%
IN
38.5%

Kansas generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Indiana leads in uninsured rate.

What about housing?

Median home value US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

KS
$203,400
IN
$201,600
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

KS
$1,029
IN
$1,020

Indiana performs significantly better than Kansas across all what about housing? metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

KS
89.5%
IN
88.5%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

KS
20 min
IN
24 min

Kansas performs better than Indiana across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

KS
3.4%
IN
2.7%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

KS
$60,996
IN
$59,083

Kansas generally does better on employment & economy, though Indiana leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

KS
76.4 yrs
IN
75.0 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higher US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

KS
23%
IN
19%

Kansas 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.

Topeka Rain: 38.9 in/yr (989 mm)
66° / 43°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Topeka Indianapolis
Jan–Mar 46°/25°F (8°/-4°C) 42°/26°F (6°/-3°C)
Apr–Jun 75°/53°F (24°/12°C) 72°/53°F (22°/12°C)
Jul–Sep 86°/63°F (30°/17°C) 81°/63°F (27°/17°C)
Oct–Dec 54°/32°F (12°/0°C) 51°/35°F (11°/2°C)
View all months
Month Topeka Indianapolis
Jan 39°/19°F (4.1°/-7.3°C) 35°/21°F (1.7°/-6.1°C)
Feb 44°/23°F (6.9°/-5.1°C) 40°/24°F (4.4°/-4.4°C)
Mar 56°/32°F (13.4°/0.1°C) 51°/33°F (10.8°/0.8°C)
Apr 66°/43°F (19.1°/5.9°C) 63°/44°F (17.1°/6.4°C)
May 75°/53°F (24.1°/11.8°C) 72°/53°F (22.5°/11.7°C)
Jun 84°/63°F (28.9°/17.0°C) 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.4°C)
Jul 90°/68°F (32.2°/19.9°C) 84°/67°F (28.8°/19.2°C)
Aug 89°/65°F (31.6°/18.6°C) 83°/65°F (28.4°/18.3°C)
Sep 80°/55°F (26.7°/13.0°C) 77°/57°F (25.1°/13.9°C)
Oct 67°/44°F (19.6°/6.6°C) 64°/45°F (18.0°/7.3°C)
Nov 54°/32°F (12.3°/0.2°C) 52°/36°F (11.0°/2.3°C)
Dec 41°/21°F (4.9°/-5.9°C) 38°/25°F (3.6°/-3.9°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Indiana than Kansas?

No — Indiana is on average about 5% more expensive than Kansas. City-level variation matters.

How much money do I need to move to Indiana?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $19,627 in Indiana on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).

Is Indiana safe?

Indiana performs significantly better than Kansas across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Indiana compared to Kansas?

Kansas generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Indiana leads in uninsured rate.

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

The average high temperature in Indianapolis is 62°F, compared to 66°F in Topeka. Indianapolis receives around 40.8 in of rainfall per year, while Topeka gets 38.9 in.

Share this