Moving to Indiana from Kentucky
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Kentucky to Indiana — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Kentucky to Indiana, you would find that Indiana is 0.8% more expensive than Kentucky. A $75,000 salary in Kentucky would need to be roughly $76,302 in Indiana to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Kentucky to Indiana.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $76,302
To maintain the same standard of living in Indiana
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 0.9% more
Groceries
pay 2.8% less
Transportation
pay 2.7% more
Housing
pay 6.0% more
Childcare
pay 3.1% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 0.8% more
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
How Kentucky and Indiana stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Kentucky generally does better on safety, though Indiana leads in property crime rate.
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
Kentucky generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Indiana leads in diabetes rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Kentucky 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
Kentucky 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 Kentucky 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 Kentucky 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 | Bowling Green | Indianapolis |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 52°/31°F (11°/-1°C) | 42°/26°F (6°/-3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 78°/55°F (25°/13°C) | 72°/53°F (22°/12°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 87°/64°F (30°/18°C) | 81°/63°F (27°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 59°/38°F (15°/3°C) | 51°/35°F (11°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Bowling Green | Indianapolis |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.1°C) | 35°/21°F (1.7°/-6.1°C) |
| Feb | 50°/30°F (10.0°/-1.3°C) | 40°/24°F (4.4°/-4.4°C) |
| Mar | 60°/37°F (15.4°/2.8°C) | 51°/33°F (10.8°/0.8°C) |
| Apr | 70°/46°F (20.9°/7.6°C) | 63°/44°F (17.1°/6.4°C) |
| May | 78°/55°F (25.4°/12.8°C) | 72°/53°F (22.5°/11.7°C) |
| Jun | 86°/64°F (30.1°/17.7°C) | 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.4°C) |
| Jul | 89°/68°F (31.9°/19.9°C) | 84°/67°F (28.8°/19.2°C) |
| Aug | 89°/66°F (31.6°/18.9°C) | 83°/65°F (28.4°/18.3°C) |
| Sep | 82°/58°F (27.8°/14.4°C) | 77°/57°F (25.1°/13.9°C) |
| Oct | 71°/46°F (21.8°/7.9°C) | 64°/45°F (18.0°/7.3°C) |
| Nov | 59°/38°F (15.2°/3.1°C) | 52°/36°F (11.0°/2.3°C) |
| Dec | 48°/29°F (8.8°/-1.6°C) | 38°/25°F (3.6°/-3.9°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Indiana than Kentucky?
Headline costs are within a few percent between Indiana and Kentucky; rent and dining are where you'll actually feel differences.
How much money do I need to move to Indiana?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around $19,076 in Indiana for everyday spending, before movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Indiana safe?
Kentucky generally does better on safety, though Indiana leads in property crime rate.
How is healthcare in Indiana compared to Kentucky?
Kentucky generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Indiana leads in diabetes rate.
What's the weather like in Indiana compared to Kentucky?
The average high temperature in Indianapolis is 62°F, compared to 69°F in Bowling Green. Indianapolis receives around 40.8 in of rainfall per year, while Bowling Green gets 49.9 in.
