Moving to Indiana from Missouri
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Missouri to Indiana — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Missouri to Indiana, you would find that Indiana is 0.2% cheaper than Missouri. A $75,000 salary in Missouri would need to be roughly $77,680 in Indiana to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Missouri to Indiana.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $77,680
To maintain the same standard of living in Indiana
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 1.4% less
Groceries
pay 8.3% less
Transportation
pay 6.8% less
Housing
pay 5.8% more
Childcare
pay 12.9% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 0.3% 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
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Missouri to Indiana.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Indiana performs significantly better than Missouri 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
Missouri generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Indiana leads in uninsured rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Indiana generally does better on what about housing?, though Missouri leads in median rent.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Missouri 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 Missouri 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
Missouri 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 | Columbia | Indianapolis |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 47°/28°F (8°/-2°C) | 42°/26°F (6°/-3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 76°/55°F (24°/13°C) | 72°/53°F (22°/12°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/65°F (30°/18°C) | 81°/63°F (27°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 55°/36°F (13°/2°C) | 51°/35°F (11°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Columbia | Indianapolis |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40°/22°F (4.3°/-5.3°C) | 35°/21°F (1.7°/-6.1°C) |
| Feb | 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.3°C) | 40°/24°F (4.4°/-4.4°C) |
| Mar | 56°/35°F (13.3°/1.7°C) | 51°/33°F (10.8°/0.8°C) |
| Apr | 67°/46°F (19.3°/7.6°C) | 63°/44°F (17.1°/6.4°C) |
| May | 75°/55°F (24.0°/12.9°C) | 72°/53°F (22.5°/11.7°C) |
| Jun | 85°/65°F (29.2°/18.1°C) | 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.4°C) |
| Jul | 90°/69°F (32.0°/20.4°C) | 84°/67°F (28.8°/19.2°C) |
| Aug | 88°/67°F (31.3°/19.6°C) | 83°/65°F (28.4°/18.3°C) |
| Sep | 80°/58°F (26.6°/14.5°C) | 77°/57°F (25.1°/13.9°C) |
| Oct | 68°/47°F (20.0°/8.1°C) | 64°/45°F (18.0°/7.3°C) |
| Nov | 55°/37°F (12.7°/2.6°C) | 52°/36°F (11.0°/2.3°C) |
| Dec | 42°/25°F (5.6°/-3.8°C) | 38°/25°F (3.6°/-3.9°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Indiana than Missouri?
No — Indiana is on average about 4% more expensive than Missouri. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Indiana?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $19,420 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 Missouri across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Indiana compared to Missouri?
Missouri generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Indiana leads in uninsured rate.
What's the weather like in Indiana compared to Missouri?
The average high temperature in Indianapolis is 62°F, compared to 66°F in Columbia. Indianapolis receives around 40.8 in of rainfall per year, while Columbia gets 46.3 in.
