Moving to Indiana from North Carolina

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from North Carolina to Indiana, you would find that Indiana is 9.6% cheaper than North Carolina. A $75,000 salary in North Carolina would need to be roughly $66,829 in Indiana to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between North Carolina and Indiana.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $66,829

To maintain the same standard of living in Indiana

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 2.5% less

Groceries

pay 20.1% less

Transportation

pay 11.9% less

Housing

pay 8.8% less

Childcare

pay 10.8% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 7.9% 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 16% less than cities in North Carolina.

North Carolina

Durham 74%

Indiana

Compare cities head-to-head

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in Indiana compared to North Carolina.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

NC
379
IN
327
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

NC
1998
IN
1519

Indiana performs significantly better than North Carolina across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

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

share of people without health insurance

NC
9.6%
IN
7.3%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

NC
33.6%
IN
38.5%

North Carolina 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

NC
$259,400
IN
$201,600
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

NC
$1,162
IN
$1,020

Indiana performs significantly better than North Carolina 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

NC
88.7%
IN
88.5%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

NC
25 min
IN
24 min

North Carolina generally does better on infrastructure, though Indiana leads in average commute.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

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

a broad measure of economic output per person

NC
$59,308
IN
$59,083

Indiana generally does better on employment & economy, though North Carolina leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

NC
76.1 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

NC
22%
IN
19%

North Carolina 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.

Asheville Rain: 37.0 in/yr (940 mm)
67° / 46°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Asheville Indianapolis
Jan–Mar 52°/32°F (11°/0°C) 42°/26°F (6°/-3°C)
Apr–Jun 75°/53°F (24°/12°C) 72°/53°F (22°/12°C)
Jul–Sep 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) 81°/63°F (27°/17°C)
Oct–Dec 58°/38°F (15°/3°C) 51°/35°F (11°/2°C)
View all months
Month Asheville Indianapolis
Jan 47°/28°F (8.1°/-2.4°C) 35°/21°F (1.7°/-6.1°C)
Feb 50°/31°F (10.2°/-0.6°C) 40°/24°F (4.4°/-4.4°C)
Mar 58°/37°F (14.4°/2.9°C) 51°/33°F (10.8°/0.8°C)
Apr 67°/45°F (19.7°/7.3°C) 63°/44°F (17.1°/6.4°C)
May 75°/53°F (23.9°/11.7°C) 72°/53°F (22.5°/11.7°C)
Jun 82°/61°F (27.6°/16.1°C) 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.4°C)
Jul 85°/65°F (29.3°/18.1°C) 84°/67°F (28.8°/19.2°C)
Aug 84°/64°F (28.7°/17.7°C) 83°/65°F (28.4°/18.3°C)
Sep 77°/57°F (25.1°/13.8°C) 77°/57°F (25.1°/13.9°C)
Oct 68°/46°F (19.9°/7.9°C) 64°/45°F (18.0°/7.3°C)
Nov 58°/38°F (14.7°/3.1°C) 52°/36°F (11.0°/2.3°C)
Dec 49°/30°F (9.4°/-0.9°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 North Carolina?

On average Indiana is about 11% less expensive than North Carolina, with major cities narrowing the gap.

How much money do I need to move to Indiana?

Budget about $16,707 for 3 months in Indiana (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.

Is Indiana safe?

Indiana performs significantly better than North Carolina across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Indiana compared to North Carolina?

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

What's the weather like in Indiana compared to North Carolina?

The average high temperature in Indianapolis is 62°F, compared to 67°F in Asheville. Indianapolis receives around 40.8 in of rainfall per year, while Asheville gets 37.0 in.

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