Moving to Indiana from Ohio
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Ohio to Indiana — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Ohio to Indiana, you would find that Indiana is 0.7% cheaper than Ohio. A $75,000 salary in Ohio would need to be roughly $77,578 in Indiana to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Indianapolis averages 62°F vs 76°F in Columbus, making it significantly cooler.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Ohio to Indiana.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $77,578
To maintain the same standard of living in Indiana
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 0.5% less
Groceries
pay 3.4% less
Transportation
pay 12.8% less
Housing
pay 7.2% more
Childcare
pay 6.2% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 2.9% 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%).
On average, cities in Indiana cost about 1% more than cities in Ohio.
Compare cities head-to-head
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Ohio to Indiana.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Ohio 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
Indiana generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Ohio leads in uninsured rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Ohio 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
Ohio performs better than Indiana across all infrastructure metrics.
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 generally does better on employment & economy, though Ohio leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Ohio 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 | Columbus | Indianapolis |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 63°/41°F (17°/5°C) | 42°/26°F (6°/-3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 84°/62°F (29°/16°C) | 72°/53°F (22°/12°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/71°F (32°/21°C) | 81°/63°F (27°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 68°/47°F (20°/8°C) | 51°/35°F (11°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Columbus | Indianapolis |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58°/37°F (14.2°/2.7°C) | 35°/21°F (1.7°/-6.1°C) |
| Feb | 62°/40°F (16.7°/4.5°C) | 40°/24°F (4.4°/-4.4°C) |
| Mar | 69°/46°F (20.8°/7.8°C) | 51°/33°F (10.8°/0.8°C) |
| Apr | 77°/53°F (24.8°/11.4°C) | 63°/44°F (17.1°/6.4°C) |
| May | 84°/62°F (28.9°/16.6°C) | 72°/53°F (22.5°/11.7°C) |
| Jun | 90°/70°F (32.2°/20.9°C) | 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.4°C) |
| Jul | 92°/73°F (33.4°/22.7°C) | 84°/67°F (28.8°/19.2°C) |
| Aug | 91°/72°F (33.0°/22.4°C) | 83°/65°F (28.4°/18.3°C) |
| Sep | 86°/67°F (30.2°/19.3°C) | 77°/57°F (25.1°/13.9°C) |
| Oct | 77°/56°F (25.2°/13.1°C) | 64°/45°F (18.0°/7.3°C) |
| Nov | 68°/46°F (20.2°/7.8°C) | 52°/36°F (11.0°/2.3°C) |
| Dec | 59°/39°F (15.2°/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 Ohio?
No — Indiana is on average about 3% more expensive than Ohio. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Indiana?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $19,394 in Indiana on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is Indiana safe?
Ohio generally does better on safety, though Indiana leads in property crime rate.
How is healthcare in Indiana compared to Ohio?
Indiana generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Ohio leads in uninsured rate.
What's the weather like in Indiana compared to Ohio?
The average high temperature in Indianapolis is 62°F, compared to 76°F in Columbus. Indianapolis receives around 40.8 in of rainfall per year, while Columbus gets 46.8 in.
