Moving to Indiana from Pennsylvania

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from Pennsylvania to Indiana, you would find that Indiana is 11.9% cheaper than Pennsylvania. A $75,000 salary in Pennsylvania would need to be roughly $67,395 in Indiana to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Pennsylvania and Indiana.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $67,395

To maintain the same standard of living in Indiana

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 5.9% less

Groceries

pay 20.0% less

Transportation

pay 11.7% less

Housing

pay 8.9% less

Childcare

pay 18.1% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 12.6% 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.

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in Indiana compared to Pennsylvania.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

PA
264
IN
327
Property crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

PA
1567
IN
1519

Pennsylvania generally does better on safety, though Indiana leads in property crime rate.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rateUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

PA
5.5%
IN
7.3%
Adult obesity rateCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

PA
34.4%
IN
38.5%

Pennsylvania performs better than Indiana across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What about housing?

Median home valueUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

PA
$240,500
IN
$201,600
Median rentUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

PA
$1,162
IN
$1,020

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

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet accessUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

PA
88.8%
IN
88.5%
Average commuteUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

PA
27 min
IN
24 min

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

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rateBureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

PA
3.7%
IN
2.7%
GDP per capitaBureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

PA
$61,506
IN
$59,083

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancyOECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

PA
76.8 yrs
IN
75.0 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higherUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

PA
24%
IN
19%

Pennsylvania 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.

HarrisburgRain: 43.6 in/yr (1108 mm)
61°/42°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

MonthsHarrisburgIndianapolis
Jan–Mar42°/25°F (5°/-4°C)42°/26°F (6°/-3°C)
Apr–Jun71°/50°F (22°/10°C)72°/53°F (22°/12°C)
Jul–Sep81°/61°F (27°/16°C)81°/63°F (27°/17°C)
Oct–Dec52°/34°F (11°/1°C)51°/35°F (11°/2°C)
View all months
MonthHarrisburgIndianapolis
Jan36°/21°F (2.5°/-5.9°C)35°/21°F (1.7°/-6.1°C)
Feb40°/23°F (4.4°/-5.1°C)40°/24°F (4.4°/-4.4°C)
Mar49°/30°F (9.3°/-0.9°C)51°/33°F (10.8°/0.8°C)
Apr61°/40°F (16.1°/4.6°C)63°/44°F (17.1°/6.4°C)
May72°/50°F (22.2°/10.1°C)72°/53°F (22.5°/11.7°C)
Jun81°/60°F (27.2°/15.5°C)81°/63°F (27.4°/17.4°C)
Jul85°/64°F (29.2°/17.8°C)84°/67°F (28.8°/19.2°C)
Aug83°/63°F (28.2°/17.0°C)83°/65°F (28.4°/18.3°C)
Sep75°/55°F (23.8°/12.8°C)77°/57°F (25.1°/13.9°C)
Oct63°/42°F (17.4°/5.6°C)64°/45°F (18.0°/7.3°C)
Nov52°/35°F (11.1°/1.6°C)52°/36°F (11.0°/2.3°C)
Dec40°/26°F (4.4°/-3.2°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 Pennsylvania?

On average Indiana is about 10% less expensive than Pennsylvania, with major cities narrowing the gap.

How much money do I need to move to Indiana?

Budget about $16,849 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?

Pennsylvania generally does better on safety, though Indiana leads in property crime rate.

How is healthcare in Indiana compared to Pennsylvania?

Pennsylvania performs better than Indiana across all health & wellbeing metrics.

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

The average high temperature in Indianapolis is 62°F, compared to 61°F in Harrisburg. Indianapolis receives around 40.8 in of rainfall per year, while Harrisburg gets 43.6 in.

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