Moving to Indiana from South Carolina
What to Expect
Considering a move from South Carolina to Indiana? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from South Carolina to Indiana, you would find that Indiana is 7.5% cheaper than South Carolina. A $75,000 salary in South Carolina would need to be roughly $66,756 in Indiana to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between South Carolina and Indiana.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $66,756
To maintain the same standard of living in Indiana
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 13.7% less
Groceries
pay 18.7% less
Transportation
pay 1.2% less
Housing
pay 11.2% less
Childcare
pay 1.6% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 2.8% 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
The numbers behind daily life in Indiana compared to South Carolina.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Indiana performs significantly better than South Carolina 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
South Carolina 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 South Carolina leads in homeownership rate.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Indiana performs significantly better than South Carolina 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 performs significantly better than South Carolina 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
South Carolina generally does better on family life, though Indiana leads in life expectancy.
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 South Carolina?
On average Indiana is about 11% less expensive than South Carolina, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Indiana?
Budget about $16,689 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 South Carolina across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Indiana compared to South Carolina?
South Carolina generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Indiana leads in uninsured rate.
What's the weather like in Indiana compared to South Carolina?
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.
