Moving to Indiana from Virginia
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Virginia to Indiana — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Virginia to Indiana, you would find that Indiana is 17.8% cheaper than Virginia. A $75,000 salary in Virginia would need to be roughly $60,549 in Indiana to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Virginia to Indiana.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $60,549
To maintain the same standard of living in Indiana
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 15.3% less
Groceries
pay 25.6% less
Transportation
pay 10.4% less
Housing
pay 13.9% less
Childcare
pay 29.2% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 19.2% 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 18% less than cities in Virginia.
Compare cities head-to-head
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Virginia to Indiana.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Virginia 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
Virginia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Indiana leads in diabetes rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Indiana performs significantly better than Virginia across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Virginia generally does better on infrastructure, though Indiana leads in average commute.
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
Virginia generally does better on employment & economy, though Indiana leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Virginia 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 | Richmond | Indianapolis |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 53°/32°F (12°/0°C) | 42°/26°F (6°/-3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 78°/55°F (26°/13°C) | 72°/53°F (22°/12°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/65°F (30°/19°C) | 81°/63°F (27°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) | 51°/35°F (11°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Richmond | Indianapolis |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47°/28°F (8.6°/-2.1°C) | 35°/21°F (1.7°/-6.1°C) |
| Feb | 51°/31°F (10.7°/-0.8°C) | 40°/24°F (4.4°/-4.4°C) |
| Mar | 60°/37°F (15.6°/2.8°C) | 51°/33°F (10.8°/0.8°C) |
| Apr | 70°/46°F (21.3°/7.8°C) | 63°/44°F (17.1°/6.4°C) |
| May | 78°/55°F (25.5°/12.8°C) | 72°/53°F (22.5°/11.7°C) |
| Jun | 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.1°C) | 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.4°C) |
| Jul | 90°/69°F (32.1°/20.5°C) | 84°/67°F (28.8°/19.2°C) |
| Aug | 88°/67°F (30.9°/19.7°C) | 83°/65°F (28.4°/18.3°C) |
| Sep | 81°/60°F (27.3°/15.6°C) | 77°/57°F (25.1°/13.9°C) |
| Oct | 71°/48°F (21.7°/9.1°C) | 64°/45°F (18.0°/7.3°C) |
| Nov | 61°/39°F (16.3°/4.1°C) | 52°/36°F (11.0°/2.3°C) |
| Dec | 51°/31°F (10.4°/-0.3°C) | 38°/25°F (3.6°/-3.9°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Indiana than Virginia?
Yes — Indiana is on average about 19% cheaper than Virginia. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Indiana?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $15,137 in Indiana on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is Indiana safe?
Virginia generally does better on safety, though Indiana leads in property crime rate.
How is healthcare in Indiana compared to Virginia?
Virginia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Indiana leads in diabetes rate.
What's the weather like in Indiana compared to Virginia?
The average high temperature in Indianapolis is 62°F, compared to 70°F in Richmond. Indianapolis receives around 40.8 in of rainfall per year, while Richmond gets 43.6 in.
