Moving to Indiana from Wisconsin
What to Expect
Considering a move from Wisconsin to Indiana? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Wisconsin to Indiana, you would find that Indiana is 9.3% cheaper than Wisconsin. A $75,000 salary in Wisconsin would need to be roughly $71,909 in Indiana to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Wisconsin and Indiana.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $71,909
To maintain the same standard of living in Indiana
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 6.5% less
Groceries
pay 7.5% less
Transportation
pay 5.4% less
Housing
pay 3.6% more
Childcare
pay 31.6% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 10.6% 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 Wisconsin.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Wisconsin performs better than Indiana 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
Wisconsin performs better than Indiana across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Indiana performs significantly better than Wisconsin across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Wisconsin 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
Wisconsin 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
Wisconsin 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 | Madison | Indianapolis |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 33°/17°F (1°/-8°C) | 42°/26°F (6°/-3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 68°/46°F (20°/8°C) | 72°/53°F (22°/12°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 78°/57°F (25°/14°C) | 81°/63°F (27°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 44°/28°F (7°/-2°C) | 51°/35°F (11°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Madison | Indianapolis |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26°/11°F (-3.1°/-11.6°C) | 35°/21°F (1.7°/-6.1°C) |
| Feb | 31°/15°F (-0.5°/-9.4°C) | 40°/24°F (4.4°/-4.4°C) |
| Mar | 43°/25°F (6.2°/-4.0°C) | 51°/33°F (10.8°/0.8°C) |
| Apr | 57°/36°F (14.1°/2.1°C) | 63°/44°F (17.1°/6.4°C) |
| May | 68°/46°F (20.2°/7.8°C) | 72°/53°F (22.5°/11.7°C) |
| Jun | 78°/56°F (25.5°/13.4°C) | 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.4°C) |
| Jul | 82°/61°F (27.6°/16.1°C) | 84°/67°F (28.8°/19.2°C) |
| Aug | 79°/59°F (26.3°/15.0°C) | 83°/65°F (28.4°/18.3°C) |
| Sep | 72°/50°F (22.1°/10.1°C) | 77°/57°F (25.1°/13.9°C) |
| Oct | 59°/39°F (14.9°/3.8°C) | 64°/45°F (18.0°/7.3°C) |
| Nov | 44°/28°F (6.7°/-2.1°C) | 52°/36°F (11.0°/2.3°C) |
| Dec | 30°/16°F (-1.0°/-8.9°C) | 38°/25°F (3.6°/-3.9°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Indiana than Wisconsin?
On average Indiana is about 4% less expensive than Wisconsin, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Indiana?
Budget about $17,977 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?
Wisconsin performs better than Indiana across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Indiana compared to Wisconsin?
Wisconsin performs better than Indiana across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Indiana compared to Wisconsin?
The average high temperature in Indianapolis is 62°F, compared to 56°F in Madison. Indianapolis receives around 40.8 in of rainfall per year, while Madison gets 34.5 in.
