Average Cost of Living in Indiana: $42,697 per year

According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis , the average cost of living in Indiana will run you around $42,697 per year.

When compared to the rest of the nation, Indiana has the 8th lowest cost of living, according to MERIC’s 2022 Cost of Living Index.

Regionally, Indiana ranks exceptionally well for the Great Lakes region, ranking as the least expensive state of that area on the MERIC scale. The BEA’s Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) data show that the Great Lakes region is one of the more affordable areas in the country.

Using the BEA’s most recent PCE data from 2021, we’ve broken down Indiana’s average annual cost of living statistics into several key categories:

Average Annual Per-Capita Cost in Indiana

Housing and Utilities: $6,865
Health Care: $8,494
Food and Beverages: $3,424
Gas and Energy Goods: $1,333
All Other Personal Expenditures: $22,580

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Housing Costs in Indiana

Average Housing Costs in Indiana: $743 to $1,193 per month

Indiana’s home prices are considered very affordable when compared to the national average, with the typical home costing $215,818, according to Zillow’s February 2023 data. This is less than 2/3rd of the national average U.S. home price of $359,000, according to the National Association of Realtors®.

There are over 2.95 million housing units in the state of Indiana, approximately 69.9% of which are owner-occupied, compared to the U.S. average of 64.6%. We’ve provided the median mortgage and rental costs for Indiana below, sourced from the U.S. American Community Survey (ACS) for 2021.

Median monthly mortgage cost: $1,206
Median studio rent: $777
Median one-bedroom rent: $743
Median two-bedroom rent: $921
Median three-bedroom rent: $1,026
Median four-bedroom rent: $1,115
Median five-bedroom (or more) rent: $1,193
Median gross rent: $905

Your typical housing costs will vary by location. To help you get an idea of what a home costs in each major Indiana city, we’ve included their typical home values below, according to Zillow’s January 2023 housing data:

Typical Home price by Indiana City:

Indianapolis: $256,957
Fort Wayne: $208,333
South Bend: $188,126
Evansville: $186,406
Lafayette: $222,810
Elkhart: $222,651
Terre Haute: $135,031
Bloomington: $265,783
Muncie: $132,323
Michigan City: $208,594
Columbus: $230,111
Kokomo: $150,428
Warsaw: $240,235
Richmond: $135,464
Marion: $117,463
Jasper: $198,404
New Castle: $148,939
Kendallville: $201,494
Plymouth: $207,557
Bedford: $171,811

(Learn more at Home Affordability Calculator).

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Utility Costs in Indiana

Average Utility Costs in Indiana: $374 per month

Utility costs can take up a big chunk of your monthly budget, and the typical Hoosier can expect to pay around $374 in monthly utility costs. Here’s the data on some of the key utilities that make up your monthly cost of living in Indiana.

Electricity: $127
Gas: $103
Cable and Internet: $113
Water: $31

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Groceries & Food

Average Grocery & Food Costs in Indiana: $285.33 per person, per month

The BEA cites that the average citizen of Indiana spends around $3,424 per year on food and groceries (non-restaurant). This comes out to a monthly grocery budget of around $285.33 per month (That’s a lot of fried twinkies at the county fair!).

Within the Great Lakes region, Indiana ranked 2nd out of 5 states, right in the middle of its area, which is still a fairly respectable performance for a region that does well on grocery costs as a whole.

Below are the Council for Community and Economic Research’s , 2022 rankings of food costs across major Indiana cities.

Grocery Items Index By Indiana City:

Richmond: 86.6
South Bend: 89.5
Terre Haute: 90.4
Elkhart-Goshen: 91.8
Evansville: 94.1
Fort Wayne-Allen County: 95.2
Indianapolis: 96.6
Kokomo: 97.0
Bloomington: 97.8
Muncie: 100.7

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Transportation

Average Transportation Costs in Indiana: $5,356 to $15,187 per year

The home state of the Indy 500 takes transportation seriously, even though the average Indiana driver probably spends more time stuck behind a tractor or a train crossing than they do watching races. A guy can still dream, right?

The cost of transportation for the average Hoosier costs anywhere from $5,356 to a whopping $15,187 a year, according to 2023 data collected from MIT’s Living Wage Calculator . While not cheap, this falls in line with the average cost of transportation in the United States as a whole.

What Indiana does have going for it are its low auto insurance rates. According to a study from U.S. News & World Reports , Indiana has the 10th cheapest car insurance rates in the country.

Despite the cheap insurance rates, we still recommend keeping one’s Nascar ambitions confined strictly to the television screen, especially if you’re driving the family minivan.

Average Annual Transportation Cost by Family Makeup:

One adult, no children: $5,356
Two working adults, no children: $9,634
Two working adults, three children: $15,187

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Health Care

Average Health Care Costs in Indiana: $8,494 per person, per year

The BEA’s latest personal consumption expenditures report shows that Indianers spend an average of $8,494 per year on healthcare-related expenses. The actual amount paid will vary according to your age, habits, and health history.

If you’re looking for affordable healthcare in Indiana, you can shop for and compare health insurance providers in Indiana on the healthcare.gov federal insurance marketplace.

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Child Care

Average Child Care Costs in Indiana: $815 to $1,312 per child, per month

Childcare costs in Indiana will vary based on your location, child’s age, and what type of care you seek.

If you’re struggling to find affordable childcare in Indiana, the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration can help you apply for assistance through the Federal Child Care and Development Fund .

Type of Childcare by Average Cost Per Month, Per Child:

Infant Classroom: $1,312
Toddler Classroom: $957
Preschooler Classroom: $815
Home-based Family Child Care: $950

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Taxes

Indiana state income tax: 3.15%

Indiana is one of ten states with a flat rate tax structure. That means that all residents of Indiana are now taxed at a flat 3.15% state income tax rate (down from 3.23% in previous tax years) regardless of how much they make. This differs from the majority of the nation, which relies on a graduated-income tax structure.

However, where these savings are offset are Indiana’s sales and use taxes. Indiana actually ties Mississippi, Rhode Island, and Tennessee for having the 2nd highest-sales tax in the nation, at a whopping 7%. Only California has a higher sales tax rate of 7.25%, according to the Tax Foundation’s State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets for 2023 .

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Miscellaneous Costs

Now that we’ve covered the mundane everyday costs, let’s take a look at the costs of some of Indiana’s best-known attractions.

Tickets to Indianapolis Colts game at Lucas Oil Stadium: starting at $45
Tickets to Indiana Pacers game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse: starting as low as $8
Tickets to Indy 500: $15 – $200
Whole sugar cream pie: ~$38-40
Tin of Indiana grown butter popcorn from Popcorn Café: $15.99

The home state of sports legends like Larry Bird and Peyton Manning wears the colors of its sports teams with pride. Depending on how much you want to live it up, tickets for the best seats at these games can cost thousands of dollars.

If Nascar and Formula 1 are more your scene, seats at the Indy 500 can go for a lot cheaper, especially since the stadium is just one huge outdoor arena. Regardless of your sport of choice, Indiana is certainly a tailgater’s paradise.

Indiana drivers are also fond of quick snacks while driving through its miles of unending cornfields. It’s no coincidence then that popcorn was officially made the official state snack as of July 1st, 2021! Indiana harvests over 94,000 acres of corn for popcorn production each year.

Finally, where would you be if you didn’t stop at one of Indiana’s signature roadside diners for a quick plate of chicken-fried steak and traditional sugar cream pie? Both of these delicacies are staples of the Hoosier diet.

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How Much Money Do You Need to Live Comfortably in Indiana?

The average single, childless adult in Indiana needs to earn at least $15.78 per hour, or $31,560 per year, to qualify for a “living wage,” according to MIT’s Living Wage calculator.

However, how much it costs to “live comfortably” will depend on your own tastes and lifestyle. As far as states go, Indiana isn’t a bad candidate to settle down in. U.S. News & World Report’s Affordability Rankings ranked it the 6th most affordable state in the nation.

MERIC data actually ranked Indiana 8th in the nation in terms of costs of living, largely due to Indiana’s affordable housing and grocery costs. These are two of the largest expenditures for most households.

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What City Has the Lowest Cost of Living in Indiana?

Below, we’ve listed the two cities in Indiana with lower cost of living, according to the Council for Economic and Community Research’s (CCER) 2nd Quarter Cost of Living Index for 2022.

Richmond

Originally settled and founded by Quakers in 1806, Richmond is the quintessential “All-American City.” CCER’s latest Cost of Living Index ranked it as the most affordable city in Indiana. Its home prices and healthcare costs are among the lowest in the state.

Kokomo

A small city of nearly 59,700 residents, Kokomo is located a little over an hour’s drive north of Indianapolis. It was ranked the third most affordable city in Indiana due to its low cost of housing and transportation.

This article originally appeared on Sofi.com and is syndicated by MediaFeed.org.

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