Photo of Bloomington, IN
( 24 Ratings )

Living in Bloomington, IN

Bloomington Area Facts

  • Bloomington has a Livability Score of 83/100, which is considered exceptional
  • Bloomington crime rates are 54% higher than the Indiana average
  • Cost of living in Bloomington is 15% higher than the Indiana average
Area Score
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Bloomington Reviews

Write a review about Bloomington Tell people what you like or don't like about Bloomington…
Increasingly hostile to homeownership User Rating 1 rating By Anonymous ( Jun 18, 2021) If your goal is a single family detached home of your own, consider yourself warned. Bloomington’s “woke,” student-oriented culture has grown increasingly accusatory toward people who own homes. The city’s planners have been trying to open up its core neighborhoods, where ...Read More Bloomington’s charming and relatively affordable houses are concentrated, to denser development for decades, and in 2021 they got the green light to densify these areas with market rate rental duplexes. Your realtor probably won’t tell you about this. Just about anything you say that sounds like opposition to rental densification will get you labeled a racist in Bloomington. The market is dominated by student rental development, pushing housing costs continually higher (in a town where wages run painfully low) along with land values and property taxes. If you’re already established here, expect your house to appreciate in value rapidly, but also expect crowding, increasing traffic congestion, noise and obtrusive student partying. If you’re looking at Bloomington as a place to settle or retire, it’s going to be harder and harder to find a house you want at a reasonable price. Bloomington is already 65% rentals; all signs point to that number increasing. Invest here at your own risk. Read Less
Homeless galore!!! Don’t move here! User Rating 2 rating By Anonymous ( Aug 23, 2018) ...Read More Read Less
Great city User Rating 5 rating By Marian65 ( Apr 08, 2012) Bloomington seems to have it all. The town itself is lovely and surrounded by picturesque rolling hills. Downtown is alive and vibrant, a rarity in this day and age. Two absolutely gorgeous state parks within short driving distance and Monroe Lake, located a short drive south, ...Read More offers boating, swimming, fishing. Although Indiana is a four seasons state, winters seem to be less harsh in southern Indiana where Bloomington is located. Spring and autumn in the area are a photographer's delight.

On the downside, Indiana University is located here and that drives rental prices up. Home prices are also more expensive if you intend to purchase, however cheap compared to other states. And because of the proximity of IU, traffic can be a challenge from August through May. Also, be aware of where you are renting/buying. Although the students are generally well-behaved, kids will be kids. The further away from IU you find a place to live, the more quiet it will be. However, that is a generality, so scope out apartment complexes, neighborhoods etc, before you rent/buy. Nightlife tends to be geared towards the student population, but there are places where adults can enjoy a quiet drink and listen to some good music.

Because of current economic conditions countrywide, jobs can be difficult to find but with due diligence and patience, available.

Excellent public transportation system, good public schools, great restaurants and shopping, friendly locals, diverse population, good medical care all add up to a wonderful place to live. Read Less
Bloomington, Indiana: A Nice Weekend Trip User Rating 4 rating By Anonymous ( Aug 04, 2010) In early June 2010 my husband and I spent three days visiting Bloomington, Indiana. This was the perfect time to visit, because the weather was warm, but not overly hot. We stayed at the Fairfield Inn Bloomington located at 120 Fairfield Drive. This was a very nice and reasonably ...Read More priced hotel.

The second day of our trip to Bloomington we went to the Oliver Winery. The gardens surrounding the winery were beautiful. My husband and I were surprised at how much the people at the winery new about the different types of wines. Even though I'm not a regular wine drinker, I had a really nice time visiting this winery. That evening we went to Samira's Restaurant for dinner. This was a great buffet restaurant. My husband really enjoyed it, because it had a lot of vegetarian options to chose from.

The third of our trip we spent strolling around the downtown area of Bloomington. We really enjoyed shopping at the different shops in the downtown area. Besides shopping we liked looking at different historical buildings in the area. We also enjoyed having pastries and coffee at one of the small coffee shops downtown.

While we enjoyed our stay in the city of Bloomington, Indiana, my husband and I wished there was more nightlife in the area. Read Less
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Great city User Rating 5 rating By Marian65 ( Apr 08, 2012) Bloomington seems to have it all. The town itself is lovely and surrounded by picturesque rolling hills. Downtown is alive and vibrant, a rarity in this day and age. Two absolutely gorgeous state parks within short driving distance and Monroe Lake, located a short drive south, ...Read More offers boating, swimming, fishing. Although Indiana is a four seasons state, winters seem to be less harsh in southern Indiana where Bloomington is located. Spring and autumn in the area are a photographer's delight.

On the downside, Indiana University is located here and that drives rental prices up. Home prices are also more expensive if you intend to purchase, however cheap compared to other states. And because of the proximity of IU, traffic can be a challenge from August through May. Also, be aware of where you are renting/buying. Although the students are generally well-behaved, kids will be kids. The further away from IU you find a place to live, the more quiet it will be. However, that is a generality, so scope out apartment complexes, neighborhoods etc, before you rent/buy. Nightlife tends to be geared towards the student population, but there are places where adults can enjoy a quiet drink and listen to some good music.

Because of current economic conditions countrywide, jobs can be difficult to find but with due diligence and patience, available.

Excellent public transportation system, good public schools, great restaurants and shopping, friendly locals, diverse population, good medical care all add up to a wonderful place to live. Read Less
Bloomington, Indiana: A Nice Weekend Trip User Rating 4 rating By Anonymous ( Aug 04, 2010) In early June 2010 my husband and I spent three days visiting Bloomington, Indiana. This was the perfect time to visit, because the weather was warm, but not overly hot. We stayed at the Fairfield Inn Bloomington located at 120 Fairfield Drive. This was a very nice and reasonably ...Read More priced hotel.

The second day of our trip to Bloomington we went to the Oliver Winery. The gardens surrounding the winery were beautiful. My husband and I were surprised at how much the people at the winery new about the different types of wines. Even though I'm not a regular wine drinker, I had a really nice time visiting this winery. That evening we went to Samira's Restaurant for dinner. This was a great buffet restaurant. My husband really enjoyed it, because it had a lot of vegetarian options to chose from.

The third of our trip we spent strolling around the downtown area of Bloomington. We really enjoyed shopping at the different shops in the downtown area. Besides shopping we liked looking at different historical buildings in the area. We also enjoyed having pastries and coffee at one of the small coffee shops downtown.

While we enjoyed our stay in the city of Bloomington, Indiana, my husband and I wished there was more nightlife in the area. Read Less

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      A+ Amenities

      Are there many local amenities in Bloomington? Yes, there are lots of amenities close to this location.

      Parks

      Harmony School Playground
      People's Park
      The Waldron, Hill and Buskirk Park (Third Street Park)
      Tot Lot Playground
      Bryan Park
      Seminary Square Park
      Northwest Quad Green Space
      Building Trades Park

      Entertainment

      Daniel Kirkwood Observatory
      Wylie House Museum
      Musical Arts Center
      William H. Mathers Museum of World Cultures
      Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art
      IU Auditorium
      Monroe County History Center
      IU Cinema

      Food & Drink

      Qdoba
      Kilroy's
      The Upstairs Pub
      Jimmy John's
      Insomnia Cookies
      Kilroy's - The Dunnkirk
      Raising Cane's
      Five Guys

      A+ Commute

      Is public transit available in Bloomington? Of all people who commute, 5.2% take public transportation in Bloomington.
      Drive to Work
      61%

      15% lower than the US average

      Take Public Transit
      5%

      equal to the US average

      Walk to Work
      12%

      9% higher than the US average

      A+ Health & Safety

      Is Bloomington a healthy and safe place to live? Yes, there are many hospitals, police and fire stations.

      Hospitals

      Bloomington Internal Medicine East
      Indiana University Student Health Center
      Bloomington Meadows Hospital
      IU Health Bloomington
      IU Health Bloomington

      Pharmacies

      CVS Pharmacy
      CVS Pharmacy
      CVS Pharmacy
      CVS Pharmacy
      CVS Pharmacy
      CVS Pharmacy

      Doctors

      Southern Indiana Pediatrics
      Dermatology Center of Southern Indiana
      Cancer Care Center
      Southern Indiana Medical Group
      Wendy Kinsey Corning
      Premier Healthcare Same Day Appointment / Walk In Clinic
      Southern Indiana Pediatrics
      Family Allergy & Asthma