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Indianapolis, IN

Name: Indianapolis, IN
Rating: 2.8

Population: 846,674

Key findings

Indianapolis has a Livability Score of 65_/100, which is considered below average
Indianapolis crime rates are 94% higher than the Indiana average
Cost of living in Indianapolis is 1% lower than the Indiana average
Indianapolis real estate prices are 5% lower than the Indiana average
Rental prices in Indianapolis are 7% higher than the Indiana average

Best Places to Live in and Around Indianapolis

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Compare Indianapolis, IN Livability

What do the locals think about Indianapolis?

59%Family friendly 51%Public transit is accessible 51%Walkable to grocery stores 41%Yards are well-kept 57%Lots of parks 49%Walkable to restaurants 53%Friendly neighbors 35%Safe at night 59%Pet friendly 61%Streets have sidewalks 31%A quiet area 45%Sense of community

Based on 51 votes from AreaVibes users. See all Indianapolis poll results.

Indianapolis Real estate & Rental prices

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Indianapolis Demographics

Population846,674 Median Age34.0 Have Kids (under 18)47%

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Indianapolis, IN

"Ladies and gentlemen start your engines" and get ready to enjoy a beautiful life in Indianapolis. The state capital is the most populous city in the state of Indiana, and it has one of the highest quality of life scores in the entire United States. With a population of over 800,000, Indianapolis offers all of the big city amenities without the big city headaches of a Chicago. The city became the state capital in 1821, and since then it has continued to develop into one of the leading cities in the entire Midwest. Home to the World Champion Indianapolis Colts and the perennial NBA power Indianapolis Pacers, the city offers sports fans a world class entertainment experience.

Each spring, Indianapolis also hosts the NFL Scouting Combine when hundreds of the nation's top players converge on the city to prove to NFL scouts that they got what it takes. One of the great things about living in Indianapolis is that the city is able to host events like these without any disruption to the lives of those who call it home on a regular basis. Indianapolis' downtown area is compact, and people who work in the area or are lucky enough to live in the new condos that are sprouting up in the community are able to walk to some of the city's top restaurants, night clubs, and bars.

The cost of housing in Indianapolis is incredibly affordable when compared to other cities of its size, and there are some areas that are extremely desirable as well. Mile Square, Meridian-Kessler, Allisonville, Bates-Hendricks, and Castelton are just a handful of areas that seem to be popular with transplants to the area. Those who are looking for something fun to do in the city can check out the city's zoo. It is a great option for families who want to introduce their children to some of the cutest creatures in the animal kingdom. Racing fans will need to make sure that they make time to go to Indianapolis Motor Speedway to see where the greats in Indy Car Racing have competed over the years for one of the sport's most coveted titles.

Purdue University is one of the largest employers in the area, and it is a school that is considered one of the best in the country for their engineering program. Butler University is a private Catholic School that is another solid option for parents who are hoping to find some higher education options for their children. Indianapolis is a city that values education, and their public school system is frequently considered one of the best in the state. Indianapolis offers residents a low cost of living with all the desired amenities.

Top Rated Schools in Indianapolis

Name	Grades	Students	Proficiency
Merle Sidener Gifted Academy	2 - 8	357	80%
Center For Inquiry School 84	KG - 8	432	78%
South Creek Elementary School	KG - 5	467	71%
Rosa Parks Elementary School	KG - 5	646	70%
Bunker Hill Elementary School	KG - 5	631	69%
Paramount School Of Excellence	KG - 8	744	67%
Herron High School	9 - 12	861	67%
Forest Glen Elementary School	KG - 6	718	67%

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The best places in Indiana

Here are the best places to live in Indiana

10 best cities to buy a new house in Indiana

Top 10 cities in Indiana with the best education system

Top 10 best public schools in Indianapolis

Indianapolis Reviews

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better to drive around it than through it

Attractions1/10

Community1/10

Nightlife10/10

Dining10/10

Shopping9/10

IUPUI is part of the psychiatric problem - who ever heard of competing schools merging? Watch a food-fixated newscast before settling down in the suburban food chain - a coarse social scene for veterans and out-of-state university grads. Don't be fooled by the college grad rate - most are medical students just passing through and can't wait to complete their internships.

6 -11

Even Peyton Manning Left This Dump, Never to Return

Attractions1/10

Community1/10

Nightlife1/10

Dining1/10

Shopping1/10

I grew up in Indianapolis. I was a smart child and figured it out pretty quickly. Name one other city where half the residents don't have the intellectual capacity to say the name? OK, I admit, six is a lot of syllables. To the average Hoosier, it's a bit overwhelming and so they come up with all sorts of alternatives. My favorite is In-duh-napples. That's only 4 syllables and seems to work. What does not work is Indy. There's nothing Indie about Indy. It's a place where everyone is expected to act the same and like the same stuff, like Dave Matthews, for example. Even the city's number one son, good old number 18 from Tennessee, left this dump. Peyton lives in Denver, fan boys. so you can ditch the jersey and man the hell up. He played like 100 years in Indianapolis and 4 in Denver, but he decided to stay there. So did I. Time to go fire up the pipe. Man, I love Colorado. Indianapolis? LOL.

10 -21

The Crosshairs of America

Attractions2/10

Community1/10

Nightlife1/10

Dining1/10

Shopping1/10

I grew up in Indianapolis and did all the Hoosier things like root for IU and go to the 500 every May. Vacations? Mostly Orlando and Branson. Favorite spare time activity? Getting blitzed. Then I met this guy and we moved to Denver. Wow, what can I say. A real city with people who can think...even when they're stoned. Since then, I've been to Seattle and Phoenix and all sorts of really cool places that Indy will never be. I don't miss Indiana. I don't miss the crime or the idiots who think it's the center of the universe. I don't miss everything falling apart and the attitude that life sucks and it's never gonna get any better. I don't miss truck stop food and attention Wal Mart shoppers. If I miss anything, it's the rust...that and the potholes.

12 -17

Keepin' It Real

Attractions2/10

Community1/10

Nightlife2/10

Dining2/10

Shopping1/10

Indy just plain sucks. It's a small town that really wants you to think it's a big city. There are about 50 urban hipster wannabees here who try to convince everyone else that the answer is MORE DENSITY which sort of makes sense because Indy is about as dense as Green Bay Wisconsin, no offense intended to the Cheeseheads. The reason that Indy is not dense is because the city has lost like half it's population over the last 50 years. Yeah, sounds great, right? So great that everyone can leave, leaves. Now they're closing MORE schools. This place is circling the drain. It's a good thing Detroit is just up the road. That keeps the attention elsewhere, but Indy is an epic fail by any reasonable measure.

10 -4

Furious with the level of drugs and white russian/asian fascism

Attractions1/10

Community1/10

Nightlife1/10

Dining1/10

Shopping1/10

Not a place to live if you don't want to be reminded of the gross communists and nazis in the world. I just was refused to be taken to a hospital by EMT workers of white Asian origin ( they ALL already know about Germany ) probably drug users or part of that community making up fairy tales about the mechanics of their ambulance and then calling me the equivalent of...well no exactly what Soviet Nazis call me around the world and...it isn't a Jew ( European perhaps). And this type of sick 10th world number one in genocide, AIDS, drugs, of course no hospitals because obviously according to Silicon Valley all patients would be raped, etc, etc. Oh and no FOOD ! You are not paranoid if you think you are surrounded by Mid and West Asian Communists or Nazis or other ignoramus. I am furious because these people live in a bubble of cheap housing, breeding, drug community, the visual is of their own and that is what they want, and grandaddy is gay. Basically a mini me version of Silicon Valley.

3 -16

Indy from a single, single parent, middleaged African-American femal Perspective

Attractions4/10

Community3/10

Nightlife1/10

Dining1/10

Shopping2/10

currently a resident of Indianapolis near downtown. For a single parent African American female Indianapolis is a decent enough place to live the crime is in my opinion too high. there are jobs but unless you are a professional don't expect to get paid much money. most entry level jobs start off at about $11 per hour minimum wage is around $8. Club scene is kind of boring while at the same time dangerous especially if you are under 30yrs of age. housing is somewhat affordable, it has improved in decent affordable housing over the past ten years. Public transportation is not very reliable or popular so unless you live central and work in the central to downtown area you should not expect to rely on it for employment purposes it. The routes are limited and the so are the hours of operation. Favorite things about Indianapolis is Zoo and parks, Least favorite is the high crime.

4 -2

As for the food

Attractions?/10

Community?/10

Nightlife?/10

Dining?/10

Shopping10/10

We on point. U wants some mc Donald's we got you. You want some gourmet stuff. We got you. We got target, Walmart, fancy big malls, ghetto ass big malls, outdoors big balls, guns, freedom, pizza, papa johns, Boston market. fro yo, we got u covered

3 -5

Indiana weather is bs

Attractions?/10

Community?/10

Nightlife?/10

Dining?/10

Shopping?/10

Um I was scrolling to find other places cuz I don't wont to liv in Indiana no more and I saw Indiana has a b in weather. That's some bs right there. We deserve a ----F. This weather bi polar af

5 -1

Conformity is the Norm

Attractions4/10

Community1/10

Nightlife2/10

Dining2/10

Shopping3/10

If you're the sort of person who likes to fit in and follow the crowd, Indianapolis may be a good place for you to settle. This community values conformity and groupthink to an alarming level. I found it stifling and so I left. It was a good decision. On the plus side, Indianapolis is a relatively inexpensive place to live. In fact, many people point to its low cost of living as the number one reason to move there. They're proud of it. Unfortunately, it's not as cheap as the locals would have you believe. Sure, housing is cheap but groceries, energy and healthcare are relatively expensive. Indianapolis also taxes wages in a variety of interesting ways. When you add state, local and other taxes, you'll be surprised at how much you actually pay for the privilege of working in Indianapolis.Locals are also very fond of their downtown. There was a magazine named Livability that ranked it number two in the nation or something like that, which is nice. It is also absurd, as downtown Indianapolis was ranked higher than cities like Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Denver and New Orleans. These are all cities with awesome downtowns. Downtown Indianapolis is nice, but it is not in the same class as these cities.What I found most annoying about Indianapolis is the city's raging inferiority complex. It wants to be taken seriously as a major city. Why this is important to them I do not know but it is. They actually have pep rallies on days before big Colts games and everybody is expected to wear their $175 jersey to show their support for the city. I'm taking adults with real jobs. Living in Indy is like being stuck in high school. People go out and get blitzed every weekend. There are cliques. It's bizarre. If you're one of those people who needs to belong, this may be your city. If, on the other hand, you're a mature adult, you probably will end up leaving eventually. Save yourself the trouble now. Just my two cents.

5 -4

Speed Your Way to Indianapolis, IN

Attractions9/10

Community9/10

Nightlife9/10

Dining9/10

Shopping8/10

There is more than corn in Indiana! Right in the center of the state is a gem of a state capital, Indianapolis. I lived in Indianapolis about 20 years ago but moved 60 miles north when I got married. Now that we are retired we have talked about moving to Indianapolis. It has so much to offer.

If sports are your interest you are certainly in the right place. Indianapolis is home to the Indianapolis 500 Motor Speedway. May is the month for the qualifications and race which should be on every bucket list. The museum is open year round. The former super bowl champions, the Indianapolis Colts make their home here. We also have the NBA Pacers, the Indianapolis Ice (hockey), and the Indianapolis Indians baseball team.

The performing arts are alive and well in Indianapolis. The Indiana Repertory Theatre and Indianapolis Symphony make their home downtown on the circle. There are community theatres scattered around neighborhoods in the city; The Phoenix, Theatre at Fountain Square, Madam Walker Theatre and Indianapolis Civic Theatre.

For sailors there is a wonderful club at Eagle Creek Park. A day's sailing is not complete without stopping by Rick's at the Boatyard for dinner where there is usually live jazz. There are folks who prefer speed in their boats and that can be found at Giest Reservoir where skippers can motor up dockside to a variety of restaurants.

For families nothing beats the Indianapolis Children's Museum or the Indianapolis Zoo. Other museums include the Indianapolis Art Museum and the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art.

Indianapolis recently opened a new airport. It is beautiful, but in my opinion, it is not conveniently located and parking is very difficult.

I miss living in Indianapolis and am seriously considering returning.

5 -5

Indianapolis Plus Ellenberger Park Equals a Family Affair

Attractions8/10

Community6/10

Nightlife7/10

Dining7/10

Shopping7/10

Every time I visit Indianapolis I have an AMAZING time! One of my favorite places to visit is Ellenberger Park. I know it sounds cliche, but it's truly fun for the entire family. With swimming, tennis, ice skating, and a huge playground; you can't go wrong. Also, depending on the time of year you visit, you can catch hockey games being played by various leagues. To top it all off, the scenery is a sight ripped straight out of a tourist magazine. Ellenberger Park is filled with streams and winding paths shaded with beautiful willowy trees.

A quip I have about Indianapolis is the lack of diversity outside of major festivities, such as the International Festival and the Black Expo Summer Celebration. Other than that, it seems to be your usual corporate business crowd. Also, I found that hotel room rates during conventions were extremely expensive. If you plan to visit, I'd suggest getting a hotel room on the outskirts of the metropolitan area without sacrificing convenience.

4 -1

Source: The Indianapolis, IN data and statistics displayed above are derived from the 2016 United States Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS).

Indianapolis, IN

Key findings

Best Places to Live in and Around Indianapolis

Compare Indianapolis, IN Livability

What do the locals think about Indianapolis?

How Do You Rate The Livability In Indianapolis?

Indianapolis Real estate & Rental prices

Indianapolis Demographics

Indianapolis, IN

Top Rated Schools in Indianapolis

The best places in Indiana

Indianapolis Reviews