Merrillville 75 Excellent
Merrillville Livability #62 ranked city in Indiana#4,144 ranked city in the USARanks better than 85% of areas
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Pros and Cons of Living in Merrillville

PROS
  • Commute Commute

    High scores in the commute category could indicate that this area offers short commute times to work and readily available public transportation options.

  • Cost Of Living Cost Of Living

    Residents in this area benefit from an affordable cost of living. This includes goods and services, transportation, housing, utilities, groceries and healthcare.

  • Housing Housing

    The housing category in this area boasts higher than average scores, likely influenced by a positive home affordability ratio, robust appreciation rates or elevated home values.

CONS
  • Amenities Amenities

    It appears that many amenities may not be conveniently situated within walking distance, potentially necessitating the use of a vehicle or public transit.

  • Health & Safety Health & Safety

    Factors like poor air quality and the absence of essential health-related facilities like hospitals, clinics, nursing homes and pharmacies could have played a role in the low score in this category.

What's it like Living in Merrillville?

Merrillville is a mid-sized city located in the state of Indiana. The city has a population of 35,881 residents. Merrillville is known to be an ethnically diverse city. The two most common races are White (42%) and Black or African American (43%). In Merrillville, only 49% of people over the age of fifteen are married. This city could be a good option for singles ready to mingle. Something to be aware of when living in Merrillville are the above average commute times. If you're looking for a short commute to work, this might not be the right area for you. With one way commute time of 30 minutes, this comes in much higher than the national average of 26 minutes.

Whether you’re relocating to a new area to be closer to family, friends or for a new job, living in Merrillville could be a positive experience compared to other cities in Indiana if you know where to search. Don't forget to determine what matters most to you in a neighborhood. Consider factors such as safety, proximity to work or school, access to amenities (like parks, fitness facilities, grocery stores, restaurants), public transportation options, community atmosphere and the overall vibe you're looking for. Finding the best places to live in Merrillville and nearby areas is a much easier task when you can rely on information and data from the livability score, which includes amenities, health & safety, education, employment, housing and other important metrics.

Merrillville has a livability score of 73 out of 100 and is ranked #79 in Indiana and #4,750 in the USA. For each of the livability categories, we know that Merrillville ranks very well for cost of living (A-) and housing (A+). Merrillville does not do well for the following: amenities (F). It might be wise to take a closer look at each category to find out why.

A robust real estate market serves as a crucial economic indicator, reflecting the local area's strength, stability and the confidence of its residents. Merrillville excels in the housing sector, scoring high marks based on factors such as median home and rental prices, appreciation rates and home affordability. These calculations suggest that the apartment rental and real estate market in the region is exceptionally healthy, highlighting the area's economic vitality and attractiveness to potential homebuyers and renters.

Being close to public transit, grocery stores, parks and other conveniences are all important when weighing your options for a new home in Merrillville. Before you determine if any of these amenities are available in the area, you will also want to know if the real estate prices in Merrillville are affordable. The median home price for Merrillville homes is $258,382, which is 13.9% higher than the Indiana average. If we take a closer look at the affordability of homes in Merrillville, we’ll see that the home price to income ratio is 2.7, which is 10% lower than the Indiana average.

Best Places to Live in and Around Merrillville

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How Do You Rate The Livability In Merrillville?

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Compare Merrillville, IN Livability

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      Merrillville transportation information

      Statistic Merrillville Indiana National
      Average one way commute30min23min26min
      Workers who drive to work84.9%83.0%76.4%
      Workers who carpool6.9%8.9%9.3%
      Workers who take public transit2.6%1.1%5.1%
      Workers who bicycle0.1%0.5%0.6%
      Workers who walk0.9%2.1%2.8%
      Working from home2.4%3.5%4.6%
      Source: The Merrillville, IN data and statistics displayed above are derived from the United States Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) and include 2026 modeled data developed using proprietary methodologies.