A+
14%
Overall NAT. AVG.
5%
Goods & Services NAT. AVG.
36%
Housing NAT. AVG.
Date & Last Updated: This data reflects 2025 and was released from C2ER in January, 2026; this is the most current data available.
The cost of living index is based on a national average of 100. For example, if the cost of living is 90, then it is 10% lower than average. If the cost of living is 110, then it is 10% higher than average. The breakdown for each index is as follows: goods & services (33%), groceries (13%), health care (5%), housing (30%), transportation (9%) and utilities (10%). If the cost of living data was unavailable for this city, estimates based upon nearby cities were used.
Index Shelbyville Indiana National
Cost of living8690100
Goods & Services9595100
Groceries10099100
Health care8599100
Housing6472100
Transportation99101100
Utilities9495100
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An Overview of Cost of Living in Shelbyville, IN

Knowing the cost of living in Shelbyville allows individuals to create a realistic budget. This helps them understand how their income will cover expenses and whether they need to make financial adjustments. The cost of living in any region can fluctuate due to various factors. To assess the cost of living consistently across different areas, a national average of 100 serves as the basis for the cost of living index. The cost of living in Shelbyville stands at 86, marking it 14% lower than the national average.

Is Shelbyville Affordable?

Is Shelbyville affordable? It's a key consideration when pondering a move, as affordability often shapes your choices. The cost of living index (we discussed it earlier), coupled with housing costs and income levels, serves as the cornerstone for determining a location's affordability. Take Shelbyville, for instance, where the median home price falls 44% lower than the national average, and monthly rent rates are 17% lower than usual. Additionally, median income levels contribute to the equation, with Shelbyville flaunting a median household income of $73,509, 9.6% lower than the national norm.

What Factors can Influence the Cost of Living in Shelbyville?

Transportation: In cities with limited or no public transportation, residents may find it necessary to own and maintain vehicles, thereby elevating the cost of living. Monthly expenditures include fuel, insurance, routine maintenance and potential lease or financing commitments. In Shelbyville, the transportation index stands at 1% lower than the national average.

Subsidies: Some areas might offer government subsidies or assistance programs that help lower cost of living for residents. These programs can include anything from Medicare, Medicaid, housing subsidies, low-income home energy assistance programs, school lunch programs, supplemental nutrition assistance programs, student loans, electric vehicle tax credits, affordable care act subsidies and crop subsidies. Areas that offer less subsidies, could see an increase in their cost of living.

Healthcare: Healthcare expenses and insurance premiums can vary significantly depending on the specific city or state. Factors such as accessibility to healthcare facilities, out-of-pocket expenses for doctor's visits, dental care expenses, prescription costs and specialized medical care fees can all influence the overall cost of living. In Shelbyville, healthcare costs are 15% lower than the national average.

Where is the Data From?

The Shelbyville cost of living data displayed above is derived from the C2ER cost of living index to provide a useful and reasonably accurate measure of living cost differences in urban areas. The index takes into account data from 300 independent researches, covering more than 60 goods and services across 6 different categories, to create an overall index for each area, with 100 being the average. The C2ER index does not include sales or income tax rates in their data, however AreaVibes does include both income and sales tax rates in the overall cost of living score for each area.

Cost Of Living Quick Facts

  • The cost of living in Shelbyville is 4% lower than the Indiana average
  • The cost of living in Shelbyville is 14% lower than the national average
  • Shelbyville housing is 36% lower than the national average
  • Indiana general sales tax is 37% higher than the national average
  • Indiana state income tax is 21% higher than the national average

Most Affordable Places to Live in and Around Shelbyville

See all the best places to live around Shelbyville

Compare Shelbyville, IN Cost of Living

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      Salary Calculator

      This is how much you would need to earn in
      Price difference in compared to
      Cost of living index
      Goods & Services index
      Groceries index
      Health care index
      Housing index
      Transportation index
      Utilities index

      Median Income & Debt-To-Income Ratio

      Median Income Per Year Per Month Max Budget (28% DTI) Max Budget (36% DTI)
      Owners$95,843$7,987$2,236$2,876
      Renters$53,642$4,470$1,252$1,609
      A good way to judge both the affordability of the housing and the cost of living in Shelbyville is by simply calculating the maximum that should be spent on housing, otherwise known as the debt-to-income ratio (DTI). The plan is to avoid spending more than 28 percent of the gross income on costs that pertain to housing and no more than 36 percent on all expenses and debts. Shelbyville has a median income of about $95,843 for people who own homes. Based on that number, a maximum of $2,236 should be spent on expenses related to housing. Renters have a slightly different median income, which is $53,642. Based on this average, renters should spend no more than $1,252 on all rental costs if they want to maintain a non-impoverished standard of living.

      Indiana Sales Tax

      State General Sales Tax With Max Surtax
      Indiana 7% 7%

      Indiana Income Tax

      State Income Tax (Low) Income Tax (High)
      Indiana 3.15% 3.15%

      Goods & Services

      Item Shelbyville National avg. Difference
      Haircut $23.67$27.6214.3%
      Beauty Salon $40.90$51.1120.0%
      Toothpaste $4.27$4.094.3%
      Shampoo $1.57$1.541.8%
      Movie $11.72$12.889.0%
      Yoga $19.43$19.661.2%

      Groceries

      Item Shelbyville National avg. Difference
      Ground Beef $7.91$7.702.7%
      Fried Chicken $1.69$1.661.7%
      Milk $4.77$4.730.8%
      Potatoes $5.48$5.264.3%
      Pizza $13.24$12.763.7%
      Beer $10.70$10.551.4%

      Health Care

      Item Shelbyville National avg. Difference
      Optometrist $85.73$140.0638.8%
      Doctor $109.63$153.8228.7%
      Dentist $120.73$123.152.0%
      Ibuprofen $11.51$11.731.9%
      Lipitor $18.17$23.6123.0%

      Housing

      Item Shelbyville National avg. Difference
      Home Price $183,026.00$326,622.0044.0%
      Avg. Mortgage Payment $1,807.23$2,480.2527.1%
      Apartment Rent $1,199.00$1,444.0017.0%

      Transportation

      Item Shelbyville National avg. Difference
      Gasoline $3.20$3.064.6%
      Tire Balancing $55.87$65.2114.3%

      Utilities

      Item Shelbyville National avg. Difference
      All Electricity $200.00$220.129.1%
      Phone $193.62$195.711.1%
      Although the cost of living data is updated regularly, this cost of living information is to be used as estimates only as prices can change on an ongoing basis.

      Nearby cities with low cost of living

      City Population Cost of Living Index National Avg.
      Carthage, IN9178317.3%
      Manilla, IN4998316.8%
      St. Paul, IN1,1258416.3%
      Waldron, IN6648614.5%
      Morristown, IN1,1828613.8%
      Shelbyville, IN19,6678613.8%

      Cities with similar population

      City Population Cost of Living Index National Avg.
      Ronkonkoma, NY19,67614039.6%
      South San Jose Hills, CA19,65414444.3%
      Haslett, MI19,6511010.9%
      Deerfield, IL19,65015151.1%
      Troy, AL19,684928.0%
      Shelbyville, IN19,6678613.8%
      Date & Last Updated: This data reflects 2025 and was released from C2ER in January, 2026; this is the most current data available.