Cost of Living in Indiana
What it costs to live in Indiana, how much tax you'll pay, and what common jobs keep after rent and everyday costs.
- Population
- 6,924,275
- Median household income
- $71,959
- State income tax
- Flat 3%
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 93.3
What a typical paycheck keeps in Indiana
The typical Indiana worker earns $47,860 (BLS). After taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs, $9,278 is left. Pick a city for local rents and pay.
- Typical salary
- $47,860
- Federal income tax
- −$3,563
- Payroll taxes
- −$3,661
- State income tax
- −$1,382
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$12,984
- Everyday costs
- −$16,992
a year, or $773 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS statewide median. Rent: HUD FY2027, population-weighted across Indiana.
Cost of living in Indiana
Prices across Indiana run 7% below the US average (BEA, 2024).
- Housing26% below the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)4% below the US average
- Utilities14% below the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)1% below the US average
- All items7% below the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $1,082 | $12,984 |
| Food | $471 | $5,652 |
| Transportation | $373 | $4,476 |
| Healthcare | $349 | $4,188 |
| Utilities | $223 | $2,676 |
| Total before taxes | $2,498 | $29,976 |
Rent is the statewide average of county fair market rents, weighted by population. City rents differ.
Indiana taxes
State income tax, single filer (2026)
| Taxable income over | Rate |
|---|---|
| $0 | 3% |
County income taxes are in the local tax table.
Taxes on the median household income
$71,959 of wages, one single filer (Census 2024 median).
| Federal income tax | −$7,001 |
| Payroll taxes | −$5,505 |
| State income tax | −$2,093 |
| Effective tax rate | 20.3% |
Cities in Indiana
What a typical worker keeps after taxes, rent and everyday costs in each Indiana city we cover.
What common jobs keep in Indiana
The 15 jobs that keep the most: statewide median pay, and what's left after taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Dentist | $166,650 | $90,308 |
| Pharmacist | $144,290 | $75,685 |
| Physician assistant | $132,050 | $67,680 |
| Nurse practitioner | $128,830 | $65,575 |
| Lawyer | $126,860 | $64,286 |
| Veterinarian | $124,530 | $62,762 |
| Software engineer | $105,920 | $50,274 |
| Lineman | $102,040 | $47,658 |
| Physical therapist | $101,560 | $47,335 |
| Mechanical engineer | $99,590 | $46,007 |
| Civil engineer | $98,270 | $45,118 |
| Occupational therapist | $97,020 | $44,275 |
| Project manager | $95,020 | $42,927 |
| Dental hygienist | $92,330 | $41,114 |
| Data scientist | $91,470 | $40,535 |
Salary pages in Indiana, A–Z
Pay range, what’s kept and the best cities for each job.
- Accountant
- Auto mechanic
- Carpenter
- Civil engineer
- Data scientist
- Dental assistant
- Dental hygienist
- Dentist
- Diesel mechanic
- Electrician
- Financial analyst
- Firefighter
- HVAC technician
- Lawyer
- Licensed practical nurse
- Lineman
- Mechanical engineer
- Medical assistant
- Nurse practitioner
- Nursing assistant
- Occupational therapist
- Paralegal
- Paramedic
- Pharmacist
- Pharmacy technician
- Physical therapist
- Physician assistant
- Plumber
- Police officer
- Project manager
- Radiologic technologist
- Registered nurse
- Respiratory therapist
- Social worker
- Software engineer
- Speech-language pathologist
- Teacher
- Truck driver
- Veterinarian
- Welder
Top-paying jobs in Indiana
Median pay, jobs with at least 1,000 workers (BLS OEWS). Linked jobs have a salary page.
| Job | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Anesthesiologists | $394,060 |
| Physicians, All Other | $366,190 |
| Emergency Medicine Physicians | $347,060 |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $314,390 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $261,940 |
| Chief Executives | $254,180 |
| Pediatricians, General | $177,300 |
| Dentists, General | $166,650 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $155,810 |
| Pharmacists | $144,290 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $142,040 |
| Marketing Managers | $136,260 |
| Financial Managers | $135,840 |
| Optometrists | $135,500 |
| Physician Assistants | $132,050 |
Living in Indiana
Indiana against the US (Census Bureau, ACS 2024).
| Measure | Indiana | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $243,500 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $1,104 | $1,487 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 12.2% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 30.7% | 36.9% |
| Average commute, one way | 24.6 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 9.6% | 13.3% |
Nearby states
Compare Indiana with another state or city: what a job keeps in each, side by side.
Questions people ask
What is the cost of living in Indiana?
Prices in Indiana are 7% below the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). The statewide fair market rent for a 1-bedroom is $1,082 a month (HUD, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person come to about $1,416 a month.
Does Indiana have a state income tax?
Yes. Indiana's income tax rate is flat 3%. On a typical wage of $47,860, a single filer pays about $1,382 a year in state income tax.
How much do you need to earn to live in Indiana?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom at the statewide fair market rent needs about $35,900 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs. The typical worker in Indiana earns $47,860 and keeps $9,278 after those costs.
Where in Indiana does a paycheck go furthest?
Of the Indiana cities we cover, a typical worker keeps the most in Fort Wayne ($8,959 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs) and the least in Indianapolis ($6,259).
What jobs pay the most in Indiana?
Among jobs with at least 1,000 workers, the highest median pay in Indiana goes to Anesthesiologists ($394,060); Physicians, All Other ($366,190); Emergency Medicine Physicians ($347,060) (BLS OEWS).
Sources and method
Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
- HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by state, 2024
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate