$44,471 median income · $904 median rent · #9 home prices in Indiana
Located in
Delaware County, Indiana
Muncie is an incorporated city and the seat of Delaware County, Indiana. It is located in East Central Indiana, about 50 miles northeast of Indianapolis. The United States Census for 2010 reported the city’s population was 70,085. It is the principal city of the Muncie metropolitan statistical area, which has a population of 117,671.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$43,343 median income · $805 median rent · #4 home prices in Indiana
Located in
Grant County, Indiana
Marion – no relation to my great-mother-in-law – ranks as the second cheapest city in Indiana. Located in Grant County, this city keeps living expenses down with a reasonable $805 median rent. The overall cost of living is 11.1% lower than the state average.
The money you’ll save on housing costs can be put towards a long weekend to watch the Colts in Indianapolis.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$51,606 median income · $781 median rent · #18 home prices in Indiana
Located in
Henry County, Indiana
New Castle is a city in Henry County, Indiana, 44 miles east-northeast of Indianapolis, on the Big Blue River. The city is the county seat of Henry County. New Castle is home to New Castle Fieldhouse, the largest high school gymnasium in the world. The city is surrounded by agricultural land. In the past, it was a manufacturing center for the production of sheet iron and steel, automobiles, caskets, clothing, scales, bridges, pianos, furniture, handles, shovels, lathes, bricks, and flour.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$46,159 median income · $826 median rent · #8 home prices in Indiana
Located in
Miami County, Indiana
Situated about 60 miles southwest of Fort Wayne, Peru ranks as the fourth most affordable place to call home in Indiana. Peru was once the winter headquarters for several famous circuses, like the Ringling Brothers and Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. It’s maintained that heritage into the 21st century with the annual Peru Circus City Festival and Parade, amateur circus performances, and the Circus Hall of Fame. That’s not the only outside-the-box entertainment option in Peru, though; there’s also the Grissom Air Museum for folks interested in learning more about military aircraft. For more standard activities, there’s always fishing or kayaking on Mississinewa Lake. Homes in Peru are the eighth cheapest in Indiana at $149,304, which is a big contributor to the city’s low cost of living. The median income in Peru is $46,159 and the media rent is $826.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$38,731 median income · $1,012 median rent · #1 home prices in Indiana
Located in
Lake County, Indiana
Gary is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States, 25 miles from downtown Chicago, Illinois.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$47,291 median income · $786 median rent · #12 home prices in Indiana
Located in
Cass County, Indiana
Situated about 60 miles southwest of Fort Wayne, Peru ranks as the sixth most affordable place to call home in Indiana. Peru was once the winter headquarters for several famous circuses, like the Ringling Brothers and Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. It’s maintained that heritage into the 21st century with the annual Peru Circus City Festival and Parade, amateur circus performances, and the Circus Hall of Fame. That’s not the only outside-the-box entertainment option in Peru, though; there’s also the Grissom Air Museum for folks interested in learning more about military aircraft. For more standard activities, there’s always fishing or kayaking on Mississinewa Lake. Homes in Peru are the 12th cheapest in Indiana at $153,143, which is a big contributor to the city’s low cost of living. The median income in Peru is $47,291 and the media rent is $786.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$48,854 median income · $787 median rent · #16 home prices in Indiana
Located in
Fayette County, Indiana
Connersville, located in Fayette County about 70 miles east of Indianapolis, shines as a great savings spot in Indiana. The city’s $157,813 median home price and $787 rent push the city to the top of the list. Particularly in intra-state rankings, home prices and rent will be the most significant factors in determining how expensive a place in Indiana is.
The overall cost of living is 10.0% lower than the Hoosier average.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$54,421 median income · $887 median rent · #62 home prices in Indiana
Located in
Dubois County, Indiana
Huntingburg is a city in Patoka Township, Dubois County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 6,057 at the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$41,752 median income · $730 median rent · #5 home prices in Indiana
Located between Indianapolis and Fort Wayne, Hartford City ranks as the ninth cheapest city in Indiana. Indiana is already a stand-out for being one of the cheapest states in America, but Hartford City takes that to the extreme with the fifth cheapest homes in the state. Hartford City residents earn a median income of $41,752, putting Hartford City in the top five statewide for home price to income ratio.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$46,909 median income · $925 median rent · #3 home prices in Indiana
Located in
Madison County, Indiana
Anderson is a city in and the county seat of Madison County, Indiana, United States. It is the principal city of the Anderson, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses Madison County. Anderson is the headquarters of the Church of God and home of Anderson University, which is affiliated with that denomination. Highlights of the city include the historic Paramount Theatre and the Gruenewald Historic House.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Indiana’s statewide median.
Indiana statewide median: $254,122
Indiana statewide median: $71,957
On the map
Where your money goes furthest in Indiana
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How we determined the most affordable places to live in the Hoosier State for 2026
Determining affordability for places in Indiana boils down to how much it costs to live here.
You need to understand your costs relative to what people in the rest of the state are paying.
With that logic in mind, we derived several cost of living statistics from the latest Census American Community Survey 2020-2024 for Indiana using Saturday Night Science. We indexed the cost of living statistics across the following categories:
- Housing
- Transportation
- Services
- Groceries
- Healthcare
- Utilities
These are then weighted together to produce an overall cost of living index where 100 is the United States average. Anything below 100 is relatively affordable. Anything over 100 is relatively expensive.
We applied the biggest weight to housing as it typically accounts for 25% or more of your budget. Additionally, housing costs are the highest variant cost across a state. We then compare these cost of living metrics for each place in Indiana to figure out which is the least expensive.
The “Cost of Living Index” allows you to rank all of the 122 places in Indiana that have more than 5,000 people from least expensive to most expensive. Any ties went to the larger city.
The place in Indiana with the lowest cost of living according to the data is Muncie.
We updated this article for 2026. This report reflects our eleventh time ranking the cheapest places to live in Indiana.
The full plate
Cheapest Places To Live In Indiana
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Population | Cost Of Living Index | Median Income | Home Prices | Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Muncie | 64,751 | 80 | $44,471 | $151,291 | $904 |
| 2 | Marion | 27,531 | 80 | $43,343 | $136,313 | $805 |
| 3 | New Castle | 17,367 | 80 | $51,606 | $164,336 | $781 |
| 4 | Peru | 10,901 | 80 | $46,159 | $149,304 | $826 |
| 5 | Gary | 68,113 | 81 | $38,731 | $86,989 | $1,012 |
| 6 | Logansport | 17,790 | 81 | $47,291 | $153,143 | $786 |
| 7 | Connersville | 13,109 | 81 | $48,854 | $157,813 | $787 |
| 8 | Huntingburg | 6,396 | 81 | $54,421 | $240,498 | $887 |
| 9 | Hartford City | 5,794 | 81 | $41,752 | $139,704 | $730 |
| 10 | Anderson | 55,367 | 82 | $46,909 | $135,174 | $925 |
| 11 | Wabash | 10,358 | 82 | $53,410 | $179,809 | $739 |
| 12 | Elwood | 8,356 | 82 | $53,280 | $148,429 | $860 |
| 13 | Portland | 6,416 | 82 | $51,513 | $162,775 | $763 |
| 14 | Linton | 5,260 | 82 | $45,440 | $171,819 | $812 |
| 15 | Huntington | 17,030 | 83 | $56,520 | $192,024 | $879 |
| 16 | Vincennes | 16,586 | 83 | $53,637 | $164,630 | $793 |
| 17 | Gas City | 6,076 | 83 | $55,982 | $157,194 | $901 |
| 18 | Elkhart | 53,733 | 84 | $51,028 | $222,794 | $998 |
| 19 | East Chicago | 26,022 | 84 | $42,125 | $128,171 | $854 |
| 20 | Lake Station | 13,185 | 84 | $59,591 | $151,774 | $1,124 |
| 21 | Plymouth | 10,664 | 84 | $58,623 | $238,868 | $957 |
| 22 | Tell City | 7,505 | 84 | $52,949 | $181,285 | $657 |
| 23 | Boonville | 6,702 | 84 | $63,580 | $230,217 | $873 |
| 24 | Rushville | 6,036 | 84 | $53,434 | $202,258 | $911 |
| 25 | Winchester | 5,284 | 84 | $52,439 | $152,403 | $756 |
| 26 | Alexandria | 5,155 | 84 | $64,317 | $182,198 | $801 |
| 27 | South Bend | 103,085 | 85 | $55,786 | $192,340 | $1,033 |
| 28 | Mishawaka | 51,021 | 85 | $54,291 | $206,367 | $1,070 |
| 29 | Richmond | 35,581 | 85 | $45,399 | $156,510 | $822 |
| 30 | La Porte | 22,449 | 85 | $59,307 | $271,481 | $948 |
| 31 | Bluffton | 10,529 | 85 | $57,539 | $183,603 | $732 |
| 32 | Salem | 6,489 | 85 | $56,538 | $208,086 | $690 |
| 33 | Hammond | 76,768 | 86 | $55,504 | $170,817 | $1,134 |
| 34 | Shelbyville | 20,296 | 86 | $55,602 | $222,049 | $995 |
| 35 | Crawfordsville | 16,491 | 86 | $55,033 | $219,773 | $857 |
| 36 | Frankfort | 15,917 | 86 | $57,412 | $209,856 | $898 |
| 37 | Beech Grove | 14,913 | 86 | $49,973 | $191,935 | $1,091 |
| 38 | Princeton | 8,372 | 86 | $57,618 | $187,283 | $1,022 |
| 39 | Garrett | 6,642 | 86 | $64,179 | $187,134 | $858 |
| 40 | Rochester | 6,215 | 86 | $57,008 | $210,468 | $867 |
| 41 | Monticello | 5,496 | 86 | $52,798 | $235,505 | $927 |
| 42 | Kokomo | 59,122 | 87 | $55,360 | $180,398 | $939 |
| 43 | Terre Haute | 58,427 | 87 | $43,126 | $155,802 | $922 |
| 44 | Washington | 12,367 | 87 | $50,331 | $147,888 | $858 |
| 45 | Decatur | 9,811 | 87 | $58,646 | $229,668 | $820 |
| 46 | Brazil | 7,831 | 87 | $52,055 | $188,386 | $869 |
| 47 | North Vernon | 7,078 | 87 | $51,429 | $212,243 | $938 |
| 48 | Rensselaer | 5,573 | 87 | $60,331 | $242,741 | $936 |
| 49 | Lawrenceburg | 5,179 | 87 | $51,250 | $248,401 | $767 |
| 50 | Evansville | 116,116 | 88 | $53,387 | $198,977 | $975 |
| 51 | Lafayette | 71,159 | 88 | $53,716 | $262,731 | $1,079 |
| 52 | Goshen | 34,420 | 88 | $59,184 | $275,120 | $1,093 |
| 53 | Michigan City | 31,814 | 88 | $53,089 | $187,488 | $967 |
| 54 | Bedford | 13,837 | 88 | $49,553 | $207,924 | $828 |
| 55 | Martinsville | 11,933 | 88 | $60,177 | $288,805 | $983 |
| 56 | Kendallville | 10,556 | 88 | $58,939 | $220,523 | $821 |
| 57 | Scottsburg | 7,362 | 88 | $38,578 | $187,044 | $831 |
| 58 | Tipton | 5,280 | 88 | $59,828 | $237,894 | $848 |
| 59 | Lebanon | 17,812 | 89 | $65,154 | $299,032 | $962 |
| 60 | Warsaw | 16,768 | 89 | $61,035 | $271,691 | $1,066 |
| 61 | New Haven | 15,698 | 89 | $70,970 | $240,073 | $998 |
| 62 | Columbia City | 9,897 | 89 | $68,089 | $279,168 | $963 |
| 63 | Nappanee | 6,815 | 89 | $68,892 | $288,904 | $856 |
| 64 | New Whiteland | 5,704 | 89 | $89,918 | $228,047 | $1,465 |
| 65 | New Albany | 37,581 | 90 | $54,710 | $235,058 | $1,026 |
| 66 | Jasper | 15,991 | 90 | $68,817 | $266,264 | $810 |
| 67 | Auburn | 13,565 | 90 | $68,750 | $275,151 | $865 |
| 68 | Greensburg | 12,229 | 90 | $62,655 | $261,666 | $859 |
| 69 | Greencastle | 9,864 | 90 | $55,565 | $243,386 | $908 |
| 70 | Angola | 9,408 | 90 | $64,540 | $302,980 | $933 |
| 71 | Westville | 5,279 | 90 | $60,794 | $357,284 | $1,019 |
| 72 | Fort Wayne | 268,589 | 91 | $61,422 | $242,385 | $999 |
| 73 | Seymour | 22,371 | 91 | $64,426 | $230,829 | $1,011 |
| 74 | Charlestown | 8,294 | 91 | $77,288 | $302,064 | $1,033 |
| 75 | Batesville | 7,282 | 91 | $62,292 | $317,505 | $847 |
| 76 | Mount Vernon | 6,400 | 91 | $62,263 | $221,083 | $783 |
| 77 | Merrillville | 36,476 | 92 | $67,587 | $240,329 | $1,282 |
| 78 | Speedway | 13,968 | 92 | $60,147 | $236,684 | $1,141 |
| 79 | Madison | 12,223 | 92 | $61,183 | $240,680 | $820 |
| 80 | Greenfield | 24,940 | 93 | $76,127 | $285,066 | $1,177 |
| 81 | Clarksville | 22,016 | 93 | $60,467 | $203,069 | $1,110 |
| 82 | Mooresville | 9,751 | 93 | $68,983 | $308,099 | $1,089 |
| 83 | Ellettsville | 6,698 | 93 | $90,213 | $274,445 | $855 |
| 84 | Indianapolis | 885,860 | 94 | $66,219 | $229,209 | $1,156 |
| 85 | Highland | 23,680 | 94 | $78,062 | $262,852 | $1,230 |
| 86 | Whiteland | 5,173 | 94 | $96,944 | $296,965 | $1,661 |
| 87 | Jeffersonville | 51,043 | 95 | $70,930 | $251,611 | $1,148 |
| 88 | Lawrence | 49,517 | 95 | $74,022 | $268,725 | $1,178 |
| 89 | Hobart | 29,558 | 95 | $75,160 | $238,196 | $1,206 |
| 90 | Griffith | 16,273 | 95 | $76,636 | $247,099 | $1,235 |
| 91 | Danville | 11,714 | 95 | $97,083 | $337,029 | $1,151 |
| 92 | Winona Lake | 5,080 | 95 | $82,188 | $297,378 | $1,132 |
| 93 | Greenwood | 66,029 | 96 | $83,608 | $326,491 | $1,312 |
| 94 | Columbus | 51,824 | 96 | $77,456 | $276,890 | $1,157 |
| 95 | Portage | 38,082 | 96 | $76,276 | $264,578 | $1,231 |
| 96 | Valparaiso | 34,733 | 96 | $69,872 | $355,845 | $1,224 |
| 97 | Franklin | 26,168 | 96 | $82,380 | $279,168 | $1,186 |
| 98 | Pendleton | 5,321 | 96 | $86,806 | $334,739 | $1,209 |
| 99 | Sellersburg | 10,137 | 97 | $72,179 | $296,867 | $1,151 |
| 100 | Cumberland | 6,267 | 97 | $87,364 | $289,409 | $1,157 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024, cost-of-living data. 122 places with more than 5,000 residents.
Summary
Indiana Affordability Summary
This is an accurate list of the most affordable places to live in Indiana for 2026, if you’re looking at the cost of living numbers in Indiana.
The cheapest cities in Indiana are Muncie, Marion, New Castle, Peru, Gary, Logansport, Connersville, Huntingburg, Hartford City, and Anderson.
