Indiana is full of growing cities with good jobs. Good jobs increase median incomes. Higher incomes increase real estate budgets. Higher real estate budgets increase home prices.
This logic means finding the most affordable places to live in Indiana is becoming increasingly important.
We used Saturday Night Science to consult the latest Indiana Census data on the cost of living, home prices, incomes, and rents to find the affordable places in Indiana.
Luckily, affordable places in Indiana include millennial cities like Indianapolis, fantastic college cities like West Lafayette, and cities like Hillsboro.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | FAQs | Summary
The 10 most affordable places to live in Indiana
What’s the cheapest place to live in Indiana? The cheapest place to live in Indiana is Connersville. They definitely have affordable living figured out.
In addition to a cheap cost of living, Indiana offers a strong economy and plenty of things to do. Companies, including Subaru, Angie’s List, and Vera Bradley, offer many job opportunities. Indiana’s higher education institutions, like Purdue and the University of Indiana, produce intelligent, hard-working individuals who want to make Indiana available and affordable for all.
Check out some more reading about Indiana and the cheapest places in the country:
The 10 Cheapest Places To Live In Indiana For 2024
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Population: 13,395
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 75
Median Income: $41,769
Median Home Price: $134,012
Median Rent: $747
Connersville, located in Fayette County about 70 miles east of Indianapolis, shines as a great savings spot in Indiana. The city’s $134,012 median home price and $747 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 12.8% lower than the Hoosier average.
More on Connersville: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 35,642
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 77
Median Income: $46,356
Median Home Price: $134,820
Median Rent: $797
Next up on the list of the cheapest places in Indiana is Richmond, the second cheapest. The city’s affordable $134,820 median home price saves money to buy more sugar cream pie.
Located in eastern Wayne County, Richmond’s overall cost of living index of 77 is supported by low index values for utilities, services, and healthcare, making Richmond a financially savvy choice within the Hoosier state.
More on Richmond: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 6,412
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 77
Median Income: $53,110
Median Home Price: $174,687
Median Rent: $809
Situated between Indianapolis and Cincinnati, Rushville ranks as the third cheapest place to live in Indiana for 2024.
For starters, Rushville has an incredibly low overall cost of living; about 15% below Indiana and 25% below the national average. A lot of that is down to the cheap housing options Rushville has.
The median home price in Rushville is $174,687. The unemployment rate is low, and Rushville’s median household income of $53,110 has been steadily growing recently. If that trend continues, it’ll only become more affordable to live in Rushville.
If you just want to try Rushville out, rent won’t set you back too much either — the median price here is $809. For fun and cheap things to do, check out the Riverside Park Amphitheater, where shows are constantly going on.
More on Rushville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 103,084
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 78
Median Income: $49,056
Median Home Price: $168,507
Median Rent: $935
South Bend, snug in Indiana’s northern reaches, boasts an affordability that can’t be bent. With a cost of living index at 78, this city of 103,084 appeals to budget-conscious dwellers with its modest $168,507 average home price and reasonable $935 rent.
Home to Notre Dame, there’s always something fun on campus to do on the cheap – we all know college kids are broke.
More on South Bend: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
South Bend, home of Notre Dame, is nothing like Notre Dame. It is an aging city with some seedy area. It does offer parks and theater, plus a great library system. I truly enjoyed the visit.
St. Patrick’s Park along the St Joe River is a great place to explorer. There are multiple trails, with a clean environment. Downtown offers a variety of shops and a theater.
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Population: 22,409
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 78
Median Income: $55,031
Median Home Price: $240,496
Median Rent: $843
In the heart of La Porte County, La Porte ranks as the fifth least expensive city in Indiana. With a median home value at $240,496 and an overall cost of living index at 78, La Porte is 9.3% cheaper than the Hoosier average.
You can put all the money you save on groceries in La Porte towards a visit to the Indiana State Fair or a weekend in Chicago.
More on La Porte: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 10,369
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 78
Median Income: $49,306
Median Home Price: $215,488
Median Rent: $884
Plymouth, situated in the northern region of Indiana’s Marshall County, ranks sixth for affordability in the state for 2024. Housing is a bargain with a $215,488 home price well beneath the state average, and the 78 cost of living index means you’ll save on everything from groceries to utilities.
You’ll have a rock of a nest egg in Plymouth to spend on a trip to the Indiana Fiddlers’ Gathering in Tippecanoe.
More on Plymouth: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 5,885
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 78
Median Income: $57,889
Median Home Price: $328,475
Median Rent: $850
Westville is the best ville when it comes to the cost of living in Indiana. The town ranks as the seventh most affordable place in the state for 2024.
Low cost of living index values for utilities, services, and healthcare support an overall cost of living index of 78. Bluhm County Park offers a cost-effective weekend afternoon with the family to make your $57,889 average income go further in Westville.
More on Westville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Westville has a population of about a little over 1,000 people… Most of the actual population is of prisoners in the Westville Correctional Facility.
Westville’s one school has about enough room for 500 students k-12th grade.
Most move, most come and go, and in reality half dont even live in Westville. Half of the students in the school come from LaPorte, Michigan City, Kingsford Heights, and etc. Plenty of kids have the capability to do better than the effort they put out. They honestly just don’t care.
That’s why the scores are low. I’ve watched a boy get all F’s until someone actually got in his head. Then, when he actually tried, he was getting A’s and B’s. Great community and most people who have gone there say it’s better than other schools they’ve been to. I’m pretty sure this won’t be seen or what not, but I voiced my opinion.
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Population: 31,983
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 79
Median Income: $51,554
Median Home Price: $161,696
Median Rent: $825
Michigan City, located in northern Indiana within LaPorte County, presents a compelling case for affordability with its $825 rents that sit notably below the state average. The common theme amongst these cities — the area between Chicago and Fort Wayne in Northern Indiana is cheap.
The city’s cost of living index, at 79, is well under the state benchmark, and with a median income of $51,554, residents find a balance between manageable living costs and income. Michigan City epitomizes economic efficiency in the Hoosier heartland.
More on Michigan City: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 27,528
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 79
Median Income: $42,366
Median Home Price: $115,126
Median Rent: $741
Marion – no relation to my great-mother-in-law – ranks as the ninth cheapest city in Indiana. Located in Grant County, this city keeps living expenses down with a reasonable $741 median rent. The overall cost of living is 8.1% 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.
More on Marion: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
not much crime in my area and its pretty peaceful most of the time.
watch out for the ROADS! THEY S**K HERE IN MARION!!!!
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Population: 50,899
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 80
Median Income: $51,543
Median Home Price: $184,754
Median Rent: $979
Mishawaka, the tenth most budget-friendly city in Indiana, is in the northern region near the St. Joseph River. A low 80 cost of living index summarizes its affordability nicely.
As part of the South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI Metropolitan Statistical Area, Mishawaka offers metropolitan amenities without the metropolitan price tag, making it a magnet for cost-conscious citizens. That was fun to write.
Cheap things to do nearby include walking along the Riverwalk or an afternoon at the Shiojiri Niwa Gardens.
More on Mishawaka: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Cheapest places to live in Indiana FAQs
The county in Indiana with the lowest cost of living is Randolph County. The average living wage in Randolph County is $75,145 according to MIT data. Randolph County has the lowest cost of living because it has relatively less expensive childcare and housing costs compared to Indiana as a whole. Childcare costs $8,340 a year in Randolph County for two children compared to the Indiana average of $12,286. Housing costs, defined as a blend of the average rent and average mortgage payment, are $8,784 per year in Randolph County compared to $10,258 on average in Indiana.
The cost of living in Indiana is 9.4% lower than the US average. According to MIT, the required living wage for a family of four with two working parents in Indiana is $81,321 vs the national average for a family of four with two working parents of $89,744. The median income of a Indiana household is $58,235.
The cheapest housing market in Indiana is Hartford City. The average home value in Hartford City is $61,500, the lowest in the state. The average home value in Indiana is $148,900, almost 2.4 times higher than Hartford City.
Methodology: How we determined the most affordable places to live in the Hoosier State for 2024
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 2018-2022 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 121 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 Connersville.
We updated this article for 2024. This report reflects our tenth time ranking the cheapest places to live in Indiana.
Indiana Affordabilility Summary
This is an accurate list of the most affordable places to live in Indiana for 2024, if you’re looking at the cost of living numbers in Indiana.
The cheapest cities in Indiana are Connersville, Richmond, Rushville, South Bend, La Porte, Plymouth, Westville, Michigan City, Marion, and Mishawaka.
Here’s a look at the most expensive cities in Indiana according to the data:
- Winfield
- Zionsville
- Munster
For more Indiana reading, check out:
Cheapest Places To Live In Indiana
| Rank | City | Population | Cost Of Living Index | Median Income | Home Prices | Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connersville | 13,395 | 75 | $41,769 | $134,012 | $747 |
| 2 | Richmond | 35,642 | 77 | $46,356 | $134,820 | $797 |
| 3 | Rushville | 6,412 | 77 | $53,110 | $174,687 | $809 |
| 4 | South Bend | 103,084 | 78 | $49,056 | $168,507 | $935 |
| 5 | La Porte | 22,409 | 78 | $55,031 | $240,496 | $843 |
| 6 | Plymouth | 10,369 | 78 | $49,306 | $215,488 | $884 |
| 7 | Westville | 5,885 | 78 | $57,889 | $328,475 | $850 |
| 8 | Michigan City | 31,983 | 79 | $51,554 | $161,696 | $825 |
| 9 | Marion | 27,528 | 79 | $42,366 | $115,126 | $741 |
| 10 | Mishawaka | 50,899 | 80 | $51,543 | $184,754 | $979 |
| 11 | Elwood | 8,339 | 80 | $52,139 | $123,145 | $782 |
| 12 | Linton | 5,149 | 80 | $38,438 | $147,830 | $723 |
| 13 | Logansport | 18,166 | 81 | $45,335 | $130,290 | $755 |
| 14 | Peru | 10,862 | 81 | $44,665 | $124,255 | $764 |
| 15 | Tipton | 5,255 | 81 | $64,167 | $202,929 | $835 |
| 16 | Elkhart | 53,785 | 82 | $46,534 | $198,211 | $896 |
| 17 | Crawfordsville | 16,335 | 82 | $46,918 | $197,840 | $765 |
| 18 | Garrett | 6,434 | 82 | $61,814 | $159,068 | $822 |
| 19 | Monticello | 5,488 | 82 | $48,847 | $211,040 | $818 |
| 20 | Anderson | 55,011 | 83 | $44,974 | $118,969 | $873 |
| 21 | Vincennes | 16,715 | 83 | $47,376 | $145,860 | $757 |
| 22 | New Haven | 15,552 | 83 | $63,744 | $208,336 | $914 |
| 23 | Wabash | 10,417 | 83 | $51,127 | $154,061 | $594 |
| 24 | Brazil | 8,114 | 83 | $50,153 | $169,013 | $790 |
| 25 | Rochester | 6,236 | 83 | $62,885 | $184,217 | $817 |
| 26 | Hartford City | 5,789 | 83 | $37,584 | $89,705 | $640 |
| 27 | Kokomo | 59,534 | 84 | $53,967 | $152,700 | $856 |
| 28 | Terre Haute | 58,599 | 84 | $41,230 | $140,182 | $847 |
| 29 | Frankfort | 15,976 | 84 | $49,821 | $172,339 | $801 |
| 30 | Bedford | 13,802 | 84 | $49,492 | $188,050 | $780 |
| 31 | Washington | 12,076 | 84 | $48,255 | $133,145 | $840 |
| 32 | Bluffton | 10,461 | 84 | $56,955 | $160,724 | $675 |
| 33 | Kendallville | 10,176 | 84 | $59,971 | $193,691 | $631 |
| 34 | Decatur | 9,718 | 84 | $54,369 | $196,644 | $757 |
| 35 | New Castle | 17,413 | 85 | $46,925 | $140,164 | $774 |
| 36 | Lebanon | 17,277 | 85 | $63,125 | $248,292 | $884 |
| 37 | Huntington | 17,017 | 85 | $50,748 | $167,689 | $751 |
| 38 | Greencastle | 9,865 | 85 | $51,836 | $218,372 | $871 |
| 39 | North Vernon | 6,935 | 85 | $46,889 | $185,392 | $854 |
| 40 | Huntingburg | 6,480 | 85 | $50,023 | $211,855 | $747 |
| 41 | Portland | 6,432 | 85 | $44,292 | $147,229 | $743 |
| 42 | Alexandria | 5,144 | 85 | $58,269 | $163,647 | $775 |
| 43 | Muncie | 65,167 | 86 | $40,309 | $130,429 | $842 |
| 44 | Beech Grove | 15,181 | 86 | $51,352 | $183,313 | $954 |
| 45 | Speedway | 13,646 | 86 | $52,627 | $227,778 | $1,040 |
| 46 | Columbia City | 9,478 | 86 | $58,019 | $256,029 | $910 |
| 47 | Princeton | 8,344 | 86 | $56,378 | $164,290 | $777 |
| 48 | Gas City | 6,099 | 86 | $58,778 | $136,192 | $793 |
| 49 | North Manchester | 5,017 | 86 | $63,029 | $175,015 | $907 |
| 50 | Shelbyville | 19,678 | 87 | $55,850 | $201,373 | $911 |
| 51 | Martinsville | 11,916 | 87 | $57,383 | $264,822 | $898 |
| 52 | Greensburg | 11,431 | 87 | $61,864 | $224,682 | $803 |
| 53 | Mooresville | 9,525 | 87 | $68,089 | $287,287 | $991 |
| 54 | Nappanee | 7,276 | 87 | $68,750 | $258,421 | $827 |
| 55 | Boonville | 6,670 | 87 | $59,229 | $199,651 | $798 |
| 56 | Mount Vernon | 6,480 | 87 | $58,370 | $198,511 | $754 |
| 57 | Fort Wayne | 264,514 | 88 | $58,233 | $216,656 | $904 |
| 58 | Evansville | 116,906 | 88 | $49,853 | $179,994 | $917 |
| 59 | Lafayette | 70,828 | 88 | $50,674 | $228,005 | $976 |
| 60 | Gary | 69,136 | 88 | $36,874 | $70,534 | $929 |
| 61 | Goshen | 34,704 | 88 | $52,233 | $249,417 | $994 |
| 62 | Greenfield | 23,669 | 88 | $69,571 | $247,376 | $1,044 |
| 63 | Auburn | 13,316 | 88 | $58,635 | $242,744 | $788 |
| 64 | Tell City | 7,470 | 88 | $49,761 | $162,053 | $607 |
| 65 | Rensselaer | 5,330 | 88 | $58,659 | $210,086 | $871 |
| 66 | Franklin | 26,073 | 89 | $72,344 | $255,388 | $1,039 |
| 67 | Seymour | 21,373 | 89 | $57,347 | $210,904 | $905 |
| 68 | Warsaw | 16,473 | 89 | $57,931 | $251,585 | $962 |
| 69 | Angola | 9,317 | 89 | $58,627 | $284,037 | $880 |
| 70 | Charlestown | 7,986 | 89 | $66,285 | $286,380 | $726 |
| 71 | Salem | 6,330 | 89 | $48,205 | $188,974 | $638 |
| 72 | Cicero | 5,356 | 89 | $63,288 | $356,053 | $1,143 |
| 73 | Indianapolis | 882,006 | 90 | $59,110 | $218,415 | $1,046 |
| 74 | New Albany | 37,598 | 90 | $53,982 | $209,181 | $927 |
| 75 | East Chicago | 26,363 | 90 | $39,434 | $118,324 | $779 |
| 76 | Danville | 10,842 | 90 | $90,686 | $301,935 | $1,107 |
| 77 | Ellettsville | 6,653 | 90 | $79,455 | $254,601 | $715 |
| 78 | Winona Lake | 5,077 | 90 | $77,305 | $274,389 | $1,000 |
| 79 | Jasper | 16,488 | 91 | $62,657 | $236,375 | $734 |
| 80 | Madison | 12,301 | 91 | $53,113 | $210,391 | $724 |
| 81 | New Whiteland | 5,591 | 91 | $83,958 | $210,861 | $1,214 |
| 82 | Greenwood | 63,579 | 92 | $75,398 | $308,640 | $1,200 |
| 83 | Lawrence | 49,218 | 92 | $70,762 | $252,234 | $1,064 |
| 84 | Cedar Lake | 14,215 | 92 | $84,444 | $299,808 | $1,182 |
| 85 | Lake Station | 13,352 | 92 | $53,588 | $138,357 | $1,109 |
| 86 | Lowell | 10,723 | 92 | $77,375 | $299,747 | $1,265 |
| 87 | Scottsburg | 7,313 | 92 | $34,774 | $172,779 | $820 |
| 88 | Jeffersonville | 49,771 | 93 | $67,566 | $226,995 | $1,028 |
| 89 | Clarksville | 22,087 | 93 | $53,620 | $184,231 | $982 |
| 90 | Cumberland | 5,991 | 93 | $83,718 | $274,160 | $903 |
| 91 | Columbus | 50,896 | 94 | $75,114 | $251,458 | $1,081 |
| 92 | Plainfield | 35,078 | 94 | $77,249 | $310,684 | $1,248 |
| 93 | Bargersville | 9,520 | 94 | $102,045 | $413,710 | $1,299 |
| 94 | Bloomington | 79,006 | 95 | $46,543 | $290,880 | $1,112 |
| 95 | Hammond | 77,390 | 95 | $52,368 | $158,375 | $1,006 |
| 96 | Lawrenceburg | 5,140 | 95 | $41,557 | $213,549 | $693 |
| 97 | Crown Point | 33,735 | 96 | $92,810 | $333,979 | $1,239 |
| 98 | Brownsburg | 29,379 | 96 | $101,883 | $329,814 | $1,318 |
| 99 | Avon | 21,783 | 96 | $98,162 | $337,215 | $1,413 |
| 100 | West Lafayette | 44,861 | 97 | $30,317 | $327,065 | $1,056 |
