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State cost profile · 2024 BEA RPP

Cost of Living in Indiana

Statewide Regional Price Parities for Indiana from the Bureau of Economic Analysis — overall, goods, services, and rents vs the U.S. average of 100, across 12 metro areas.

93.3
Statewide RPP
#34
of 51 states by cost
73.9
Rents RPP
12
Metro areas

The verdict

Indiana costs less than 67% of U.S. states — a statewide index of 93.3, 6.7% below the national average.

93.3
statewide cost index (US average = 100)
#34
of 51 states by overall cost
bottom 33%
nationally, among all states
73.9
rents RPP — the biggest budget swing

A $100,000 national salary carries the purchasing power of about $107,148 when earned in Indiana.

Reading the Indiana Cost of Living Picture

The Bureau of Economic Analysis places Indiana's statewide Regional Price Parity at 93.3 for the 2024 data year, 6.7% less expensive the U.S. baseline of 100. Inside the headline figure, the state's categories sit near average, while rents offer the biggest relief at 73.9. That internal spread — rather than the single state number — is what determines whether a household actually feels priced in or priced out.

Indiana captures 12 metro areas in the BEA dataset, and the range across them is meaningful. Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN leads on cost at 95.7, while Terre Haute, IN sits at the opposite end at 87.8 — a gap of 7.9 index points inside a single state. For goods the state indexes at 95.5, for services 85.5, and for rents 73.9 — the rent figure tends to be the most volatile input and deserves its own line-item review before any relocation decision.

Over time, Indiana's statewide index has held steady within 1.4 points, suggesting a stable competitive position against other states. Practically, this means a $100,000 national salary delivers the purchasing power of about $107,148 of national buying power when earned inside Indiana, and a household relocating here would need roughly $93,329 to reproduce a $100K lifestyle. Pair these numbers with metro-specific wage data and rent tables before treating the statewide figure as your planning assumption.

93.3
Overall
95.5
Goods
85.5
Services
73.9
Rents

Indiana vs every U.S. state

Where this state sits in the national cost distribution

93 Top 67% higher than 33% of 51 US states

84–87: 2 US states (4%). Below this entry. 87–90: 7 US states (14%). Below this entry. 90–93: 8 US states (16%). Below this entry. 93–96: 6 US states (12%). This entry sits in this band. 96–99: 8 US states (16%). Above this entry. 99–102: 5 US states (10%). Above this entry. 102–105: 8 US states (16%). Above this entry. 105–108: 3 US states (6%). Above this entry. 108–111: 4 US states (8%). Above this entry. 111–114: 0 US states (0%). Above this entry. 114–117: 0 US states (0%). Above this entry. This state 84 117 every US state (incl. DC), bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US states. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities · 2024

Most Expensive in Indiana → Cheapest in Indiana →

Metro areas in Indiana, ranked by cost

# Metro area OverallGoodsServicesRents
1 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood 95.7 94.3 86.4 88.9
2 Bloomington 95.1 94.3 86.5 85.6
3 Lafayette-West Lafayette 93.4 94.3 86.4 76.4
4 Columbus 93.0 94.3 86.6 75.5
5 South Bend-Mishawaka 92.9 94.2 87.7 74.6
6 Fort Wayne 92.6 94.3 86.2 72.3
7 Michigan City-La Porte 91.7 94.3 86.4 68.5
8 Evansville 91.5 94.3 86.7 66.7
9 Elkhart-Goshen 90.3 94.3 86.4 64.3
10 Kokomo 89.6 94.3 86.3 59.3
11 Muncie 88.1 94.3 86.4 57.5
12 Terre Haute 87.8 94.3 86.6 51.9

The Rents RPP index measures housing costs relative to the national average (100). For the federal 40th-percentile Fair Market Rent by bedroom size and county, see the HUD Fair Market Rents dataset.

RPP History

Year Overall
2008 91.9
2009 92.6
2010 93.0
2011 92.4
2012 92.8
2013 92.9
2014 92.6
2015 91.4
2016 91.3
2017 90.9
2018 92.8
2019 92.8
2020 91.8
2021 92.6
2022 91.9
2023 92.1
2024 93.3

Cost of Living Guides

Cheapest Metros to Live in 2026
Official BEA data on the most affordable areas
Most Expensive Cities: 2026 Rankings
What drives high costs and how to cope
Cost of Living vs Wages
Where your dollar goes furthest
Understanding Regional Price Parities
How BEA constructs RPP data

View all guides →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cost of living in Indiana? ▼
Indiana has a Regional Price Parity (RPP) index of 93.3, meaning it is 6.7% less expensive than the national average. Goods are indexed at 95.5, services at 85.5, and rents at 73.9.
What salary in Indiana equals $100K nationally? ▼
To maintain the same purchasing power as a $100,000 salary at the national average, you would need approximately $93,329 in Indiana. Conversely, $100K earned in Indiana has the purchasing power of $107,148 at the national average.
Is housing expensive in Indiana? ▼
Rents in Indiana are indexed at 73.9, which is 26.1% below the national average. The state is relatively affordable for renters.
Which is the most expensive metro in Indiana? ▼
The most expensive metro area in Indiana is Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN with an RPP of 95.7. The most affordable is Terre Haute, IN at 87.8. There are 12 metro areas in Indiana with BEA price data.
Is Indiana getting more expensive? ▼
From 2008 to 2024, Indiana's overall cost index changed by +1.4 points (from 91.9 to 93.3). The cost of living has remained relatively stable.

Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities Index where national average = 100

Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.