The 10 Best Places To Live In Indiana For 2024

The 10 Best Places To Live In Indiana For 2024

More on Carmel: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Three of the top ten best places to live in Indiana scored a perfect 10/10 on our SnackAbility scale and the #1 best place, Carmel led the way. Carmel is no stranger to these lists as this city wears many hats: it’s one of the richest places in The Hoosier State
and one of the safest.

Yes, it’s pretty fancy in Carmel. In fact, if you live anywhere near Indianapolis, you hop on the I-465 and make the trek to Carmel if you want to shop at the “fancy” stores. And while we agree that shopping at the Clay Terrace outdoor shopping center is quite an experience with its first class stores and restaurants, a dog park, and a kid play area, if you’re one of Carmel’s 99,453 residents, you know that there’s more to this city than a great pair of shoes. If you get the chance to live in Indiana’s best of the best, just know that you will be amongst a bunch of hard-working 40-year-olds who make the 2nd highest household income in the state at $132,859/year. Their motto is “A Partnership for Tomorrow,” and it seems to be working: Carmel has some of the best schools in Indiana.

More on Westfield: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Located just a stone’s throw north of Carmel, up “the 31,” is Indiana’s 2nd best place to live, Westfield.

Westfield’s low crime rate tells us a couple of things: one, this city in Hamilton County has the 26th lowest crime rate: it’s over 60% below the state and national average. To put this in perspective, there were only 400 crimes committed here last year, and a majority of them were property related. And, two, the lack of crime inside “The Crossroads of Indiana” has allowed this city to focus their funds and attention on jobs and education, and it shows: Westfield has the 12th best unemployment rate in Indiana and the poverty rate here is well below the national average at 4.1%. In terms of education, Westfield spends close to $11,000/student and it shows as they have the 17th lowest high school dropout rate in the state.

To get your hands on such a great place, you’re going to have to make at least $117,519/year. And if you want to buy a home in Westfield, you’ll be paying the 4th home price in the state, $431,094.

More on Zionsville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Zionsville consistently ranks as one of the best places to live in Indiana. On our list, Zionsville moved up five places to score the title “The 3rd Best Place to live in Indiana for 2024.” This small town of 30,832 residents has one of the most idyllic Main Streets in the Hoosier State and one of the best farmers’ markets, too.

Quite frankly, you’d be pretty lucky to call Zionsville home, as the cost of living here is quite a bit higher than the national average. The homes in Zionsville are the most expensive in the Indiana, with the average home worth a whopping $571,985. We’re not elitists, nor are we saying that big homes means a better place to live; but, price reflects demand, and simply put, a lot of people want to live in Zionsville if they can afford it. Zionsville is after all one of the fastest growing cities in Indiana. However if you want to live comfortably here, you’re going to have to make $152,788/year.

More on Winona Lake: Data | Crime | Real Estate

Winona Lake, located in Kosciusko County, Indiana, is a fantastic place to call home. Its picturesque lake and charming atmosphere offer residents a high quality of life. The town is known for its low cost of living, making it one of the best places to live in Indiana. The median home price in Winona Lake is $274,389, which is quite affordable compared to other areas in the state. Additionally, the town has a strong sense of community and a safe environment, with low crime rates and a tight-knit population.

One of the main attractions of Winona Lake is its namesake lake itself. Residents can enjoy various water activities such as boating, fishing, and swimming. The town is also home to the Winona Lake Historic District, which showcases beautiful historic homes and buildings that reflect its rich history as a Chautauqua and Bible conference hotspot. Furthermore, Winona Lake is conveniently located near Warsaw, allowing residents easy access to shopping, dining, and entertainment options.

More on Dyer: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Go ahead and “Wander Indiana,” but when your done, Dyer will still be the 5th best place to live in the state and one of the best places to buy your forever home if you make $98,631/year. And word on the street, you can find a real estate deal in the $200,000 range in one of the new subdivisions off of Towle Street.

And when you’re not busy making Indiana’s 12th highest income in one of the safest places in Indiana, a quick Saturday trip to South Bend to watch one of Indiana’s treasures, Notre Dame’s Fighting Irish or a weekend beach trip to Michigan City is not only super easy, it’s super fun.

The only downside to this great place in Lake County, the unemployment rate here is 3.6%: the 40th highest in the state. If Dyer can get some more of their residents to work, things could be better.

More on Munster: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Indiana’s 6th best place to live, Munster, is The Hoosier State’s gateway to the north with Chicago to the west, Gary to the east, and Lake Michigan in the distance. Indiana’s “movers and shakers” live in Munster: the median age here is 45–one of the oldest populations in the state. So, when we discovered that Munster is also one of the top places for singles, we were not only surprised, we were impressed.

So we asked ourselves: what, besides location, makes Munster so great? Well, for one, the crime rate in Munster is 32% below the state average. The homes here are valued at $329,921 and you only have to make the median household income of $101,851/year if you want to meet the city’s cost of living head on. The schools in this small town of 23,731 residents get some of the most funding in Indiana and the high school dropout rate here is the 7th lowest in the state.

More on St. John: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Located off U.S. Route 41 in Northern Indiana, St. John is the 7th best place to live in the state. It is also the third city to score a perfect 10/10 on our SnackAbility scale with high marks in jobs, safety, and education.

This city in Lake County is no stranger to accolades and badges. In fact, CNN once ranked St. John one of the top 100 places to live in the United States; and, here they are again, in our headlines. This is why: St. John has the 5th highest home price in the state. Economically speaking, higher home prices generally mean higher incomes which, in turn, trickles down to better schools and safer streets. Folks, the household median income in St. John is the 4th highest in Indiana at $123,799/year. This median income combined with hard working school officials has helped produce one of the lowest high school dropout rates in the state. And parents, you can also rest easy knowing that your family is safe in St. John as the crime rate here is 75% below the state and national level making it one of the safest places in Hoosier-land.

Yes, they take safety pretty seriously. In fact, if we could give you one piece of advice in regards to living in St. John, don’t speed on their main thoroughfare, U.S. Route 41……

More on New Whiteland: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

No need to be an armchair detective to determine Indiana’s 8th best place to live, we’ve done the work for you.

Located 30 minutes southeast of Indianapolis, New Whiteland is the first place on our list to hail from this area, but not the first place to receive outstanding SnackAbility scores for jobs, safety, amenities and overall cost of living.

Yes, the unemployment rate in this small town of 5,591 residents is the 4th in the state at 1.2% and its poverty rate is well below the national average at 7.5%. And, you’re going to want a good job so that you can take advantage of the fun stuff to do in New Whiteland. We think that the best day in New Whiteland might go something like this: grab the family and spend the day fishing and biking at Proctor Park and the evening exploring the city’s downtown. Just know that however you decide to spend your best day in New Whiteland, you will be safe. Not only is New Whiteland one of the safest places in Indiana, the crime rate here is 72% below the national average.

More on Cicero: Data | Crime | Real Estate

Cicero, in Hamilton County just north of Indianapolis, offers residents a median home value of $356,053 and a median income of 63,288, coupled with a competitive 0.9% unemployment rate.

32% of adults have an advanced degree, while crime rates sit at 0.0009 per capita for violent crime and 0.0011 for property crime.

More on Ellettsville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Ellettsville, ranked as the 10th best in Indiana, has a history dating back to 1837 and a strong sense of community. Its median home values of $254,601 and healthy 79,455 median income reflect economic stability.

Notable for hosting the Hilly Hundred bicycle event, it offers small-town appeal with a population of 6,653 and easy access to Bloomington. Education is valued with 36% of adults being highly educated, and the town’s low 1.7 unemployment rate ranks 9th lowest in the state.

Methodology: How We Calculated The Best Cities To Live In Indiana

Now that we had our set of the best possible cities, it was time to rank them using Saturday Night Science.

We ranked each place in Indiana across a number of criteria from one to 116, with one being the best.

We then took the average rank across all criteria, crowning the city posting the lowest overall score, the “Best Place To Live In Indiana.”

The criteria we looked to determine the best places were:

• Median Home Values
• Median Income
• Population Density (Higher is better)
• Unemployment Rate
• Commute Time
• Crime
• Education Levels
• Health Insurance Coverage
• Poverty rates

Sources of criteria include the New Census Data, FBI Crime Data, and Zillow. We updated this article for 2024. This report is our tenth time ranking Indiana’s best places to live.

If your city or town isn’t among the top 10, jump down to the bottom of the post to see a detailed chart of the best places in Indiana. Otherwise, buckle up for a ride down good living lane with Carmel at the end of the cul-de-sac.

Best Places To Live In Indiana Table