Are you sick of being a city slicker?
Do you long for life in suburban Indiana? Where you can drive an overly-large vehicle to the store for groceries and schlep the kids around to practices and appointments without worrying about a parking space.
We do, too.
If you wanted to move out to the suburbs of Indianapolis, where would you go? And how would you decide on the ranking factors to help you pick which Indiana suburb was best?
No worries. We got it all figured out here using Saturday Night Science.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
These are the 10 best suburbs in the Hoosier State
Carmel is the place to be when it comes to being a soccer mom in suburban Indiana.
So if you’re thinking of packing up your mini van and making a move to a quiet place to live in Indiana, we’ve got you covered.
Keep on reading for a detailed methodology. Or, check out the best places to live in Indiana and the best places to raise a family in Indiana.
Best Suburbs In Indiana For 2024
/10
Population: 99,453
Median Income: $132,859
Average Home Price: $519,540
More on Carmel: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Carmel is located 13 miles north of Indianapolis.
/10
Population: 30,832
Median Income: $152,788
Average Home Price: $571,985
More on Zionsville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Zionsville is located 17 miles north of Indianapolis.
/10
Population: 48,262
Median Income: $117,519
Average Home Price: $431,094
More on Westfield: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Westfield is located 17 miles north of Indianapolis.
/10
Population: 20,727
Median Income: $123,799
Average Home Price: $429,337
More on St. John: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
St. John is located 29 miles south of Chicago.
/10
Population: 16,407
Median Income: $98,631
Average Home Price: $338,390
More on Dyer: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Dyer is located 25 miles south of Chicago.
/10
Population: 23,731
Median Income: $101,851
Average Home Price: $329,921
More on Munster: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Munster is located 22 miles south of Chicago.
/10
Population: 5,591
Median Income: $83,958
Average Home Price: $210,861
More on New Whiteland: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
New Whiteland is located 15 miles south of Indianapolis.
/10
Population: 10,253
Median Income: $113,000
Average Home Price: $354,378
More on Whitestown: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Whitestown is located 17 miles west of Indianapolis.
/10
Population: 29,379
Median Income: $101,883
Average Home Price: $329,814
More on Brownsburg: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Brownsburg is located 13 miles west of Indianapolis.
/10
Population: 70,442
Median Income: $99,458
Average Home Price: $358,434
More on Noblesville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Noblesville is located 19 miles north of Indianapolis.
Methodology:How we crunched the suburb numbers for the Hoosier State
We have to use Saturday Night Science and look at several metrics to give you the best suburbs in Indiana. We want to measure the type of place around major cities that people arguing at a bar would say makes it the “best suburb.”
First, we had to define a suburb. Using U.S. Census data produced for the state of Indiana, we looked at every town with at least 5,000 residents, and within 30 miles of a city that’s over 200,000 people.
In other words, suburbs.
We paid particular attention to the following criteria:
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Population Density (Higher is Better)
- Unemployment Rates
- Commute Time
- Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty Rates
We ranked each suburb in Indiana across these criteria from one to 49, with one being the best.
We then took the average rank across all criteria, with the town posting the lowest overall score being crowned the winner of the title “Best Suburb To Live In Indiana.”
The result is some of the safest, quietest, and ideal places to live in Indiana.
Read on to see why Carmel is the ‘burb with the most, while Gary is probably not the best place to live in Indiana.
Summary: There You Have It – The Best Suburbs In Indiana
If you’re measuring the locations in Indiana where there are lots to do, and everyone wants to live, this is an accurate list.
The best suburbs in Indiana are Carmel, Zionsville, Westfield, St. John, Dyer, Munster, New Whiteland, Whitestown, Brownsburg, and Noblesville.
Here’s a look at the worst suburbs in Indiana according to the data:
- Gary
- Lake Station
- East Chicago
For more Indiana reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Indiana
- Cheapest Places To Live In Indiana
- Most Dangerous Cities In Indiana
- Richest Cities In Indiana
- Safest Places In Indiana
- Worst Places To Live In Indiana
- Most Expensive Places To Live In Indiana
The Best Suburbs In Indiana
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carmel | 99,453 | $132,859 | $519,540 |
| 2 | Zionsville | 30,832 | $152,788 | $571,985 |
| 3 | Westfield | 48,262 | $117,519 | $431,094 |
| 4 | St. John | 20,727 | $123,799 | $429,337 |
| 5 | Dyer | 16,407 | $98,631 | $338,390 |
| 6 | Munster | 23,731 | $101,851 | $329,921 |
| 7 | New Whiteland | 5,591 | $83,958 | $210,861 |
| 8 | Whitestown | 10,253 | $113,000 | $354,378 |
| 9 | Brownsburg | 29,379 | $101,883 | $329,814 |
| 10 | Noblesville | 70,442 | $99,458 | $358,434 |
| 11 | Cicero | 5,356 | $63,288 | $356,053 |
| 12 | Cumberland | 5,991 | $83,718 | $274,160 |
| 13 | Danville | 10,842 | $90,686 | $301,935 |
| 14 | Mccordsville | 9,098 | $103,539 | $349,911 |
| 15 | Sellersburg | 9,948 | $67,230 | $284,292 |
| 16 | Bargersville | 9,520 | $102,045 | $413,710 |
| 17 | Greenwood | 63,579 | $75,398 | $308,640 |
| 18 | Greenfield | 23,669 | $69,571 | $247,376 |
| 19 | Avon | 21,783 | $98,162 | $337,215 |
| 20 | Franklin | 26,073 | $72,344 | $255,388 |
| 21 | Griffith | 16,182 | $74,350 | $230,174 |
| 22 | Auburn | 13,316 | $58,635 | $242,744 |
| 23 | Plainfield | 35,078 | $77,249 | $310,684 |
| 24 | Garrett | 6,434 | $61,814 | $159,068 |
| 25 | New Haven | 15,552 | $63,744 | $208,336 |
| 26 | Charlestown | 7,986 | $66,285 | $286,380 |
| 27 | Schererville | 29,573 | $79,662 | $326,976 |
| 28 | Jeffersonville | 49,771 | $67,566 | $226,995 |
| 29 | Bluffton | 10,461 | $56,955 | $160,724 |
| 30 | Mooresville | 9,525 | $68,089 | $287,287 |
| 31 | Lebanon | 17,277 | $63,125 | $248,292 |
| 32 | Lawrenceburg | 5,140 | $41,557 | $213,549 |
| 33 | Huntington | 17,017 | $50,748 | $167,689 |
| 34 | Decatur | 9,718 | $54,369 | $196,644 |
| 35 | Shelbyville | 19,678 | $55,850 | $201,373 |
| 36 | Lawrence | 49,218 | $70,762 | $252,234 |
| 37 | Fortville | 5,206 | $79,806 | $279,914 |
| 38 | Kendallville | 10,176 | $59,971 | $193,691 |
| 39 | Portage | 37,737 | $71,317 | $252,850 |
| 40 | Martinsville | 11,916 | $57,383 | $264,822 |
| 41 | New Albany | 37,598 | $53,982 | $209,181 |
| 42 | Beech Grove | 15,181 | $51,352 | $183,313 |
| 43 | Hobart | 29,573 | $69,398 | $220,976 |
| 44 | Clarksville | 22,087 | $53,620 | $184,231 |
| 45 | Speedway | 13,646 | $52,627 | $227,778 |
| 46 | Hammond | 77,390 | $52,368 | $158,375 |
| 47 | East Chicago | 26,363 | $39,434 | $118,324 |
| 48 | Lake Station | 13,352 | $53,588 | $138,357 |
| 49 | Gary | 69,136 | $36,874 | $70,534 |