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The courthouse at sunset, Bloomington, INAaron Shafer / Unsplash

Moving to Bloomington, Indiana

Bloomington offers $8,500 in benefits through Bloomington Remote Worker Program. Here is what life costs in Monroe County, home of Bloomington, where people work, what there is to do, and remote jobs you can bring with you.
  • YesPaid to move here$8,500 in benefits
  • $285,200Typical home value1Monroe County
  • $1,193Typical rent1Utilities included
  • 143,345Population+1.8% since 2020

By Sol Lakein.Checked November 4, 2026.How we compare costs

Get paid to move to Bloomington

Tap a program for who qualifies, how it pays, whether it is open and the official link.

Every program in Indiana

Made the move: Abby in Bloomington

A real move, as reported in the news. Slower Sundays is not affiliated with this person or the program.
The courthouse at sunset, Bloomington, INAaron Shafer / Unsplash

From the news

Abby moved to Bloomington from Reno, Nevada in 2022

Abby, a YouTuber who studied at Indiana University, was picked for Bloomington Remote and relocated from Reno. She pointed to Bloomington's much lower living costs and liked having concerts, food and speakers close by without the hassles of a big city.

Source: WRTV Indianapolis, April 2022

Did you know?

Lake Monroe, built in 1964 and filled in 1965, is the largest man-made body of water in Indiana at 10,750 acres.

Source: City of Bloomington Utilities, read November 2026

A fact about Bloomington

What it costs to live in Bloomington

Monroe County next to Indiana and the US.1
MeasureMonroe CountyIndianaUnited States
Typical home value$285,200$218,200$332,700
Monthly owner costs with a mortgage$1,532$1,404$1,963
Typical rent, with utilities$1,193$1,062$1,413
Typical household income$65,868$71,957$80,734
Homes lived in by their owners54.0%70.6%65.2%
Households with broadband90.0%89.9%91.0%
Average commute, one way20 min24 min26 min

On the typical home here, the mortgage comes to about $1,567 a month2.

Current home prices, rent and weather for Bloomington

Jobs and work in Monroe County

  • 53,866Jobs at local employers2023, +1.0% vs 2022
  • 3,095Employer businesses2023
  • 10,350Self-employed businessesNonemployer firms, 2024
  • 90.0%Households with broadbandUS: 91.0%

62.1% of residents 16 and older are in the labor force, the average commute is 19.6 minutes, and 49.5% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree1,3. Builders pulled permits for 1,139 new homes in 2025.

Remote jobs you can do from Bloomington

1 of Bloomington's 2 programs requires a full-time remote job. These are current remote openings for people living in the US.

Loading current remote jobs.

Things to do in Bloomington

Notable places in Monroe County, by type.4

Parks, lakes and the outdoors

  • Allens Creek State Recreation Area
  • Bryan Park
  • Camp Wapehani
  • Cascade Park
  • Fairfax State Recreation Area

Museums, theaters and libraries

  • Indiana University Auditorium
  • Princess Theatre
  • Vinegar Hill Historic District
  • Bloomington West Side Historic District
  • Courthouse Square Historic District

Colleges and universities

  • Hutton Honors College

Sports and recreation

  • Memorial Stadium
  • Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall
  • Bill Armstrong Stadium
  • Wildermuth Intramural Center

Attractions

  • Captain Janeway monument

Thinking about Bloomington? Get the free moving guide

12 pages: what a move costs, hiring movers safely, an 8-week checklist and how to apply for programs like these.

Get the guide

Moving to Bloomington: questions people ask

Does Bloomington pay you to move there?

Yes. Bloomington Remote Worker Program: $8,500 in benefits; Work Locally in Bloomington: $8,500 in benefits. Each program has its own rules, status and official link on its page, checked October 30, 2026.

How much does it cost to live in Bloomington?

In Monroe County, the median owner-occupied home is valued at $285,200 and median gross rent is $1,193 a month (US Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024). Indiana: $218,200 and $1,062. United States: $332,700 and $1,413. With 20% down at 7.32%, principal and interest on a home at the county median value come to about $1,567 a month (our arithmetic).

Is Bloomington a good place to live?

It depends on what you need. On the numbers: home values in Monroe County are below the US median, household income is below the US median, and the population grew 1.8% from April 2020 to July 2025 (US Census Bureau). Visit before you decide; Bloomington Remote Worker Program helps with that: Two free nights at a local bed and breakfast for a pre-move visit..

Can I work remotely from Bloomington?

90.0% of households in Monroe County have a broadband subscription (US: 91.0%; ACS 2020-2024). 1 of the 2 local programs requires a full-time remote job, and 1 has a track for local jobs.

What is there to do in Bloomington?

Notable places in Monroe County include Allens Creek State Recreation Area, Bryan Park, Indiana University Auditorium, Princess Theatre, Hutton Honors College. The full list by type is on this page (Wikidata).

Other Indiana towns that pay you to move

Notes on the numbers
  1. 1Costs and people: US Census Bureau QuickFacts, American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimates (dollars in 2024 terms), read November 4, 2026. "Typical" is the median. Census figures cover all homes and renters, not just recent sales or new leases. QuickFacts
  2. 2Mortgage: principal and interest on the county's typical home value with 20% down at 7.32% (Freddie Mac 30-year fixed average, week of October 22, 2026), our arithmetic. Rate source
  3. 3Jobs and businesses: US Census Bureau QuickFacts, County Business Patterns 2023, Nonemployer Statistics 2024, Building Permits Survey 2025, ACS 2020-2024.
  4. 4Things to do: notable places from Wikidata (CC0), read November 4, 2026. Know a place we should add? Email hello@slowersundays.com.
Sources for this page