Slower Sundays
Find my cities
Downtown Indianapolis, Indianapolis, INRyan De Hamer / Unsplash

Moving to Indianapolis, Indiana

Indianapolis offers $7,500 in benefits through Step Into Life in the Indy Region. Here is what life costs in Marion County, home of Indianapolis, where people work, what there is to do, and remote jobs you can bring with you.
  • YesPaid to move here$7,500 in benefits
  • $224,000Typical home value1Marion County
  • $1,153Typical rent1Utilities included
  • 992,196Population+1.5% since 2020

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

Get paid to move to Indianapolis

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

Every program in Indiana

Made the move: Tawnya in Indianapolis

A real move, as reported in the news. Slower Sundays is not affiliated with this person or the program.
Indianapolis from above, Indianapolis, INLance Asper / Unsplash

From the news

Tawnya moved to Indianapolis from Chicago area

“This community is investing in its people”

Tawnya used Central Indiana's remote worker relocation incentive when she left the Chicago area for the Indy region. She sees the program's perks as proof the region is putting real money behind the people it recruits.

Source: WFYI Indianapolis, March 2025

Did you know?

In autumn 1909, crews laid 3.2 million paving bricks, each weighing 9.5 pounds, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and a 36-inch strip of those originals still marks the start/finish line.

Source: Indianapolis Motor Speedway, read November 2026

A fact about Indianapolis

What it costs to live in Indianapolis

Marion County next to Indiana and the US.1
MeasureMarion CountyIndianaUnited States
Typical home value$224,000$218,200$332,700
Monthly owner costs with a mortgage$1,453$1,404$1,963
Typical rent, with utilities$1,153$1,062$1,413
Typical household income$66,346$71,957$80,734
Homes lived in by their owners56.5%70.6%65.2%
Households with broadband91.8%89.9%91.0%
Average commute, one way25 min24 min26 min

On the typical home here, the mortgage comes to about $1,231 a month2.

Current home prices, rent and weather for Indianapolis

Jobs and work in Marion County

  • 544,147Jobs at local employers2023, +1.7% vs 2022
  • 24,248Employer businesses2023
  • 86,661Self-employed businessesNonemployer firms, 2024
  • 91.8%Households with broadbandUS: 91.0%

68.6% of residents 16 and older are in the labor force, the average commute is 24.5 minutes, and 34.8% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree1,3. Builders pulled permits for 1,342 new homes in 2025.

Remote jobs you can do from Indianapolis

1 of Indianapolis's 3 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 Indianapolis

Notable places in Marion County, by type.4

Parks, lakes and the outdoors

  • Eagle Creek Park
  • Geist Reservoir
  • Monument Circle
  • Indianapolis Cultural Trail
  • Indian Lake

Museums, theaters and libraries

  • The Children's Museum of Indianapolis
  • Indiana State Museum
  • Haughville
  • Old Northside Historic District
  • North Meridian Street Historic District

Colleges and universities

  • Butler University
  • University of Indianapolis

Sports and recreation

  • Gainbridge Fieldhouse
  • Lucas Oil Stadium
  • Bud and Jackie Sellick Bowl

Attractions

  • Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument

Thinking about Indianapolis? 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 Indianapolis: questions people ask

Does Indianapolis pay you to move there?

Yes. Step Into Life in the Indy Region: $7,500 in benefits; Work Local in the Indy Region: $5,500 in benefits; Healthcare Jobs in the Indy Region: $5,500 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 Indianapolis?

In Marion County, the median owner-occupied home is valued at $224,000 and median gross rent is $1,153 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 $1,231 a month (our arithmetic).

Is Indianapolis a good place to live?

It depends on what you need. On the numbers: home values in Marion County are below the US median, household income is below the US median, and the population grew 1.5% from April 2020 to July 2025 (US Census Bureau). Visit before you decide.

Can I work remotely from Indianapolis?

91.8% of households in Marion County have a broadband subscription (US: 91.0%; ACS 2020-2024). 1 of the 3 local programs requires a full-time remote job, and 2 have a track for local jobs.

What is there to do in Indianapolis?

Notable places in Marion County include Eagle Creek Park, Geist Reservoir, The Children's Museum of Indianapolis, Indiana State Museum, Butler University. 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