Bloomington, IN vs Indianapolis, IN: cost of living compared
Price levels from BEA (2024); rent and home values from Zillow (September 2026).
The short answer
- Overall, living costs in Indianapolis, IN and Bloomington, IN are within 1% of each other (BEA, 2024).
- To keep the same standard of living, $75,000 in Bloomington works out to about $75,500 in Indianapolis, before taxes.
- Housing is 3.9% higher in Indianapolis, goods 0.0% higher and other services 0.0% higher, which roughly cancel out.
- Typical asking rent is $1,528 a month in Indianapolis and $1,746 in Bloomington, $2,616 a year less in Indianapolis (Zillow, September 2026).
- A typical home is valued at about $292,000 in Indianapolis and $297,000 in Bloomington.
- The gap is about where it was in 2019 (0.7%).
derived Calculated from BEA Regional Price Parities (2024) and Zillow data. Based on an average household's spending; taxes not included. How we calculate.
Category by category
Both cities against the US average (100). The gap in each row is what matters for a move.
Overall prices are about the same in Bloomington and Indianapolis
Price level by category, 2024. US average = 100.
- Bloomington, IN
- Indianapolis, IN
All items Bloomington, IN: 95.1 Indianapolis, IN: 95.7
Goods Bloomington, IN: 94.3 Indianapolis, IN: 94.3
Housing (rents) Bloomington, IN: 85.6 Indianapolis, IN: 88.9
Utilities Bloomington, IN: 86.5 Indianapolis, IN: 86.4
Other services Bloomington, IN: 99.1 Indianapolis, IN: 99.1
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Bloomington, IN | Indianapolis, IN | |
|---|---|---|
| All items | 95.1 | 95.7 |
| Goods | 94.3 | 94.3 |
| Housing (rents) | 85.6 | 88.9 |
| Utilities | 86.5 | 86.4 |
| Other services | 99.1 | 99.1 |
| Category | Bloomington | Indianapolis | Indianapolis vs Bloomington |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 95.1 | 95.7 | +0.6% |
| Goods | 94.3 | 94.3 | 0.0% |
| Housing (rents) | 85.6 | 88.9 | +3.9% |
| Utilities | 86.5 | 86.4 | −0.2% |
| Other services | 99.1 | 99.1 | 0.0% |
| Typical asking rent | $1,746 | $1,528 | −12.5% |
| Typical home value | $297,000 | $292,000 | −1.9% |
| Salary to match $75,000 in Bloomington | $75,000 | $75,500 | +0.6% |
Index values: BEA, 2024, US = 100. Rent and home values: Data Provided by Zillow Group, September 2026.
How the gap has changed since 2008
The price gap between Bloomington and Indianapolis has narrowed since 2008: 2.5 points then, 0.6 now
Overall price level each year, 2008–2024. US average = 100.
- Bloomington, IN
- Indianapolis, IN
US average = 100
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Bloomington, IN | Indianapolis, IN | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 94.3 | 96.7 |
| 2009 | 96.5 | 96.3 |
| 2010 | 94.9 | 96.0 |
| 2011 | 95.4 | 94.3 |
| 2012 | 94.2 | 94.9 |
| 2013 | 94.1 | 95.8 |
| 2014 | 94.9 | 94.8 |
| 2015 | 94.3 | 94.3 |
| 2016 | 95.4 | 94.2 |
| 2017 | 93.7 | 93.3 |
| 2018 | 93.8 | 94.8 |
| 2019 | 94.6 | 95.2 |
| 2020 | 93.4 | 93.6 |
| 2021 | 94.0 | 94.9 |
| 2022 | 93.0 | 93.8 |
| 2023 | 93.4 | 94.7 |
| 2024 | 95.1 | 95.7 |
Goods
- Bloomington, IN
- Indianapolis, IN
US = 100
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Bloomington, IN | Indianapolis, IN | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 95.1 | 98.3 |
| 2009 | 95.7 | 97.6 |
| 2010 | 96.1 | 96.5 |
| 2011 | 95.9 | 96.3 |
| 2012 | 97.2 | 97.5 |
| 2013 | 97.1 | 97.4 |
| 2014 | 98.2 | 98.6 |
| 2015 | 97.7 | 97.9 |
| 2016 | 97.0 | 97.3 |
| 2017 | 95.3 | 95.5 |
| 2018 | 97.4 | 97.4 |
| 2019 | 95.7 | 95.7 |
| 2020 | 94.0 | 94.0 |
| 2021 | 94.7 | 94.7 |
| 2022 | 93.1 | 93.1 |
| 2023 | 94.8 | 94.8 |
| 2024 | 94.3 | 94.3 |
Housing (rents)
- Bloomington, IN
- Indianapolis, IN
US = 100
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Bloomington, IN | Indianapolis, IN | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 83.6 | 87.0 |
| 2009 | 95.1 | 86.2 |
| 2010 | 87.9 | 90.2 |
| 2011 | 96.9 | 87.1 |
| 2012 | 85.5 | 86.8 |
| 2013 | 82.7 | 89.3 |
| 2014 | 88.4 | 84.3 |
| 2015 | 90.8 | 87.4 |
| 2016 | 96.5 | 84.4 |
| 2017 | 90.4 | 84.6 |
| 2018 | 81.9 | 85.4 |
| 2019 | 83.4 | 85.4 |
| 2020 | 81.6 | 82.2 |
| 2021 | 83.0 | 86.5 |
| 2022 | 80.8 | 84.6 |
| 2023 | 81.2 | 87.0 |
| 2024 | 85.6 | 88.9 |
Utilities
- Bloomington, IN
- Indianapolis, IN
US = 100
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Bloomington, IN | Indianapolis, IN | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 87.0 | 89.2 |
| 2009 | 89.5 | 91.9 |
| 2010 | 83.7 | 83.8 |
| 2011 | 87.1 | 89.2 |
| 2012 | 87.3 | 88.7 |
| 2013 | 88.1 | 88.6 |
| 2014 | 84.3 | 84.2 |
| 2015 | 84.5 | 84.5 |
| 2016 | 82.9 | 81.7 |
| 2017 | 88.2 | 88.3 |
| 2018 | 92.9 | 92.2 |
| 2019 | 90.5 | 89.7 |
| 2020 | 92.1 | 91.1 |
| 2021 | 92.8 | 92.0 |
| 2022 | 87.7 | 87.6 |
| 2023 | 85.8 | 85.6 |
| 2024 | 86.5 | 86.4 |
Other services
- Bloomington, IN
- Indianapolis, IN
US = 100
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Bloomington, IN | Indianapolis, IN | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 98.7 | 99.5 |
| 2009 | 98.5 | 99.1 |
| 2010 | 97.8 | 98.5 |
| 2011 | 95.0 | 95.6 |
| 2012 | 95.8 | 96.1 |
| 2013 | 96.6 | 97.2 |
| 2014 | 95.8 | 96.2 |
| 2015 | 93.9 | 94.6 |
| 2016 | 94.9 | 95.9 |
| 2017 | 93.9 | 94.8 |
| 2018 | 96.1 | 96.1 |
| 2019 | 98.4 | 98.4 |
| 2020 | 97.5 | 97.5 |
| 2021 | 97.8 | 97.8 |
| 2022 | 97.5 | 97.5 |
| 2023 | 97.3 | 97.3 |
| 2024 | 99.1 | 99.1 |
Rent and home values
Typical asking rent: $1,528 in Indianapolis vs $1,746 in Bloomington
Typical asking rent for a new lease, dollars per month. Quarterly.
- Bloomington, IN
- Indianapolis, IN
- United States
Source: Zillow Observed Rent Index (typical asking rent, all homes, smoothed), through September 2026. Data Provided by Zillow Group.
Show the numbers
| Bloomington, IN | Indianapolis, IN | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2015 | $1,018 | $866 | $1,145 |
| Jun 2015 | $1,016 | $877 | $1,170 |
| Sep 2015 | $1,028 | $881 | $1,181 |
| Dec 2015 | $1,060 | $882 | $1,182 |
| Mar 2016 | $1,030 | $886 | $1,195 |
| Jun 2016 | $1,027 | $905 | $1,219 |
| Sep 2016 | $1,049 | $900 | $1,225 |
| Dec 2016 | $1,083 | $894 | $1,222 |
| Mar 2017 | $1,080 | $912 | $1,245 |
| Jun 2017 | $1,085 | $932 | $1,270 |
| Sep 2017 | $1,096 | $934 | $1,276 |
| Dec 2017 | $1,124 | $937 | $1,275 |
| Mar 2018 | $1,120 | $950 | $1,296 |
| Jun 2018 | $1,133 | $970 | $1,320 |
| Sep 2018 | $1,146 | $972 | $1,327 |
| Dec 2018 | $1,168 | $970 | $1,329 |
| Mar 2019 | $1,192 | $989 | $1,349 |
| Jun 2019 | $1,200 | $1,009 | $1,376 |
| Sep 2019 | $1,206 | $1,013 | $1,383 |
| Dec 2019 | $1,216 | $1,008 | $1,381 |
| Mar 2020 | $1,237 | $1,035 | $1,402 |
| Jun 2020 | $1,239 | $1,063 | $1,406 |
| Sep 2020 | $1,260 | $1,083 | $1,410 |
| Dec 2020 | $1,277 | $1,092 | $1,407 |
| Mar 2021 | $1,305 | $1,109 | $1,443 |
| Jun 2021 | $1,324 | $1,153 | $1,512 |
| Sep 2021 | $1,370 | $1,202 | $1,590 |
| Dec 2021 | $1,366 | $1,216 | $1,622 |
| Mar 2022 | $1,455 | $1,241 | $1,661 |
| Jun 2022 | $1,487 | $1,299 | $1,721 |
| Sep 2022 | $1,531 | $1,321 | $1,748 |
| Dec 2022 | $1,532 | $1,311 | $1,735 |
| Mar 2023 | $1,551 | $1,332 | $1,757 |
| Jun 2023 | $1,558 | $1,358 | $1,785 |
| Sep 2023 | $1,574 | $1,369 | $1,797 |
| Dec 2023 | $1,579 | $1,369 | $1,786 |
| Mar 2024 | $1,597 | $1,392 | $1,807 |
| Jun 2024 | $1,615 | $1,418 | $1,837 |
| Sep 2024 | $1,647 | $1,433 | $1,845 |
| Dec 2024 | $1,651 | $1,428 | $1,836 |
| Mar 2025 | $1,662 | $1,456 | $1,860 |
| Jun 2025 | $1,662 | $1,477 | $1,880 |
| Sep 2025 | $1,711 | $1,476 | $1,881 |
| Dec 2025 | $1,715 | $1,478 | $1,873 |
| Mar 2026 | $1,693 | $1,491 | $1,894 |
| Jun 2026 | $1,698 | $1,511 | $1,921 |
| Sep 2026 | $1,746 | $1,528 | $1,932 |
Typical home value: $292,000 in Indianapolis vs $297,000 in Bloomington
Typical home value, dollars. Quarterly.
- Bloomington, IN
- Indianapolis, IN
- United States
Source: Zillow Home Value Index (typical home value, middle tier, smoothed, seasonally adjusted), through September 2026. Data Provided by Zillow Group.
Show the numbers
| Bloomington, IN | Indianapolis, IN | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2015 | $149K | $138K | $189K |
| Jun 2015 | $150K | $140K | $192K |
| Sep 2015 | $152K | $142K | $195K |
| Dec 2015 | $154K | $143K | $199K |
| Mar 2016 | $156K | $145K | $202K |
| Jun 2016 | $158K | $147K | $204K |
| Sep 2016 | $160K | $149K | $206K |
| Dec 2016 | $162K | $152K | $209K |
| Mar 2017 | $164K | $154K | $213K |
| Jun 2017 | $167K | $157K | $216K |
| Sep 2017 | $170K | $160K | $219K |
| Dec 2017 | $172K | $163K | $223K |
| Mar 2018 | $176K | $165K | $227K |
| Jun 2018 | $179K | $169K | $230K |
| Sep 2018 | $182K | $173K | $234K |
| Dec 2018 | $184K | $176K | $236K |
| Mar 2019 | $187K | $179K | $239K |
| Jun 2019 | $192K | $181K | $242K |
| Sep 2019 | $195K | $184K | $244K |
| Dec 2019 | $199K | $187K | $247K |
| Mar 2020 | $203K | $192K | $252K |
| Jun 2020 | $206K | $195K | $255K |
| Sep 2020 | $212K | $199K | $260K |
| Dec 2020 | $221K | $209K | $271K |
| Mar 2021 | $230K | $219K | $282K |
| Jun 2021 | $240K | $231K | $296K |
| Sep 2021 | $245K | $238K | $306K |
| Dec 2021 | $248K | $245K | $314K |
| Mar 2022 | $260K | $259K | $330K |
| Jun 2022 | $271K | $272K | $346K |
| Sep 2022 | $270K | $273K | $348K |
| Dec 2022 | $269K | $271K | $345K |
| Mar 2023 | $269K | $271K | $343K |
| Jun 2023 | $275K | $274K | $347K |
| Sep 2023 | $277K | $277K | $352K |
| Dec 2023 | $276K | $277K | $354K |
| Mar 2024 | $279K | $280K | $357K |
| Jun 2024 | $284K | $283K | $361K |
| Sep 2024 | $286K | $284K | $361K |
| Dec 2024 | $289K | $286K | $363K |
| Mar 2025 | $292K | $288K | $364K |
| Jun 2025 | $291K | $288K | $362K |
| Sep 2025 | $292K | $289K | $362K |
| Dec 2025 | $295K | $290K | $364K |
| Mar 2026 | $298K | $292K | $366K |
| Jun 2026 | $297K | $291K | $365K |
| Sep 2026 | $297K | $292K | $366K |
More about each city
- Cost of living in Bloomington, IN
- Cost of living in Indianapolis, IN
- Reverse: moving from Indianapolis to Bloomington
Related comparisons
What this comparison leaves out
- Taxes. State and local income, sales and property taxes can change the result a lot, especially between states.
- Neighborhoods. These are metro-wide averages; a city center and its outer suburbs can differ by more than two metros do.
- Your own spending mix. The default uses an average household. Use the housing slider above if rent is a bigger share of your budget.
- Timing. BEA price levels are for 2024; Zillow figures are monthly and newer.