Bloomington vs Carmel
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $321,400 in Bloomington and $486,800 in Carmel.
- Households earn more in Carmel ($141,505 vs $50,465 median).
- Carmel gets far more snow: 27 inches a year vs 18.
- Carmel is growing faster: +5.9% since 2020 vs +3.9%.
- Commutes are shorter in Bloomington (18 vs 25 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Bloomington, IN | Carmel, IN | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 83,307 | 105,634 |
| Growth since 2020 | +3.9% | +5.9% |
| People per square mile | 3,583 | 2,152 |
| Median age | 25.1 | 40.6 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 59% | 74% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $50,465 | $141,505 |
| Median home value | $321,400 | $486,800 |
| Home value to income | 6.4× | 3.4× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,200 | $1,712 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 95.1 | 95.7 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 85.6 | 88.9 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $71,300 | $71,800 |
| Homeowners | 35% | 74% |
| Top state income tax | 2.95% | 2.95% |
| Combined sales tax | 7% | 7% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 17.5 | 24.6 |
| Work from home | 18% | 27% |
| Take public transit | 4% | 0% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 6.6% | 2.7% |
| Poverty rate | 29.8% | 3.9% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 37° / 21° | 36° / 20° |
| July high / low | 85° / 65° | 85° / 65° |
| Precipitation per year | 49 in | 47 in |
| Snowfall per year | 18 in | 27 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 21 | 19 |
| Nights below freezing | 108 | 113 |
| Comfortable months | 3 | 3 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Low | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 76.0 | 88.8 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 68% | 38% |
| Home prices, past year | +0.4% | +3.5% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +33.8% | +43.8% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Bloomington: August to October. Carmel: August to October.
Full monthly tables: Bloomington weather by month and Carmel weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $71,300 in Bloomington and $71,800 in Carmel. Moving from Bloomington to Carmel, you would need about $75,500 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Bloomington and Carmel
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Bloomington and Carmel.
Which would you pick?
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