Bloomington vs Lawrence
The short version
- Lawrence is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 5% lower than in the Bloomington area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $292,700 in Lawrence and $321,400 in Bloomington.
- Households earn more in Lawrence ($65,009 vs $50,465 median).
- Lawrence has more scorching days: 42 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 21.
- Bloomington is growing faster: +3.9% since 2020 vs +1.5%.
Side by side
| Bloomington, IN | Lawrence, KS | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 83,307 | 96,367 |
| Growth since 2020 | +3.9% | +1.5% |
| People per square mile | 3,583 | 2,784 |
| Median age | 25.1 | 29.3 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 59% | 56% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $50,465 | $65,009 |
| Median home value | $321,400 | $292,700 |
| Home value to income | 6.4× | 4.5× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,200 | $1,091 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 95.1 | 90.2 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 85.6 | 71.6 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $71,300 | $67,700 |
| Homeowners | 35% | 44% |
| Top state income tax | 2.95% | 5.58% |
| Combined sales tax | 7% | 8.71% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 17.5 | 19.8 |
| Work from home | 18% | 16% |
| Take public transit | 4% | 3% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 6.6% | 4.4% |
| Poverty rate | 29.8% | 17.4% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 37° / 21° | 38° / 19° |
| July high / low | 85° / 65° | 89° / 70° |
| Precipitation per year | 49 in | 39 in |
| Snowfall per year | 18 in | 10 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 21 | 42 |
| Nights below freezing | 108 | 103 |
| Comfortable months | 3 | 3 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Low | Relatively Low |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 76.0 | 74.8 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 68% | n/a |
| Home prices, past year | +0.4% | +4.8% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +33.8% | +41.6% |
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. Lawrence: April and September to October.
Full monthly tables: Bloomington weather by month and Lawrence 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 $67,700 in Lawrence. Moving from Bloomington to Lawrence, you would need about $71,200 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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