Evansville vs Independence
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $143,100 in Evansville and $172,900 in Independence.
- Households earn more in Independence ($60,339 vs $53,387 median).
- Commutes are shorter in Evansville (18 vs 24 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Evansville, IN | Independence, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 116,176 | 121,675 |
| Growth since 2020 | -0.9% | -1% |
| People per square mile | 2,453 | 1,560 |
| Median age | 38.2 | 39.0 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23% | 22% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $53,387 | $60,339 |
| Median home value | $143,100 | $172,900 |
| Home value to income | 2.7× | 2.9× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $975 | $1,109 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 91.5 | 92.5 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 66.7 | 86.6 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $68,600 | $69,400 |
| Homeowners | 55% | 61% |
| Top state income tax | 2.95% | 4.7% |
| Combined sales tax | 7% | 8.44% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 18.3 | 23.9 |
| Work from home | 6% | 12% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5.1% | 5.6% |
| Poverty rate | 18.4% | 15.8% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 42° / 26° | 40° / 22° |
| July high / low | 89° / 69° | 90° / 72° |
| Precipitation per year | 48 in | 38 in |
| Snowfall per year | 11 in | 11 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 41 | 47 |
| Nights below freezing | 90 | 93 |
| Comfortable months | 3 | 3 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 91.3 | 96.5 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 58% | 49% |
| Home prices, past year | +2.4% | +3.2% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +38.5% | +42.4% |
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: Evansville: June and September to October. Independence: April and September to October.
Full monthly tables: Evansville weather by month and Independence weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $68,600 in Evansville and $69,400 in Independence. Moving from Evansville to Independence, you would need about $75,800 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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