Indianapolis vs Louisville
The short version
- Louisville is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 3% lower than in the Indianapolis area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $224,800 in Indianapolis and $233,900 in Louisville.
- Louisville has the warmer winter: January highs of 44°F vs 36°F.
- Indianapolis gets far more snow: 26 inches a year vs 13.
- Louisville has more scorching days: 43 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 20.
Side by side
| Indianapolis, IN | Louisville, KY | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 901,116 | 641,962 |
| Growth since 2020 | +1.5% | +1.6% |
| People per square mile | 2,496 | 2,441 |
| Median age | 34.3 | 37.7 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 35% | 34% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $66,219 | $66,849 |
| Median home value | $224,800 | $233,900 |
| Home value to income | 3.4× | 3.5× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,156 | $1,120 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 95.7 | 93.1 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 88.9 | 78.6 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $71,800 | $69,800 |
| Homeowners | 56% | 61% |
| Top state income tax | 2.95% | 3.5% |
| Combined sales tax | 7% | 6% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 24.6 | 22.5 |
| Work from home | 14% | 13% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 2% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5.1% | 5.5% |
| Poverty rate | 15.8% | 15.8% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 36° / 21° | 44° / 28° |
| July high / low | 85° / 66° | 89° / 71° |
| Precipitation per year | 44 in | 48 in |
| Snowfall per year | 26 in | 13 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 20 | 43 |
| Nights below freezing | 105 | 74 |
| Comfortable months | 5 | 3 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 97.5 | 98.3 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 38% | 44% |
| Home prices, past year | +3.5% | +3.8% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +43.8% | +40.2% |
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: Indianapolis: April and July to October. Louisville: June and September to October.
Full monthly tables: Indianapolis weather by month and Louisville weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $71,800 in Indianapolis and $69,800 in Louisville. Moving from Indianapolis to Louisville, you would need about $72,900 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Indianapolis and Louisville
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Indianapolis and Louisville.
Which would you pick?
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