Indianapolis vs Philadelphia
The short version
- Indianapolis is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 7% lower than in the Philadelphia area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $224,800 in Indianapolis and $243,100 in Philadelphia.
- Households earn more in Indianapolis ($66,219 vs $61,953 median).
- Philadelphia has the warmer winter: January highs of 41°F vs 36°F.
- Indianapolis is growing faster: +1.5% since 2020 vs -1.8%.
- Commutes are shorter in Indianapolis (25 vs 32 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Indianapolis, IN | Philadelphia, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 901,116 | 1,574,281 |
| Growth since 2020 | +1.5% | -1.8% |
| People per square mile | 2,496 | 11,720 |
| Median age | 34.3 | 35.3 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 35% | 35% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $66,219 | $61,953 |
| Median home value | $224,800 | $243,100 |
| Home value to income | 3.4× | 3.9× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,156 | $1,397 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 95.7 | 102.6 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 88.9 | 113.1 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $71,800 | $76,900 |
| Homeowners | 56% | 52% |
| Top state income tax | 2.95% | 3.07% |
| Combined sales tax | 7% | 6.34% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 24.6 | 31.7 |
| Work from home | 14% | 18% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 17% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5.1% | 8.1% |
| Poverty rate | 15.8% | 21.4% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 36° / 21° | 41° / 26° |
| July high / low | 85° / 66° | 88° / 70° |
| Precipitation per year | 44 in | 44 in |
| Snowfall per year | 26 in | 23 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 20 | 30 |
| Nights below freezing | 105 | 77 |
| Comfortable months | 5 | 6 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Very High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 97.5 | 99.6 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 38% | 41% |
| Home prices, past year | +3.5% | +4.3% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +43.8% | +33.5% |
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. Philadelphia: April to June and August to October.
Full monthly tables: Indianapolis weather by month and Philadelphia 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 $76,900 in Philadelphia. Moving from Indianapolis to Philadelphia, you would need about $80,400 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Indianapolis and Philadelphia
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 Philadelphia.
Which would you pick?
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