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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
So, Evansville. Cost index of 59, rent at $1,010/month. It's lower than the national average. Median income is $52,251, which is below the national median. It lines up with what you'd expect.
| Rank | City | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evansville | 59 | $1,010 | Details |
| 2 | Fort Wayne | 68 | $1,160 | Details |
| 3 | Indianapolis | 79 | $1,356 | Details |
#1 Ranked: Evansville — cost index 59, rent $1,010/mo, income $52,251
Evansville rent up 6% over the past year
3 of 3 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 111
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
So, Evansville. Cost index of 59, rent at $1,010/month. It's lower than the national average. Median income is $52,251, which is below the national median. It lines up with what you'd expect.
Dollar for dollar, few states match Indiana's value. 3 out of 3 cities undercut the national cost index of 111. Leading the pack: Evansville at index 59, where median rent of $1,010/month saves renters $10,620/year versus the national median.
Bottom line: Evansville leads this ranking for clear, data-backed reasons — but the "best" city depends on your priorities. Click into any city below to see the full detail page with 12-month trend charts, profession-specific salary data, and a breakdown of all five cost categories. If you're seriously considering a move, use our salary calculator to model your specific income against these numbers.
115,332 residents · Indiana
Why Evansville ranks #1: the numbers tell a clear story. At 59 on the cost index, residents save roughly 52% less than the typical American. That tracks. Rent sits at $1,010/month while the median household pulls in $52,251/year. The Housing category is particularly strong at 59, though Healthcare (92) lags behind. Home prices average $194,790 — $272,580 below the national median.
269,994 residents · Indiana
In plain English: Why Fort Wayne ranks #2: the numbers tell a clear story. At 68 on the cost index, residents save roughly 43% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,160/month while the median household pulls in $60,293/year. The Housing category is particularly strong at 68, though Healthcare (94) lags behind. Home prices average $238,593 — $228,777 below the national median.
879,293 residents · Indiana
Put it this way: Indianapolis is one of the cheaper options here. Rent is $1,356/month, which is lower than most cities in this ranking. The cost index is 79. Income sits at $62,995. That tracks.
Cities are ranked by median 1-bedroom rent in ascending order using Zillow's Observed Rent Index (ZORI). We include all tracked cities in Indiana with verified rent data, giving you a complete picture of the rental landscape from cheapest to most expensive. All data is sourced from federal agencies and verified research institutions. Cost of living indices are normalized to 100 (national median) using Zillow rent as the primary signal, with sub-category adjustments derived from regional BLS price data. Rankings are updated monthly as new data is released.
Evansville ranks #1 in Indiana for this analysis with a cost index of 59 and median income of $52,251.
Our cost of living index uses real Zillow rent data as the foundation, indexed to 100 (national median). Sub-categories (housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare) are derived from the overall index with regional adjustments. Data is updated monthly.
Evansville (ranked #1) has a cost index of 59 and rent of $1,010/mo, while Indianapolis (ranked #3) has a cost index of 79 and rent of $1,356/mo — a 20-point difference in cost of living.
City data is refreshed monthly from Census Bureau population estimates, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary data, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Last updated: 2026.
The median 1-bedroom rent in Evansville is $1,010/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $885 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Evansville is $194,790, which is 3.7× the local median income. It's on the edge of affordability for median-income households. The national median home price is $467,370.
Indiana has a 3.05% state income tax rate. Combined state and local sales tax averages 7%, and the effective property tax rate is 0.78%.
This ranking was generated using data current as of early 2026. Population and income data comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (5-year estimates). Rent and home price data is from Zillow's monthly releases. Tax rates are from the Tax Foundation's 2025 edition. Rankings are refreshed monthly.