Loading
Assembling your view…
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
The numbers are clear: 3 of 3 cities in Indiana beat the national cost-of-living benchmark of 111. And in most cases, evansville stands out at 59 on the index, with rent of $1,010/month and household income of $52,251. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data (that's pre-tax, of course).
| Rank | City | Housing Index | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evansville | 59 | 59 | $1,010 | Details |
| 2 | Fort Wayne | 68 | 68 | $1,160 | Details |
| 3 | Indianapolis | 79 | 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
The numbers are clear: 3 of 3 cities in Indiana beat the national cost-of-living benchmark of 111. And in most cases, evansville stands out at 59 on the index, with rent of $1,010/month and household income of $52,251. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data (that's pre-tax, of course).
The housing sub-index is derived from overall cost of living with regional BLS price adjustments. A score of 69 (the top-10 average here) means housing costs are about 31% below the national median. Evansville leads at 59, followed by Fort Wayne (68) and Indianapolis (79). Note: a low housing index doesn't guarantee a low overall cost — check the full cost breakdown table below.
Real talk: Dive into Evansville's numbers: cost index 59 (52 points below national average), rent $1,010/month, income $52,251, and a home price of $194,790. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 59, while Healthcare runs 92. With 115,332 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
It checks most boxes — but the healthcare costs are the asterisk. In Evansville, the healthcare index sits at 92 — not a dealbreaker, but worth knowing about. One to watch.
Let's cut to what actually matters here. Evansville rent up 6% over the past year. Rent in #1-ranked Evansville has increased from $951 to $1,010/mo over the past 12 months — a 6% increase. Rising costs may erode its top ranking over time. That's a difference you notice every single month.
If you're ready to act on this, three things to do next: 1) Click into the city pages for the top 3 and check rent trends — direction matters more than the snapshot. 2) Run your income through the salary calculator for a personalized cost comparison. 3) Compare your top two picks head-to-head on our comparison page. The data is here; the decision is yours.
115,332 residents · Indiana
A closer look at Evansville: the cost index of 59 breaks down to a Housing index of 59 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 92 (weakest). Median rent is $1,010/month — 47% below the national median — while household income sits at $52,251, meaning locals spend about 23% of income on rent. That's a healthy margin by any standard.
269,994 residents · Indiana
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 (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
879,293 residents · Indiana
What does daily life actually cost in Indianapolis? Start with the 26% rent-to-income ratio — tight but manageable for most households. On the category level, Housing (index 79) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 96) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $62,995 — and that's before you even look at taxes — and homes at $226,528 round out a profile that ranks #3 for clear reasons.
Evansville ranks #1 in Indiana for this analysis with a cost index of 59 and median income of $52,251.
Evansville, IN has the lowest housing index at 59, compared to the national average of 100.
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.