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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
The 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $150K salary, 3 cities (100%) meet this threshold. You've got plenty of choices. We ran the numbers on 3 cities in Indiana using 2026 census, rent, and salary data. Evansv…
The 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $150K salary, 3 cities (100%) meet this threshold. You've got plenty of choices. We ran the numbers on 3 cities in Indiana using 2026 census, rent, and salary data. Evansville comes out on top — here's the full ranking and analysis.
In plain English: Evansville is one of the cheaper options here. There's not much to say about that beyond the obvious. Rent is $1,010/month, which is lower than most cities in this ranking. The cost index is 59. Income sits at $52,251. That's about what we'd expect given the state context.
Bottom line: Evansville leads this ranking for clear, data-backed reasons — but the "best" city depends on your priorities. And on balance, 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. The math checks out.
#1 Ranked: Evansville — cost index 59, rent $1,010/mo, income $52,251
3 of 3 cities keep rent under 30% of $150K
3 of 3 cities keep rent under 30% of $150K gross income
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
115,332 residents · Indiana
What does daily life actually cost in Evansville? Start with the 23% rent-to-income ratio — that's the kind of margin that lets people build savings. It's fine. Not great, not bad. On the category level, Housing (index 59) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 92) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $52,251 and homes at $194,790 round out a profile that ranks #1 for clear reasons.
269,994 residents · Indiana
The #2 spot goes to Fort Wayne, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,160/month — saving renters $8,820 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Housing is the standout at index 68, making it one of the cheapest in the country for that category. The weak spot? Healthcare at 94. At a 23% rent-to-income ratio, there's genuine breathing room in the average household budget.
879,293 residents · Indiana
Straight up: 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 homes at $226,528 round out a profile that ranks #3 for clear reasons.
The 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $150K salary, 3 cities (100%) meet this threshold. You've got plenty of choices.
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.
| Rank | City | Median Rent | Rent % of Gross | Cost Index | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evansville | $1,010 | 8% | 59 | Details |
| 2 | Fort Wayne | $1,160 | 9% | 68 | Details |
| 3 | Indianapolis | $1,356 | 11% | 79 | Details |
| City | State Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1Evansville | 3.05% | 7% | 0.78% | $104,908 |
2Fort Wayne | 3.05% | 7% | 0.78% | $104,908 |
3Indianapolis | 3.05% | 7% | 0.78% | $104,908 |
We model what a $150K salary looks like after taxes in each city: federal income tax (marginal brackets), FICA (7.65%), and state income tax. Then we compare take-home against local rent and costs to determine where the salary stretches furthest. 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.
Yes. On a $150K salary in Evansville, rent would consume about 8% of your gross monthly income. Financial experts recommend keeping rent under 30%. You're well within that guideline.
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.
After federal taxes, FICA (7.65%), and 3.05% state income tax, estimated take-home on $150K in Evansville is approximately $104,908/year ($8,742/month). After median rent of $1,010/month, you'd have roughly $92,788/year for all other expenses.
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.