Best PlacesIndiana University, Bloomington, IN Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood in and around Indiana University, Bloomington, scored on 40 measures of daily life and ranked to fit what matters to you. Several measures below read low, and the ranked lists name which ones. To work out which city fits you best, start with the best places to live tool.
Indiana University, Bloomington ranks 4,972nd of 5,983 U.S. neighborhoods on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on short commutes by a wide margin, and civic engagement ranks lowest.
The best neighborhoods in Indiana University, Bloomington
BestNeighborhood is the only ranking that scores 40 measures of daily life neighborhood by neighborhood and lets you re-weight every one of them yourself.
Indiana University, Bloomington's strengths and weaknesses
Where Indiana University, Bloomington ranks high
- Short commute14.5 minutes each way, better than 98% of neighborhoods
- Cheap car insuranceBetter than 96% of neighborhoods
- Heat safetyBetter than 94% of neighborhoods
- Educational attainmentBetter than 87% of neighborhoods
- Cheap childcare$815 a month, better than 87% of neighborhoods
Where Indiana University, Bloomington ranks low
- Voter turnoutBetter than only 1% of neighborhoods
- Local economyBetter than only 2% of neighborhoods
- Cell coverageBetter than only 3% of neighborhoods
- Household income$36,663 median, better than only 5% of neighborhoods
- Healthcare accessBetter than only 5% of neighborhoods
What it costs to buy a home in Indiana University, Bloomington
A household needs to earn about $110,000 a year to comfortably buy the median Indiana University, Bloomington home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That runs well above the area's median income of $36,663, so buying stretches a typical household.
Where the monthly payment goes
Assumes a 20% down payment, a 6.6% 30-year fixed rate, and a 28% share of income going to the payment. The rate is the 2026-07-23 30-year fixed average, series MORTGAGE30US from the St. Louis Fed, which publishes Freddie Mac's weekly survey. Against the median home value, property tax uses Indiana University, Bloomington's effective rate of 0.74%, and insurance is estimated at 0.4% of home value a year.
Renting versus buying
At today's prices and rents, renting stays cheaper than buying across the first 10 years here, so the case for buying rests on staying much longer or on prices rising faster than assumed. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in Indiana University, Bloomington
Indiana University, Bloomington runs younger than the country, and households here run smaller than average.
Residents by age
Racial and ethnic makeup has its own map. See the race and diversity map for Indiana University, Bloomington.
Who works in Indiana University, Bloomington, and how
Work in Indiana University, Bloomington centers on education and hospitality & food. Unemployment runs well above the national rate, and the job base is shrinking.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 34%
- Work from home 17%
- Transit, walk, or bike 49%
Life in Indiana University, Bloomington
The map and measures below break down dining, culture, and green space by neighborhood across Indiana University, Bloomington.
What the weather is like in Indiana University, Bloomington, month by month
Indiana University, Bloomington sees roughly 61 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 88 degrees. January highs sit near 41, with lows near 23. The comfortable stretch runs April through June and August through October.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 41° | 31° | 23° |
| April | 69° | 55° | 42° |
| July | 88° | 76° | 65° |
| October | 72° | 58° | 46° |
Flying in and out of Indiana University, Bloomington
Indianapolis International sits about 40 miles away. It is a medium hub and boarded 5.2 million passengers in 2025, with 92 nonstop destinations.
The best schools in and around Indiana University, Bloomington
Schools across Indiana University, Bloomington average a B−, better than 67% of neighborhoods.
Top elementary schools
- University Elementary SchoolA · 66% proficient
Top middle schools
- Tri-north Middle SchoolB · 47% proficient
Top high schools
- Bloomington Graduation SchoolD · 19% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every Indiana University, Bloomington school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
Indiana University, Bloomington measure by measure
Cards are ordered by how much each measure matters to you, so the ones you weighted highest come first. Expand to see every measure. Percentages compare Indiana University, Bloomington against the other 5,982 neighborhoods.
Common questions about living in Indiana University, Bloomington
Is Indiana University, Bloomington a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, Indiana University, Bloomington ranks 4,972nd of 5,983 neighborhoods. It scores highest on short commutes, cheap car insurance, and heat safety, and lowest on civic engagement and a weak job market. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is Indiana University, Bloomington expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $425,000. The overall cost of living runs about 8% below the national average. Set against a $36,663 median income, cost of living beats 6% of neighborhoods.
Is Indiana University, Bloomington safe?
Indiana University, Bloomington is safer than 15% of neighborhoods. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $678 per resident a year.
Compare Indiana University, Bloomington with other neighborhoods
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to Indiana University, Bloomington. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in Indiana University, Bloomington represents the same real quantity as a 60 anywhere else, and the ranking is a weighted average of those absolutes. The map colors come from a national scale calibrated against a population weighted random sample of 5,000 neighborhoods. That absolute scoring is what no other places-to-live ranking does: it puts a single neighborhood, a town, a metro, and a state on one scale, so the same 40 measures answer both which metro to move to and which street inside it to buy on. Read the full methodology.
Indiana University, Bloomington detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for Indiana University, Bloomington: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in Indiana University, Bloomington: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of Indiana University, Bloomington: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in Indiana University, Bloomington: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
Indiana University, Bloomington detail on related sites:
- CrimeGrade: neighborhood crime rates behind the crime safety score.
- ISPreports.org: provider by provider internet availability and advertised speeds.
- CoverageWatch: the car insurance premiums behind the cheap car insurance score.
Federal and public data:
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey: income, home value, rent, vacancy, commute time and mode, educational attainment, home age, age structure, household type, industry, and race.
- NOAA Global Surface Summary of the Day: the daily station record behind the monthly temperatures and the pleasant-day count.
- FAA Passenger Boarding Data: airport size and annual passenger counts.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey: the 30-year fixed rate used in the cost-to-buy estimate.
- FBI Crime Data Explorer: reported offenses behind the tangible crime cost estimate.
- U.S. EPA Air Quality System: five year average air quality index.
- FEMA National Risk Index: expected annual loss from natural hazards.
- CDC PLACES: disease burden, preventable risk, and barriers to care.
- National Center for Education Statistics: school enrollment and assessment inputs behind the school grade.
- FCC National Broadband Map: internet and wireless availability.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: employment and job growth behind the local economy score.
- Religious activity uses a proprietary religious signal measurement.
Your priorities
Move a slider to say how much a measure matters. Zero turns it off.