Best PlacesUniversity Heights and Rosedale Hills, Indianapolis, IN Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood in and around University Heights and Rosedale Hills, Indianapolis, 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.
University Heights and Rosedale Hills, Indianapolis ranks 4,519th of 5,983 U.S. neighborhoods on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on cheap car insurance by a wide margin, and the weather ranks lowest.
The best neighborhoods in University Heights and Rosedale Hills, Indianapolis
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.
University Heights and Rosedale Hills, Indianapolis' strengths and weaknesses
Where University Heights and Rosedale Hills, Indianapolis ranks high
- Cheap car insuranceBetter than 94% of neighborhoods
- Cheap childcare$808 a month, better than 88% of neighborhoods
- Heat safetyBetter than 86% of neighborhoods
- Local economyBetter than 80% of neighborhoods
- State infrastructureBetter than 80% of neighborhoods
Where University Heights and Rosedale Hills, Indianapolis ranks low
- Nice weatherabout 55 pleasant days a year, better than only 2% of neighborhoods
- Air qualityBetter than only 14% of neighborhoods
- QuietBetter than only 14% of neighborhoods
- Low vacancyBetter than only 16% of neighborhoods
- Healthcare accessBetter than only 20% of neighborhoods
What it costs to buy a home in University Heights and Rosedale Hills, Indianapolis
A household needs to earn about $42,000 a year to comfortably buy the median University Heights and Rosedale Hills, Indianapolis home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That is below the area's own median income of $55,387, so a typical household can afford the median home outright.
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 University Heights and Rosedale Hills, Indianapolis' effective rate of 0.86%, and insurance is estimated at 0.4% of home value a year.
Renting versus buying
At today's prices, buying tends to cost more than renting for about the first 5 years, then pulls ahead as rent keeps rising and the mortgage builds equity. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in University Heights and Rosedale Hills, Indianapolis
University Heights and Rosedale Hills, Indianapolis 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 University Heights and Rosedale Hills, Indianapolis.
Who works in University Heights and Rosedale Hills, Indianapolis, and how
Work in University Heights and Rosedale Hills, Indianapolis centers on education and retail trade. Unemployment is low, and jobs are growing.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 84%
- Work from home 8%
- Transit, walk, or bike 9%
Life in University Heights and Rosedale Hills, Indianapolis
The map and measures below break down dining, culture, and green space by neighborhood across University Heights and Rosedale Hills, Indianapolis.
What the weather is like in University Heights and Rosedale Hills, Indianapolis, month by month
University Heights and Rosedale Hills, Indianapolis sees roughly 55 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 88 degrees. January highs sit near 39, with lows near 21. The comfortable stretch runs May, June, and August through October.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 39° | 30° | 21° |
| April | 67° | 53° | 41° |
| July | 88° | 77° | 67° |
| October | 70° | 57° | 46° |
Flying in and out of University Heights and Rosedale Hills, Indianapolis
Indianapolis International sits about 9 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 University Heights and Rosedale Hills, Indianapolis
Schools across University Heights and Rosedale Hills, Indianapolis average a C+, better than 50% of neighborhoods.
Top elementary schools
- Rosa Parks Elementary SchoolB · 50% proficient
- Jeremiah Gray Elementary SchoolC+ · 38% proficient
- Raymond F Brandes School 65D− · 12% proficient
Top middle schools
- Merle Sidener Gifted AcademyA+ · 74% proficient
- Perry Meridian 6th Grade AcademyB− · 40% proficient
- Southport 6th Grade AcademyC+ · 35% proficient
Top high schools
- Perry Meridian High SchoolB− · 45% proficient
- Southport High SchoolC+ · 35% proficient
- Emmerich Manual High SchoolD− · 15% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every University Heights and Rosedale Hills, Indianapolis school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
University Heights and Rosedale Hills, Indianapolis 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 University Heights and Rosedale Hills, Indianapolis against the other 5,982 neighborhoods.
Common questions about living in University Heights and Rosedale Hills, Indianapolis
Is University Heights and Rosedale Hills, Indianapolis a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, University Heights and Rosedale Hills, Indianapolis ranks 4,519th of 5,983 neighborhoods. It scores highest on cheap car insurance, affordable childcare, and heat safety, and lowest on the weather and air quality. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is University Heights and Rosedale Hills, Indianapolis expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $157,552. The overall cost of living runs about 20% below the national average. Set against a $55,387 median income, cost of living beats 34% of neighborhoods.
Is University Heights and Rosedale Hills, Indianapolis safe?
University Heights and Rosedale Hills, Indianapolis is safer than 48% of neighborhoods. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $433 per resident a year.
Compare University Heights and Rosedale Hills, Indianapolis with other neighborhoods
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to University Heights and Rosedale Hills, Indianapolis. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in University Heights and Rosedale Hills, Indianapolis 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.
University Heights and Rosedale Hills, Indianapolis detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for University Heights and Rosedale Hills, Indianapolis: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in University Heights and Rosedale Hills, Indianapolis: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of University Heights and Rosedale Hills, Indianapolis: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in University Heights and Rosedale Hills, Indianapolis: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
University Heights and Rosedale Hills, Indianapolis 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.