The Indianapolis metro area: Boone, Brown, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Johnson, Madison, Marion, Morgan, Shelby and Tipton counties · Population 2,130,055 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in the Indianapolis area
Household size in the Indianapolis area
| Period | Indianapolis area | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.60 | 2.57 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.63 | 2.59 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.63 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.59 | 2.54 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.01 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Households in the Indianapolis area average 2.59 people, about the same as the country as a whole (2.65). Households are largest in the northwest and smallest in the center.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in the Indianapolis area
| Period | Indianapolis area | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.3 | 37.5 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 37.0 | 38.4 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 37.7 | 39.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 38.2 | 39.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.9 | +1.7 | +2.3 |
The Indianapolis area is a little younger than the country as a whole: its median age is 38.2, against 40.1 nationally. The figure for Indiana is much the same. The median age has climbed from 36.3 in 2006–10, as it has nationally.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in the Indianapolis area
| Period | Indianapolis area | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.7% | 11.8% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.8% | 12.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.0% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.8% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.9 pts | −0.1 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head nearly one in eight households in the Indianapolis area (11.8%), close to the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is down 0.9 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in the Indianapolis area
Renters in the Indianapolis area
| Period | Indianapolis area | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 31.4% | 28.5% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 34.2% | 30.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 34.8% | 30.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 33.2% | 29.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.8 pts | +1.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
About a third of households in the Indianapolis area rent their homes (33.2%), close to the national share of 34.8%. Renters make up a bigger share here than in Indiana overall (29.4%). Among homeowners, 31.6% have no mortgage at all, below the national share of 39.8%. The renter share is up 1.8 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in the Indianapolis area
| Period | Indianapolis area | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.2% | 11.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.6% | 11.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.6% | 10.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.0% | 9.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.2 pts | −2.0 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in the Indianapolis area than nationally: 8.0%, against 9.6% for the U.S. The figure for Indiana is much the same. Vacancy is down 3.2 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in the Indianapolis area
| Period | Indianapolis area | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1978 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1979 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1980 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1982 | 1977 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +5 | +6 |
The typical home in the Indianapolis area was built around 1982, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). Homes here are newer than in Indiana overall, where the median home dates to 1977. The median year built has moved up from 1978 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the north, the oldest in the center.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in the Indianapolis area
| Period | Indianapolis area | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $877 | $763 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $946 | $819 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,060 | $903 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,368 | $1,146 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$492 | +$384 | +$606 |
Rent in the Indianapolis area runs $1,368 a month at the median, utilities included, below the U.S. median of $1,571. Even so, rents here are higher than in Indiana overall ($1,146). Rent has climbed $492 a month since 2006–10, up 56%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 29.9% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in the Indianapolis area
Bachelor's degrees in the Indianapolis area
| Period | Indianapolis area | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 30.9% | 23.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 31.8% | 24.6% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 35.2% | 27.1% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 38.6% | 30.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.7 pts | +6.2 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are about as common in the Indianapolis area as nationally: 38.6% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. The share is higher than in Indiana overall (30.0%). The share with a degree is up 7.7 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in the Indianapolis area
| Period | Indianapolis area | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 88.1% | 86.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 88.9% | 87.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 89.6% | 88.7% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 90.8% | 89.9% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.8 pts | +3.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in the Indianapolis area have finished high school (90.8%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. Indiana comes in at about the same level. The share with a diploma has risen 2.8 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in the Indianapolis area
| Period | Indianapolis area | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.9% | 8.4% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.0% | 8.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.9% | 4.9% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.1% | 4.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.7 pts | −4.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little easier to find in the Indianapolis area than nationally: unemployment was 4.1%, against 5.4%. Unemployment is down 3.7 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Largest cities in the Indianapolis area
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis area (all) | 2.59 | 38.2 | 11.8% | 33.2% | 8.0% | 1982 | $1,368 | 38.6% | 90.8% | 4.1% |
| Fishers | 2.81 | 38.5 | 7.5% | 26.0% | 5.9% | 2001 | $1,785 | 65.7% | 97.7% | 3.0% |
| Greenwood | 2.64 | 39.7 | 10.0% | 29.8% | 5.8% | 1994 | $1,504 | 39.1% | 92.3% | 2.6% |
| Carmel | 2.70 | 41.7 | 5.9% | 26.0% | 5.5% | 1995 | $1,937 | 75.2% | 98.0% | 2.6% |
| Noblesville | 2.67 | 37.9 | 9.9% | 26.4% | 5.8% | 1997 | $1,554 | 50.5% | 96.6% | 3.0% |
| Anderson | 2.32 | 41.6 | 14.7% | 36.1% | 10.6% | 1964 | $1,009 | 18.6% | 89.2% | 6.1% |
| Westfield | 2.72 | 37.5 | 6.5% | 20.0% | 5.6% | 2008 | $1,806 | 62.6% | 97.6% | 2.6% |
| Lawrence | 2.63 | 34.5 | 15.5% | 35.5% | 5.7% | 1987 | $1,557 | 32.1% | 88.2% | 4.3% |
| Avon | 2.66 | 40.4 | 12.1% | 19.6% | 5.6% | 2002 | $1,520 | 40.1% | 93.7% | 2.9% |
| Brownsburg | 2.85 | 37.7 | 10.5% | 19.2% | 4.9% | 1998 | $1,587 | 49.4% | 95.8% | 2.1% |
| Plainfield | 2.59 | 39.4 | 10.9% | 33.8% | 5.8% | 1994 | $1,510 | 33.1% | 88.9% | 3.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Metro areas of similar size: Jacksonville area · Providence area · Virginia Beach area · San Jose area · Nashville area · Columbus area · Cleveland area · Kansas City area · Cincinnati area · Las Vegas area
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up the Indianapolis area. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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