Cedar Rapids, IA vs Indianapolis, IN
Moving from Cedar Rapids to Indianapolis? Here's what changes — from your equivalent salary to housing ($244,344 → $295,921 median home) and taxes.
Cedar Rapids vs Indianapolis at a glance
Bars scaled to the range across all 200 metros; labels show actual values.
To keep the same standard of living as $100,000 in Cedar Rapids, IA, you'd need about $105,183 in Indianapolis, IN (+$5,183).
Livability — Cedar Rapids, IA: 72 · Indianapolis, IN: 71 (0–100).
What your home budget buys
A $500,000 home budget gets you about 3,376 sqft in Cedar Rapids vs 3,211 sqft in Indianapolis ($148 vs $156 per sqft).
Annual cost breakdown (at $100,000)
| Category | Cedar Rapids, IA | Indianapolis, IN | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | $14,808 | $18,636 | +$3,828 |
| Groceries | $4,831 | $4,740 | −$91 |
| Transportation | $3,150 | $3,250 | +$100 |
| Utilities | $1,500 | $1,932 | +$432 |
| Insurance | $1,700 | $1,600 | −$100 |
| Taxes | $9,296 | $7,367 | −$1,929 |
| Total | $35,285 | $37,525 | +$2,240 |
Side by side
| Metric | Cedar Rapids, IA | Indianapolis, IN |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-of-living index | 90.0 | 94.7 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.63% | 4.28% |
| Population growth (5-yr) | 3.6% | 6.1% |
| Air quality (median AQI) | 44 | 55 |
| Big Mac price (est.) | $5.12 | $5.39 |
| Median home price | $244,344 | $295,921 |
| Home price ÷ income | 3.2× | 4.0× |
| 1-yr home appreciation | 3.6% | 1.3% |
| Price per square foot | $148 | $156 |
| Median rent | $1,234 | $1,553 |
| Total tax burden (% income) | 11.2% | 9.3% |
| Combined sales tax | 6.94% | 7.00% |
| Capital gains tax | 3.80% | 3.05% |
| Property tax rate | 1.64% | 0.84% |
| Healthcare (annual) | $6,400 | $6,600 |
| Childcare (annual, infant) | $11,000 | $12,000 |
| Vehicle property tax | 1.00% | 1.20% |
| Avg commute (min) | 20 | 25 |
| Home insurance / yr | $1,700 | $1,600 |
| Auto insurance / yr | $1,200 | $1,400 |
| Flood insurance / yr | $700 | $600 |
| Earthquake insurance / yr | $100 | $100 |
| Electricity ¢/kWh | 13.9 | 17.9 |
| Gas $/gal | 3.10 | 3.30 |
| Violent crime /100k | 300 | 360 |
| Avg summer high °F | 85 | 86 |
| Avg winter low °F | 12 | 20 |
| Permit difficulty (1–5) | 2 | 2 |