SalaryCompareTool

Worcester, MA vs Indianapolis, IN

Moving from Worcester to Indianapolis? Here's what changes — from your equivalent salary to housing ($482,611 → $295,921 median home) and taxes.

Worcester vs Indianapolis at a glance

Bars scaled to the range across all 200 metros; labels show actual values.

Worcester, MA Indianapolis, IN Cost-of-living index Worcester, MA — Cost-of-living index: 103 103 Indianapolis, IN — Cost-of-living index: 95 95 Median home price Worcester, MA — Median home price: $483k $483k Indianapolis, IN — Median home price: $296k $296k Price per sqft Worcester, MA — Price per sqft: $284 $284 Indianapolis, IN — Price per sqft: $156 $156 Median rent Worcester, MA — Median rent: $2,182 $2,182 Indianapolis, IN — Median rent: $1,553 $1,553 Combined sales tax Worcester, MA — Combined sales tax: 6.3% 6.3% Indianapolis, IN — Combined sales tax: 7.0% 7.0% Property tax rate Worcester, MA — Property tax rate: 1.39% 1.39% Indianapolis, IN — Property tax rate: 0.84% 0.84% Violent crime /100k Worcester, MA — Violent crime /100k: 330 330 Indianapolis, IN — Violent crime /100k: 360 360 Electricity ¢/kWh Worcester, MA — Electricity ¢/kWh: 29.4 29.4 Indianapolis, IN — Electricity ¢/kWh: 17.9 17.9 Avg commute (min) Worcester, MA — Avg commute (min): 29 29 Indianapolis, IN — Avg commute (min): 25 25 Avg summer high °F Worcester, MA — Avg summer high °F: 82° 82° Indianapolis, IN — Avg summer high °F: 86° 86° Avg winter low °F Worcester, MA — Avg winter low °F: 22° 22° Indianapolis, IN — Avg winter low °F: 20° 20°

To keep the same standard of living as $100,000 in Worcester, MA, you'd need about $91,909 in Indianapolis, IN (−$8,091).

Livability — Worcester, MA: 56 · Indianapolis, IN: 71 (0–100).

What your home budget buys

A $500,000 home budget gets you about 1,761 sqft in Worcester vs 3,211 sqft in Indianapolis ($284 vs $156 per sqft).

Annual cost breakdown (at $100,000)

CategoryWorcester, MAIndianapolis, INDifference
Housing $26,184 $18,636 −$7,548
Groceries $4,938 $4,740 −$198
Transportation $3,210 $3,250 +$40
Utilities $3,180 $1,932 −$1,248
Insurance $1,800 $1,600 −$200
Taxes $16,011 $7,367 −$8,643
Total $55,322 $37,525 −$17,797

Side by side

MetricWorcester, MAIndianapolis, IN
Cost-of-living index103.094.7
Unemployment rate5.78%4.28%
Population growth (5-yr)4.3%6.1%
Air quality (median AQI)3755
Big Mac price (est.)$5.86$5.39
Median home price$482,611$295,921
Home price ÷ income5.6×4.0×
1-yr home appreciation1.8%1.3%
Price per square foot$284$156
Median rent$2,182$1,553
Total tax burden (% income)11.5%9.3%
Combined sales tax6.25%7.00%
Capital gains tax9.00%3.05%
Property tax rate1.39%0.84%
Healthcare (annual)$8,200$6,600
Childcare (annual, infant)$21,000$12,000
Vehicle property tax2.25%1.20%
Avg commute (min)2925
Home insurance / yr$1,800$1,600
Auto insurance / yr$1,500$1,400
Flood insurance / yr$800$600
Earthquake insurance / yr$100$100
Electricity ¢/kWh29.417.9
Gas $/gal3.303.30
Violent crime /100k330360
Avg summer high °F8286
Avg winter low °F2220
Permit difficulty (1–5)42
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