$100k salary, packing up from Birmingham
changea dispatch from
indianapolis
IN
39.77°N
86.16°W
Indianapolis circles its downtown with a literal loop (the Mile Square) and hosts the Indy 500 every Memorial Day weekend like clockwork. Basketball is woven into the state DNA (Hoosiers, the movie, is essentially a documentary). The Cultural Trail connects six districts on bike-friendly paths through the heart of downtown. The food scene has quietly leveled up.
in our guides
the verdict
under Birmingham, every month
Money-wise it's a wash. The case for Indianapolis is everything that isn't rent.
a quick ledger.
$1,511/mo
7% more expensive than Birmingham(vs $1,407/mo)
3%
$167/mo less in state tax than Birmingham
vs 5% in Birmingham
$6,572/mo
$62 more than Birmingham
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$296k
14% more expensive than Birmingham
vs $261k in Birmingham
2.1M
vs 1.2M in Birmingham
field notes, weather & such.
174
pleasant days a year, in indianapolis.
Birmingham barely cracks 171 pleasant ones. A real winter, not a brutal one: 30 days under 20°, vs 4 in Birmingham.
Comparable to Birmingham for events and concerts.
62/100
2% higher than Birmingham
vs 61/100 in Birmingham
Closest outdoor draw: Brown County State Park, 43.5 mi.
99/100
25% higher than Birmingham
vs 79/100 in Birmingham
35
75% more than Birmingham
vs 20 nonstops in Birmingham
if indianapolis appeals, also worth a look:
