$100k salary, packing up from Philadelphia
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
less monthly outlay than Philadelphia
The gap is real. Indianapolis costs noticeably less than Philadelphia, every month.
a quick ledger.
$1,511/mo
19% cheaper than Philadelphia(vs $1,869/mo)
3%
$318/mo less in state tax than Philadelphia
vs 6.82% in Philadelphia
$6,572/mo
$676 more than Philadelphia
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$296k
25% cheaper than Philadelphia
vs $393k in Philadelphia
2.1M
vs 6.2M in Philadelphia
field notes, weather & such.
174
pleasant days a year, in indianapolis.
Philadelphia keeps to 173 pleasant days a year.
Philadelphia hosts 2.1× more events.
62/100
10% lower than Philadelphia
vs 69/100 in Philadelphia
Closest outdoor draw: Brown County State Park, 43.5 mi.
99/100
1% lower than Philadelphia
vs 100/100 in Philadelphia
35
71% fewer than Philadelphia
vs 122 nonstops in Philadelphia
neighbors of indianapolis on the map of tradeoffs:
compare indianapolis with:
