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My family and I are planning to move from CA to Indiana. We have 2 daughters: 9 years old and 2 years old. Can you guys please help me/us answer some questions . Thank you so much for your time.
1. Which Indiana city is best to raise a family with good school and neighborhood?
2. What is the weather like during summer and winter?
3. I'm a paralegal, so I am hoping a city or neighboring city(ies) with law firms.
4. Planning to pay cash on a home around $250,000-265,000.
5. How much are the real property taxes, electric/gas utilities, water and sewer, etc.?
6. Are all neighborhoods have HOAs? How much usually monthly?
We were thinking of Fishers and Carmel, but I read that Carmel is a bit snooty. I want a neighborhood where my family/kids feel welcome and will be comfortable.
If Indiana is not the state for us, any recommendation?
Carmel is a wealthy place. Fishers is too, but too a lesser extent than Carmel, with more a "transient" feel. I'd also consider Westfield, Noblesville, and some places on the south side. I'd also try to live as close as possible to my job. All of the Indianapolis suburbs are fmaily friendly.
The budget will stretch farther outside of the north side suburbs. $250k is doable pretty much everywhere other than Carmel.
Weather isn't the best. Winters are mostly cold to cool, very overcast. There really isn't a consistent snowpack. Coming from a higher elevation in Tennessee, Indianapolis wasn't much cooler or snowier, but seemed a lot more overcast. Obviously the farther north you go in the state, the more snow and cold days you'll get. Lake effect snow can be a problem in certain areas.
Summers are hot and humid, though not as bad as the South. Drought and very extreme weather are not that common.
Figure about 1% of the market value of the home annually for property taxes. I lived in an apartment in Carmel as a single guy. Power was $100ish in the winter, up to $200 in summer (second floor and west facing windows caused it to get hot). Water and sewer were $40-$50 combined. Car registration is expensive.
Serious Conversation, thank you for taking the time to respond to my post. Indiana winter is my concern. It seems depressing to have an overcast weather pretty much every day during winter. Do you live in Tennessee now? Do you like it better? We do have friends that live in Spring Hill, TN. Which city do you recommend?
Also, I'm filipino and I want to make sure that we move to a state/city that is diverse cause I still have to work.
Almost any neighborhood in Indiana where the average price of a house is 250k to 265k dollars, is highly more than likely going to be a very nice family friendly neighborhood with low to no crime and among the best public and private schools in what ever metro area it is that you're looking at.
Ecnomically, if you're on a budget, you won't find a better deal for what you get in a middle class lifestyle than Central Indiana. The only drawbacks are lack of natural scenic beauty and cold and dismal winters where it normally doesn't snow enough to do anything in, but just enough to mess everything up.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JasminCS
Hello everyone,
My family and I are planning to move from CA to Indiana. We have 2 daughters: 9 years old and 2 years old. Can you guys please help me/us answer some questions . Thank you so much for your time.
1. Which Indiana city is best to raise a family with good school and neighborhood?
2. What is the weather like during summer and winter?
3. I'm a paralegal, so I am hoping a city or neighboring city(ies) with law firms.
4. Planning to pay cash on a home around $250,000-265,000.
5. How much are the real property taxes, electric/gas utilities, water and sewer, etc.?
6. Are all neighborhoods have HOAs? How much usually monthly?
We were thinking of Fishers and Carmel, but I read that Carmel is a bit snooty. I want a neighborhood where my family/kids feel welcome and will be comfortable.
If Indiana is not the state for us, any recommendation?
Thank you Ivory Lee Spurlock! How about tornadoes? What part of Indiana gets hit the most? Are there enough law firms in the area?
Thank you.
You're welcome, and big 2 thumbs up to you for thanking me.
Tornadoes can hit anywhere in Indiana. Indiana might be a top 10 state for the total number of tonadoes each season. I can't verify it, but it just seems like it would be. Indiana would rank higher in the total number of tornadoes each season if it was a bigger state in area. If Indiana, Illinois and Ohio were one united state instead of being 3 separate states, Indiana might get as many tornadoes each season as Oklahoma and Kansas does. Not Texas, though. Texas is such a huge state, it stands to reason Texas would get more tornadoes each season than any other state. As a rule though, it seems like the tornadoes in Oklahoma and Texas happen more frequent and are more violent and more intense than the tornadoes that hit Indiana.
Make no mistake, Indiana is not immune to violent tornadoes, tornado warnings are frquent and a part of life in Indiana as violent tornados will hit Indiana from time to time. But every region in the country has some kind of natural disasters that is life threatening to humans if they should happen to get caught in it.
Last edited by Ivory Lee Spurlock; 09-10-2018 at 10:36 PM..
Check out Lafayette. It is a booming town with Purdue University, lots of industry and agriculture. There are a number of law firms, many are located in the historic downtown area.
Serious Conversation, thank you for taking the time to respond to my post. Indiana winter is my concern. It seems depressing to have an overcast weather pretty much every day during winter. Do you live in Tennessee now? Do you like it better? We do have friends that live in Spring Hill, TN. Which city do you recommend?
Also, I'm filipino and I want to make sure that we move to a state/city that is diverse cause I still have to work.
Thank you.
I'm from and live in extreme northeast TN. From where I sit now, I'm about thirty minutes to the NC line and about the same from the VA line. I'm about five hours away from Spring Hill. Spring Hill is in Williamson County, which is the most affluent county in the state. Spring Hill is still pretty far away from the job centers of Williamson County, much less Nashville. Williamson County, TN/Hamilton County, IN are in another world compared to the rest of the counties in these states
If you're coming from California, Indiana winters (or even Tennessee winters) are going to be overcast, long, and depressing. IMO, I'd rather have it colder and sunnier with more snow on the ground than the see-saw pattern of below freezing and mushy snow, to rain, etc., that you get in central Indiana. I generally take a long weekend or two in the winter to Florida to knock the edge off.
Race won't be a problem in either state, provided you stick to the cities or larger suburbs. Small towns anywhere can be suspicious of outsiders.
Where are you thinking of living in TN? You can't just compare the two states - each state has a lot of unique towns and areas. If I was on a budget and needed to be close to a major job center, I'd probably choose Indianapolis. Rents and property prices are much more affordable than Nashville. During my last job search, I found that IT wages were generally higher across the board in Indy. Compared to the small TN metro I live in now, grocery prices, auto insurance, and general retail purchases are cheaper in Indy. Indy is probably going to have among the favorable wage/cost of living ratios in the nation.
TN has a high sales tax (~9.5%), but Indy's is close to 7% on general purchases. TN has no taxes on earned income - IN has both a state and county level income tax. TN roads are in much better shape (don't underestimate Indiana's bad roads). Property tax rates (outside of metro Nashville) are generally lower in TN than IN. Overall, you should save significantly on state taxes and fees in TN vs. IN, but getting a higher wage job seems to be much tougher in TN.
I enjoyed my time in Carmel, but if I had a high wage offer in both cities, I'd definitely choose the Williamson County suburbs over Hamilton County. Much better weather, shorter winters, closer drive to nice outdoor recreation on the Cumberland Plateau/Smokies,
NWI will offer proximity to Chicago, and nowhere in TN has such good access to a major city. If major city access is important to you, NWI is worth considering.
Beyond that, I think Indiana kind of drops off. Bloomington is very nice, but there aren't a lot of jobs there. I'm not a fan of Fort Wayne, and would choose either Knoxville or Chattanooga over it. I'd never live in Memphis. Evansville is just kind of there and is pretty far removed from the rest of the state. The suburbs of Louisville on the Indiana side are a great value, and Louisville is a good city in its own right.
I'm from and live in extreme northeast TN. From where I sit now, I'm about thirty minutes to the NC line and about the same from the VA line. I'm about five hours away from Spring Hill. Spring Hill is in Williamson County, which is the most affluent county in the state. Spring Hill is still pretty far away from the job centers of Williamson County, much less Nashville. Williamson County, TN/Hamilton County, IN are in another world compared to the rest of the counties in these states
If you're coming from California, Indiana winters (or even Tennessee winters) are going to be overcast, long, and depressing. IMO, I'd rather have it colder and sunnier with more snow on the ground than the see-saw pattern of below freezing and mushy snow, to rain, etc., that you get in central Indiana. I generally take a long weekend or two in the winter to Florida to knock the edge off.
Race won't be a problem in either state, provided you stick to the cities or larger suburbs. Small towns anywhere can be suspicious of outsiders.
Where are you thinking of living in TN? You can't just compare the two states - each state has a lot of unique towns and areas. If I was on a budget and needed to be close to a major job center, I'd probably choose Indianapolis. Rents and property prices are much more affordable than Nashville. During my last job search, I found that IT wages were generally higher across the board in Indy. Compared to the small TN metro I live in now, grocery prices, auto insurance, and general retail purchases are cheaper in Indy. Indy is probably going to have among the favorable wage/cost of living ratios in the nation.
TN has a high sales tax (~9.5%), but Indy's is close to 7% on general purchases. TN has no taxes on earned income - IN has both a state and county level income tax. TN roads are in much better shape (don't underestimate Indiana's bad roads). Property tax rates (outside of metro Nashville) are generally lower in TN than IN. Overall, you should save significantly on state taxes and fees in TN vs. IN, but getting a higher wage job seems to be much tougher in TN.
I enjoyed my time in Carmel, but if I had a high wage offer in both cities, I'd definitely choose the Williamson County suburbs over Hamilton County. Much better weather, shorter winters, closer drive to nice outdoor recreation on the Cumberland Plateau/Smokies,
NWI will offer proximity to Chicago, and nowhere in TN has such good access to a major city. If major city access is important to you, NWI is worth considering.
Beyond that, I think Indiana kind of drops off. Bloomington is very nice, but there aren't a lot of jobs there. I'm not a fan of Fort Wayne, and would choose either Knoxville or Chattanooga over it. I'd never live in Memphis. Evansville is just kind of there and is pretty far removed from the rest of the state. The suburbs of Louisville on the Indiana side are a great value, and Louisville is a good city in its own right.
Thank you! These are all great information to take into account. I haven't thought of where in TN, since we have focused on moving to Indiana (Carmel or Fishers) until I have further research and concern with the weather. I really don't know anything about cities in Tennessee. Do you have recommendations as far as cities/suburbs in Williamson County? Is Nashville in Williamson County? It needs to be affordable as far as housing. We are thinking of paying cash ($250k-265k). Also, looking for good schools, less crime and good neighborhood are the priorities. My apologies for many inquiries. Thank you again for your time!
Check out Lafayette. It is a booming town with Purdue University, lots of industry and agriculture. There are a number of law firms, many are located in the historic downtown area.
Thank you. I'll check out Lafayette as well. How far is Lafayette from Indianapolis?
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