Why is Indianapolis so cheap? (Columbus, Carmel: apartment, rental, house)

[kwk337]

Why is Indianapolis so cheap? The apartment I rent in Irvington would cost well over $1000 in a lot of cities. I pay 550. It was built in the 1920s, was a dump a decade ago, today it's pretty classy.

Is it because most people don't want to move to Indianapolis and the demand is low?

Part of me thinks Indy would be as trendy as Austin if it didn't have the Indiana stereotypes attached to it and people actually came here. But Texas has plenty of stereotypes, and people still go there. Admittedly, Austin is a mess. But I'd love to see Indy get a little trendier without turning into Portlandia.

[UsernameAlreadyTaken]

sounds like this thread:

http://www.city-data.com/forum/india...-so-cheap.html

[wh15395]

It might just be the location of Irvington. It's near an area perceived by most people to be "dangerous," even though it isn't. The more "trendy" areas of Indianapolis have higher rent prices. It's becoming increasingly difficult to get a studio or 1-bedroom apartment Downtown for under $1000. Broad Ripple, Keystone at the Crossing, and Carmel's downtown are also more expensive areas.

It would be cool if Indy were more trendy like Austin, but it probably isn't going to happen given its location in the Midwest. Who knows though, maybe if Indy continues increasing density and builds a real mass transit system, people that don't want to pay Chicago prices would find it more desirable. Right now, nothing really separates it much from Cincinnati, Columbus, Kansas City, etc.

[John7777]

Originally Posted by kwk337

Why is Indianapolis so cheap? The apartment I rent in Irvington would cost well over $1000 in a lot of cities. I pay 550. It was built in the 1920s, was a dump a decade ago, today it's pretty classy.

Is it because most people don't want to move to Indianapolis and the demand is low?

Part of me thinks Indy would be as trendy as Austin if it didn't have the Indiana stereotypes attached to it and people actually came here. But Texas has plenty of stereotypes, and people still go there. Admittedly, Austin is a mess. But I'd love to see Indy get a little trendier without turning into Portlandia.

Indy is cheap because most people with any sense at all would never move there. Hence, the demand for hoy sing just isn't there.

[msamhunter]

Originally Posted by wh15395

It might just be the location of Irvington. It's near an area perceived by most people to be "dangerous," even though it isn't. The more "trendy" areas of Indianapolis have higher rent prices. It's becoming increasingly difficult to get a studio or 1-bedroom apartment Downtown for under $1000. Broad Ripple, Keystone at the Crossing, and Carmel's downtown are also more expensive areas.

It would be cool if Indy were more trendy like Austin, but it probably isn't going to happen given its location in the Midwest. Who knows though, maybe if Indy continues increasing density and builds a real mass transit system, people that don't want to pay Chicago prices would find it more desirable. Right now, nothing really separates it much from Cincinnati, Columbus, Kansas City, etc.

My house rents for more in Indy than I pay rent for the comparable place I have here in Tampa. See this place will never change, hackneyed wannabes that really know nothing about the who think their opinion is gospel. Indy rental prices on par with the rest of the Midwest but keep making ish up as you all go along.

[Sunnydee]

I love Indy, it's my husband's hometown. He says it's cheaper because there's not much there. Cincinnati is my hometown and it seemed to have more culture and sporting events than Indy. Like most cities in the Midwest, the weather is less than desirable. I love the Midwest, its affordability, values, and people. I'd still be there today, but the winters just got to be too hard on me healthwise, so we relocated to Florida. Enjoy Indy and its affordability. The Childrens Museum is world class and the zoo is nice too.

[sheena12]

Originally Posted by wh15395

It might just be the location of Irvington. It's near an area perceived by most people to be "dangerous," even though it isn't. The more "trendy" areas of Indianapolis have higher rent prices. It's becoming increasingly difficult to get a studio or 1-bedroom apartment Downtown for under $1000. Broad Ripple, Keystone at the Crossing, and Carmel's downtown are also more expensive areas.

It would be cool if Indy were more trendy like Austin, but it probably isn't going to happen given its location in the Midwest. Who knows though, maybe if Indy continues increasing density and builds a real mass transit system, people that don't want to pay Chicago prices would find it more desirable. Right now, nothing really separates it much from Cincinnati, Columbus, Kansas City, etc.

I moved TO Ohio from New York State (suburb of NYC) as your neighbor to the east, I have a few observations.

The mid west is a great place to live and raise a family. I wish that I'd moved here earlier. I have a large and historic ten room house is a beautiful neighborhood. It's in an inner ring suburb of Youngstown. In the NYC burbs the house would cost over $400,000K with taxes of 10K per year. We bought it for less than 100 and our taxes are 1500 a year!

Midwesterners are so nice. But, you don't "big up" yourselves and your region. You tend to be modest and even critical of the place you call home.

People from Texas, a place that does not appeal to me at all, brag as though they live in heaven when the weather there is more like hell. Most of the south does that. Same goes for the Pacific North West.

And NY? New Yorkers think they live in the center of the universe.

That is the only problem I see in the mid west. When people go on forums like this and hear negativity, words become reality, and BAM...people start leaving to live in the desert or the crazy state of Florida.

I really love FL in February. But in August? Give me cool days and a pretty lake or stream surrounded by wildflowers. I love Autumn in the Mid West. But one would think that beautiful foliage only exists in New England. It does. And they brag about it a lot.

Get my drift?

[wh15395]

Originally Posted by msamhunter

My house rents for more in Indy than I pay rent for the comparable place I have here in Tampa. See this place will never change, hackneyed wannabes that really know nothing about the who think their opinion is gospel. Indy rental prices on par with the rest of the Midwest but keep making ish up as you all go along.

Did I say Indy rental prices are lower than the rest of the Midwest? What did I make up?

[msamhunter]

Originally Posted by wh15395

Did I say Indy rental prices are lower than the rest of the Midwest? What did I make up?

Wasn't responding to just your post wh. Just the one I replied to.

[W & C]

Cost of living usually correlates to median income and cheaper places usually have lower paying job and/or higher degree of unemployment/underemployment