Indianapolis or Columbus, Ohio? (Carmel, Clinton: apartments, rent, health insurance)

[thegreenbeaner]

My husband and I want to relocate from Vermont to the Midwest next year but are having a hard time choosing between Indianapolis or Columbus, Ohio. I have done LOTS of research but nothing compares to getting it from people who are living it every day. At first we were all about moving to Indianapolis and becoming new "Hoosiers". Everything looked great on paper except crime rates and affordable healthcare. We then scanned Columbus Ohio which also looked great less crime and lower health insurance costs but when we reviewed the cost of rent for a decent apartment, it was comparable to Vermont! The pay is a lot lower and the cost of apartments is quite high in some of the better Columbus areas. So questions are:


1. Indianapolis- We pay $317 a month for healthcare (my husband and I) through my job. Is this about right or are premiums a lot higher in Indy for 2 people through employment?


2. Indianapolis- Are the violent crimes random crimes or are they usually crimes committed by someone the victim knows? I know it is a strange question but here in Vermont we don't see a lot of Violent crimes and when we do usually it is drug related or family related. The victim knew the person.


3. Indianapolis- I am an Administrative Assistant who works in a hospital. What is average income for this trade? Internet gives lots of different answers ranging from $25000/year to $35000/year. I plan on working in a hospital.


4. Columbus or Indianapolis-which is more a family oriented area and which is cleaner/better air quality?


Thank you for your help! Vermont is pretty but expensive however a great place to visit and leaf peep

[sheerbliss]

1. I think your premiums will be lower. I'm the sole party on my health insurance, and I don't pay anywhere close to $150 per month.

2. Most violent crimes that I read about happen after midnight to a victim who doesn't want to cooperate with the police. But there are also burglaries and home invasions. I recommend having a security system.

3. I'm an administrative assistant, too, although I don't work in a hospital. If you have a good resume--proficient in Word, Excel, PP, Acrobat, etc., quite a bit of experience, good work history and a degree, you should be able to do better than $35,000 per year. If not, you can surely find something that pays better than $12.50 per hour (e.g., Amazon Fulfillment).

4. I've never been to Columbus.

Our leaves aren't too shabby, either.

[Meemur]

I lived in Cols for 17 years and moved 4 years ago.

* Air quality can be bad in the summer with frequent "ozone alerts" - it was on my list of reasons to move because I was starting to develop breathing problems, which are gone now that I'm in Des Moines.

* Columbus has many different neighborhoods. Rent is more affordable in Whitehall than Victoria Village, but you'll have to balance cost with the commute and other factors.

There are many similarities between Indy and Cols! They aren't that far apart, and it would be a really good idea to come out and spend at least two days in each, driving around (esp. during rush hour!), going to grocery stores, and going places you would if you lived there. Also look into the tax implications and how the overall state is doing financially.

I enjoyed my time there, but I'm glad I'm out on the edge of the prairie, now. There's a better air quality, more sun in the winter, and a lot less traffic. My commute went from 45 minutes to 12 minutes.

[Ivory Lee Spurlock]

The biggest difference I can see between Indianapolis and Columbus is Columbus has Ohio State University, one of the largest universities in the country, if not the largest.

Other than that, they are pretty much the same. Even the population of the two cities has been nearly identical for several decades, Indy usually having a few thousand more people than Columbus, although, I do believe the latest estimate has Columbus slightly larger than Indianapolis by a few thousand people.

[valpofan11]

I'll take Columbus any day of the week. Indy's violent crime is more spread out than Columbus's. Columbus has more development momentum, plus some nicer inner suburbs like Upper Arlington and Bexley, while Grandview Heights ain't shabby either. Indy's original suburbs being the townships are bland, and not getting any better. Columbus has more nicer urban neighborhoods than Indy IMHO.

[Toxic Toast]

Originally Posted by valpofan11

I'll take Columbus any day of the week. Indy's violent crime is more spread out than Columbus's. Columbus has more development momentum, plus some nicer inner suburbs like Upper Arlington and Bexley, while Grandview Heights ain't shabby either. Indy's original suburbs being the townships are bland, and not getting any better.

Indy's original suburbs were the streetcar suburbs like Watson-McCord and Irvington. They're now just neighborhoods of the city. The outer townships weren't the original suburbs. Keep in mind, large swaths of Columbus look and feel like a lot of Indy's outer townships.

[Meemur]

Originally Posted by Toxic Toast

I Keep in mind, large swaths of Columbus look and feel like a lot of Indy's outer townships.

This is why the OP really needs to take a trip to both.

I noticed that when I was interviewing over there at one point: I had to remind myself that I wasn't in Columbus.

[Ed Ferris]

When Will Rogers was told that a 24-room hotel in his home town of Claremore, Oklahoma had been named after him, he replied that he now knew how Christopher Columbus felt when he was told they'd named Columbus, Ohio after him.

[osubrett2]

I've only been to Indianapolis once, for the 2006 Big Ten Tournament, but I loved the downtown. We walked around for a few hours before the games and all of the bars/restaurants were packed. I remember walking around the mall downtown and seeing everyone in their gear (OSU was playing IU that day, we were outnumbered but OSU prevailed!). Having a large sporting event in your town definitely helps. But I've always preferred Indy to host the BTT over Chicago (and now apparently DC and NYC), but that's another debate for another thread.

Compared to Columbus at the time, it was by far better. But that's what'll happen when you have a major arena and football stadium in your downtown. Columbus has Nationwide Arena and the surrounding Arena District, but while the Cbus downtown is growing, it still lags behind Indy.

I haven't been to any other part of Indy, but from what I've read on here, it sounds like the urban areas of Columbus might be better. Columbus' "urban core" runs north to south from Clintonville to German Village and west to east from Grandview Heights to Bexley. Housing demand in these areas are strong, almost impossible unless you know someone (which is how I ended up in my house today) or if you're willing to pay well over listing price.

To answer your questions;
1. Sorry, but I'm not familiar with this and cannot answer.
2. There is some violent crime in Columbus, but it is mainly confined to certain areas. Avoid these areas and it is not an issue.
3. This Columbus job market is very healthy right now and I would expect $30k-35k to be the floor salary for your position. There are plenty of large, growing hospital systems in Central Ohio (Ohio Health, Mount Carmel, OSU) and they offer very competitive salaries and benefits.
4. For families, I'd assume Indy and Cbus to be very comparable in this aspect. Columbus is always mentioned to be a great place to raise a family, as I'm sure Indy is too. We have an excellent parks system (city and metro systems), great schools, a top-rated science museum at COSI, etc. We are also an hour away from the Hocking Hills region, which has some of the best hiking in Ohio. Doesn't even feel like you're in Ohio.

[BU191433]

You need to visit both before making the decision.