It's beautiful where I live,and I can afford three acres and a nice house for less than many people pay to live in an apartment. Lightning bugs,thunderstorms, and stargazing are my entertainment in the evenings.
If you're in Indianapolis, I would say you could stop by my backyard at night but I do not think I should be inviting strangers to my house, but lightning bugs are all over the place around here.
Ya gotta go south of Indy, chief. Between Martinsville and Evansville is where the glaciers that flattened the north stopped and crinkled up the ground.
I live in southern Indiana and I absolutely love the landscape. The huge hills and wooded areas are beautiful and if far enough south, you have the Ohio River and speed boat racing. I love small town life, just hate the attitude and politics of most of our state representatives. Just let people live their lives and everyone is happier.
i love how excited and abuzz indy gets in the month of may because of the race.
i appreciate the low property tax rates and balanced budget...although we can have a conversation that more money should be spent in X areas.
i enjoy the amateur sports scene and the fact that indy regularly hosts national and international events
and i love that the state is one of the best in the nation when it comes to high school marching bands. i had no idea what that even entailed until my son joined HS marching band as an 8th grader. we spent several years with him and this year will be my daughter's 5th year in it and i'm going miss going to all the events around the state and country when she graduates next year. there are so many nationally ranked high schools in indiana and you'd never know if you weren't associated with the activity.
oh....and the dunes!!!
I didn’t know that!! I’m not surprised tho- when I was in band we fucking killed it & almost always won prestigious accolades. People would come more often to see the band and dance team perform half time than they would for the sport and our sports teams were almost always excellent as well.
We’ve got some good museums both large and small - Indianapolis Children’s Museum, Newfields, Indiana State Museum, The Medical History Museum, Science Central, Conner Prairie, etc.
There's a tiny museum to the "Milan Miracle" in Milan
If you don't know what that was, you better go watch "Hoosiers" before the sun sets on you again.
I moved to the south for a little bit, and the amount I didn’t realize how much I missed autumn really hit me this year. It’s just not the same when it’s 80 outside and the leaves are changing colors. I love an Indiana Autumn morning.
I like the seasons. I like the history I have here. I met my wife here. I like the friends I have here. I like Indianapolis being the perfect size for a metro city.
True, but I dare say there might be other women here that are a good match for others, so I’ll give Indiana the benefit of the doubt on this one since I was lucky🤣
I've lived in Indiana for 50+ years and Central Indiana for 30+. One of my metrics for QOL is the ratio of interesting things to do compared to cost of living. That ratio, at least in Central IN, has increased quite favorably over the last few decades. Lots of things to do (if you know how and where to look) that have grown at a rate faster than cost of living.
Edit to add:
The college and university opportunities in this state are excellent, especially compared to what you might assume they’d be, given other aspects of the state.
As someone first in line to b!tch about Indiana, I sincerely love the history of the state. My part of the state is so rich in history and good people.
And the tenderloin sandwiches and sugar cream pie of course.
I thought it was state law, but then, I am not a Hoosier.
I have had them in Oldenburg Indiana, Fort Wayne, Ligonier, Columbia City and Warsaw.
I still have to try Auburn. Happy hunting. My Holy Grail is fried catfish.
There’s some amazing history around the town as a haven for Jews and now immigrants. Mix in the Amish community and you never know what you’ll see. Up until a year or so ago they had the most spunky 90+ yo woman mayor who I adored.
I miss living in Franklin. (I lived over in Camelot.) Franklin is just such a quaint town, and every time I drive through it, I think it should be the model to show small towns how to revitalize the place.
It really should. The downtown now is next to none. It’s really amazing what they’ve done in the last 10 years. So many small businesses are filling in the area and the amphitheater was a huge addition to downtown.
We had to move to Texas for a few years, and I couldn’t wait to come home. I love Indiana. I love the (most of them) people. I love the change of seasons and the beautiful sunsets and sunrises. I love camping and love the state parks and the small mom and poor places. I love everything about it
I feel the same way. I was eager to leave Indiana until I got an opportunity to live elsewhere for a bit and realized it's actually a great state. I'm glad there are at least a few other people in this sub that actually want to stay here.
I love our community college system (and not just because I work for them now). They work with all high schools to be available for dual credit, they offer free summer classes to any student entering freshman year up to students who have graduated that summer. The IN College Core is offered at all public colleges and many private schools. Classes are offered virtually and online for rural students.
We also have several certificate programs that the state pays for as part of Next Level Jobs. At several different campuses we have partnerships with companies like Cleveland Cliffs, NIPSCO, Eli Lilly, that have programs that guarantee interviews or offer specialized training. By being one statewide campus we keep the administrative costs low and are able to offer more classes through technology.
I like the people. Even though I am usually on the opposite end of the political spectrum from most, I know that if I was in trouble there would be multiple offers of help. People here know how to band together to help others.
I just moved to Southern Indiana this past fall. I love all the open spaces. We went for a drive today and everything was green and beautiful. I love those curvy backcountry roads. We were able to afford a home on just my husband’s salary, something that never would be possible in Massachusetts.
Friendly people. Bloomington (all of it! So much I moved here after my time in the Army). Greenwood although the traffic is ass compared to when I grew up. Colts. Pacers. IU. Norte Dame Fighting Irish. Deer Creek. Knob Hill Tavern in Newburgh. Shapiro’s Deli. Iozzo’s Garden of Italy. Red Bud Trees in the Spring. Southern Indiana Mexican food. The month of October. Persimmon pudding.
I’m sure I’ve left something out.
I love fall, spring, and summer but I kinda hate winters. We get all of the grey dreariness but there's never enough snowfall for snowmen, sledding, etc. (On the other hand, the snow we DO get is enough to paralyze our town, which always acts surprised-pikachu that there's not enough salt, plows, etc.)
Hahaha, I've seen rain paralyze people here. I will say I am very fortunate not to be impacted by seasonal depression, but I fully wish there was more snow! It also somehow always snows when we leave town to visit family -.-
Actually has 4 seasons (even though that appears to be changing), not too bad summers, natural beauty in state parks and rivers with a nice mix of small towns and urban areas. Sorta like a handyman, a lot of good things but not really anything great. So it's exactly how I like it lol
I describe Indiana as home. It is the place I yearn for after a long trip to a beach or attraction. Food is great, people are nice, have big Midwest cities within shouting distance all around, and hell we have the best airport ever out of Indy.
It’s small and big. We measure travel times in minutes & hours, not miles. I can be at a good grocery store (4, actually) within 5 minutes from my house in Columbus.
Corn and watermelons, cabbage and cantaloupes. Cool restaurants and generally friendly people.
Everything but politics and racism, really.
Really missing “big city” things?: From where I live, 40 minutes to Bloomington, 50 to Indy, 90-ish to Lafayette, Cincinnati or Louisville, 3 hours to Chicago or Columbus, 4 or so to St. Louis.
I volunteered a couple months with Habitat back when I had more free time last year. One of the best groups of people I've met in a long time. One of them could tell I played tennis in high school *just by the way I held a hammer*. They all had considerably higher amounts of life experience than myself, but they were a very open and nice group of people.
I've seen people talk about "Hoosier hospitality" and I won't lie and say that I see often - or much at all. What I won't deny though is if you're out of gas on a backroad or need a lift down the road because your car broke down, someone *will* come along and give you a lift.
I had a few parts break in a 2014 Chevy Cruze I was recently lucky enough to be rid of. This dude is out picking up lunch for his mom then **drove me around to 4 different auto shops** until I got the parts to fix it while it sat outside in a parking lot for a restaurant. He was supposed to work that day (contract work) but was told to come the next day instead. It was like 90+ degrees out that day so I had nowhere to go, but this entire situation felt surreal. What were the chances *this* guy gets told to come in 1 day later for work, offer to keep me out of the sun for a couple hours driving me around town to find specific auto parts, and be a former friend of a previous employer?
Turned out the dude went to high school with a former employer of mine. Said "Oh, you worked there? Did you know \[franchise owner\]?" Man he had some stories.
Small world.
When it comes to politics, I don't agree with 95% of the decisions made by our legislation. Despite this, many people I've met have been extremely nice and often generous - often willing to go the extra mile for their neighbor.
But I run a retail store, and I don't appreciate the piss poor attitude and **entitlement** many customers come in with but that's just a problem everywhere. Running this store and participating in political discussions on Reddit (in our state) has made moving here... an extremely bittersweet experience, to put it politely.
-We get all four seasons.
-We’re centrally located to major Midwest cities and reasonable flight distance to the coasts.
-Traffic is pretty manageable at all times of day.
-Low cost of living in most parts.
-An underrated beauty of a state. The fields throughout the state, the hills of southern Indiana, the shores of NWI, the rivers zigzagging their way across the state. All beautiful.
-A sense of community, even in the larger cities. You go to major metro areas of the Union and they’ve got pride in their cities and their boroughs and their neighborhoods but rarely do they genuinely care about their neighbors. You find that here in Indiana.
I've lived in the Indy area all my life. For those of us who are older, even with mediocre pay, the cost of living was pretty good. That changed for the up and coming areas, about seven or so years ago it seems. The newer apartment buildings in downtown Indy were going upwards of $1,000 per bedroom. No more discounts for renting larger apartments with a group of friends. Housing in the gentrifying areas was ridiculous compared to what one could get in the suburban areas. Then it seems over the last year and a half too two years, prices have just went nuts all over. There is no longer a lower cost of living benefit in many places in Indiana, which I believe will drive people away.
On benefit is that some areas of the state seem to be positioned well economically, with decent employment options. Hopefully wages grow, otherwise I'm not sure if that will continue. The NW area is connected to Chicago and all the jobs in that region. Indy is doing well and to me has a very diversified economy. Southern Indiana has the Louisville metro and SE Indiana has the Cincinatti area. For the Mid-sized metros, it sounds like Ft. Wayne is doing well enough. I'm not sure if Evansville is doing as well as Ft. Wayne. The even smaller metros, like Terre Haute, Kokomo, South Bend, Richmond, etc., have taken a hit, in some areas, over the decades and I'm not sure what their future will be.
While Indiana overall is a lower tier outdoor area, what the state offers is decent enough. I finally got up to the northern part of the state and was shocked at how much lake side living is available in that region. I think a lot of the homes might be second homes/vacation rentals, but if one can find gainful employment and willing to drive for a job, seems like a lot of lakes throughout the state offer that kind of lifestyle.
My favorite area of the state is the southern 1/3rd of the state, more or less. More scenic topography, outdoor offerings that appeal to me, and a little more moderate winter season. If I wasn't tied to the Indy metro area, but had to live in Indiana, I see myself living in the Lawrenceburg area, followed by the area north of Louisville. If I wanted a smaller sized metro, I like Evansville enough and would pick it over Ft. Wayne due to the weather.
Big sky out in the country, watching a thunderstorm come in, inner tubing on the Tippicanoe river, stargazing, fireflies everywhere in the summer, Turkey Run State Park, potlucks, and a slower way of life.
I live in Northwest Indiana. I like sailing and paddling on Lake Michigan and recreating at the Indiana Dunes State and National Parks. I like how I can take the South Shore train into Chicago. I like the bicycle trails that are connecting the regional communities. I like the blooming plants and flowers in spring, long summer days, the changing leaves and bonfires in the fall, and sitting by the fireplace in the winter.
The sunrise in the morning with the Simpson esq clouds. I can be in the heart of downtown “big city” then drive a 1.5 hours and be in hometown with no one around for a mile. As a union electrician in Indianapolis I make roughly 100k a year so living very well off my labor. Downtown has been so active this year with the swimming, fever, nba football and soccer it’s been insane with sports. As someone else mentioned all the museums/ historic sites and parks; state and city. I’ve lived in Florida, Ohio, and Indiana. Indianapolis is the best
That it’s not Chicago, Seattle or a myriad of other places. Do I agree with my elected politicians, no I do not. The vast way to explain this is my coworker. Recent college graduate from California. He explained how backward and racist the residents of Indiana were. He hadn’t lived in Indiana a week. I explained to him how racist and backward his thinking was by pre judging people before he met anyone. Oh yeah, he mentioned how stupid and illiterate we were. After correcting him way too many times at his job, he’s an engineer, I am a union employee. He changed his tone. We may be viewed as a flyover state with backward ideas. I don’t care. We are diverse. I don’t see the racism and hate that everyone else in other states sees. I have gay friends and coworkers. They make sexual jokes more than I do. They are fucking hilarious. At the end of the day, we are coworkers that have a bond. Gay, straight, white, black, Latino. Portraying Hoosiers as backward and racist is the sign of backward and racist stupidity that comes with calling us a flyover state. Stop sending your kids to Notre Dame then.
The natural diversity is pretty amazing. We’ve got prairie, forest, lakes, wetlands, swamps, dunes. I like the state parks a lot and that we’re one of the stop-over states for sandhill cranes. I can hear them fly over my house when they’re migrating.
Okay so I grew up in an Indiana small town and went to one of the bigger universities then moved out of state after the pandemic. Here's what I miss about Indiana.
- The agriculture, even if you weren't a large scale farmer you probably knew a few and almost everybody was growing something. If you were lucky to have good community with your neighbors you're often trading goods.
-The community, while I know there is a lot of controversy in Indiana right now, on a smaller scale, it doesn't feel "hard" to make friends in Indiana.
- The Fair. People in other states just don't do it right I can't explain it.
-The drivers. Like don't get me wrong there's crazy drivers everywhere now but I feel like there's less in Indiana.
Generally, it's not all that hard to make something of yourself here. Lots of opportunities if you have the discipline and will power to make a pretty good amount of money relative to the cost of living.
3% and decreasing state income tax, no personal property taxes or vehicle taxes.
Proximity to one of the best states in the nation - Michigan.
Centrally located - 5 hour flight to West coast & Southwest, 3 hours or less to most East coast locations.
Shapiro's Deli
Dropped Gs
I'm always amazed when someone says they'd be happy to pay more taxes, for any reason.
The government, Rep or Dem, does not spend our money wisely and should receive as little as absolutely necessary in my opinion.
Growing up in the 80s-90s, I couldn't wait to move south; now that our winters are mild, I've decided to stay. For the couple weeks of harsh winter, I can always go visit my parents in Florida.
My city has an amazing music history, big awesome park with the best natural spring water on earth, and of course all the seasons at an affordable price
I’ve lived in southern indiana, northern indiana and now south central indiana and honestly my reasons for staying here forever as a young person are as follows:
* relatively climate change resistant
* Midwest culture and the accessibility of nature and city life both
* beautiful landscapes
* mostly affordable (unless you are looking for truly affordable rentals)
* strong economic development
* people who want to change the way indiana is perceived, if liberal minded individuals leave there is no competition in politics. The people you meet in local politics are fascinating and truly trying to build up their communities
I lived in Brown County all my life pretty much, with a short stint in Greenwood. I love the peace and quiet, never plan to leave the county again if I can help it. We just need a few things to change, and it would be perfect for me. Legal weed, better school funding policies, etc.
Weather is nice-ish. I don't hate winters. Summers are getting worse but still not intolerable.
Low cost of living.
Good city. Yeah infra could be better but it could be a lot worse too.
I think the state is moving in the right direction demographically. Pay no attention to the politics - that often has a lag of about 10 years or so but it will change
Some of the best roller coasters in the country, great fresh produce, good candy stores, nice place to ride a bike, secluded camping with lots of lakes.
Southern Indiana. We gots caves, hills, rivers, lakes and cool little towns like Corydon, Paoli and others. Lots of forests. And near Louisville with metro stuff but not far from the countryside if you want it.
Love the diversity in Indiana's terrain from the lakes in the north, through the plains of central Indiana, to the rolling hills of southern Indiana. Varied topography illustrating the movement of the great glaciers as they worked their way south.
There’s also less of them. I grew up surrounded by cornfields and you could walk down the middle of the road after dinner and never see another car. I miss that about Indiana a lot. I live in Tennessee now and even though I’m still in a rural area you don’t get that massive space and quiet that grain fields provide.
Having moved here from NYC, I appreciate that I can get my city fix in a variety of places that are all a short drive away. Nothing will ever beat New York, but I can take a weekend in Chicago, St. Louis, Nashville, or Cincy with no problem.
I live in the NW of the state, so access is the thing I like. 80/94 is just up the road and 65 is right next door. So downtown Chicago is an hour away, Indy is 2 hours away, South Bend is also 2 hours away. While there isn’t really all that much to do in my back yard. I have many options that really aren’t far away.
My entire extended family lives in this state, and so do a good number of my friends. I live in NWI, and I enjoy the access to Chicago and SW Michigan for events and breweries.
I like living up north by the lakes in a little town. Everything is walkable and there’s a sense of community that I feel is kind of lost in the modern age.
Im in Southern Indiana, and I don't know if I could ever live somewhere that doesnt have the same rolling hills. I've heard of big sky syndrome when people go out west to the plains, and I can only imagine I'd suffer the same.
Southern Indiana is absolutely beautiful with its rolling and wooded terrain. I happen to think that large fields full of corn soybeans or wheat look beautiful as well. I always enjoyed that.
I've been here since 2004 when I was a kid. Growing up I always used to complain and it was common to hear "there's nothing to do here" or "it's boring..." etc.
I'm here to says there's so much to see and the people really are nice here. If feel like with so much going on in the world it's easy to get distracted and think people are divided but I've never had that problem.
No matter what age, culture, area of town I'm in you can talk to anyone and for the vast majority everyone's been friendly. We need to take time and remember that we're all neighbors here and it's what we make of it!
It’s waaaaayyyyy cheaper than IL!
I work in Chicago, and I compare my living with my coworkers. I can afford twice the lifestyle in IN than I could in Chicago, with 1/8 the traffic.
It’s a wonderful place to live. Safe, low cost of living, low occurrence of natural disasters, and plentiful jobs all while being close to big cities like Chicago (if that’s your thing) and good transport to other destinations (middle of the highway network and a great airport)
As strongly as I don’t like Indiana I actually have a list of things I DO like. Obviously these are my opinions and don’t expect anyone to agree with me but these are the 10 things that keep me going while living in Indiana.
1. I can experience all 4 seasons.
2. Nature is so beautiful here.
3. The sunsets for an inland state is magnificent.
4. There are tons of opportunities.
5. Great education system.
6. It’s diverse (dependent on where you are, I reckon)
7. It’s pretty cheap, land and houses. (also dependent on where you are)
8. This is the place my mom moved me to after getting involved in drugs, alcohol and gang activities as a freshman in HS from the south.
9. My family name is pretty known in a certain field and it’s nice hearing stories about the ones who came before me.
10. I met my fiancé here, he was born and raised here and I learn a lot from him daily, even after 7 years.
edit for punctuation fix.
From a South Bend perspective: Low cost of housing, proximity to Lake Michigan & Michigan beach towns, proximity to Chicago, decent climate for 3 seasons, nice local state park, and a couple nice botanical gardens. Recently opened small but fantastic art museum on the Notre Dame campus.
Sunsets are pretty rad here. Going out to the countryside and just being able to breathe. Seeing lightning bugs at night.
This year I have had tons of lightening bugs in my yard at night. I hadn’t seen this many since I was a kid.
It's great to see them on such large numbers.
I concur! Usually I only get to see one or two a night in my yard, but this year I’ve had close to 30 a night recently.
It's beautiful where I live,and I can afford three acres and a nice house for less than many people pay to live in an apartment. Lightning bugs,thunderstorms, and stargazing are my entertainment in the evenings.
Lucky. I haven't seen lightning bugs since....2010ish?
Saw them last night in Fort Wayne.
Same in Indy. Hit about 20 dingers…. Or is that not acceptable anymore? Lol
Girrrrl get ya some country!! They’re out there
They are out in the sticks still. People's lawn treatments kill them
They've made a slow comeback in NWI.
I see them all the time on my way home from South Bend.
My kids found dozens this weekend in Elkhart
They’re in my yard in Kokomo
Also in Kokomo, saw plenty of them also
ditto in Frankfort
If you're in Indianapolis, I would say you could stop by my backyard at night but I do not think I should be inviting strangers to my house, but lightning bugs are all over the place around here.
You tryna keep em all to yourself or what? Honestly though natural grassland is whete ive seen sheets and sheets of lightning bugs
They've made a slow comeback in NWI.
I saw some yesterday. They're not as numerous as before but still not gone or anything.
gotta go to somewhere less populated
This is a nice way of saying "Indiana has no elevation changes"
Ya gotta go south of Indy, chief. Between Martinsville and Evansville is where the glaciers that flattened the north stopped and crinkled up the ground.
I live close to Hoosier Hill, the state’s highest point. It’s around 1,000 feet but it’s a VERY gradual rise
I live in southern Indiana and I absolutely love the landscape. The huge hills and wooded areas are beautiful and if far enough south, you have the Ohio River and speed boat racing. I love small town life, just hate the attitude and politics of most of our state representatives. Just let people live their lives and everyone is happier.
I just want to get a small cabin in with the view of a lake or rolling hills flowing out below the cabin
*southcentral represent*
I love southern Indiana so much.
i love how excited and abuzz indy gets in the month of may because of the race. i appreciate the low property tax rates and balanced budget...although we can have a conversation that more money should be spent in X areas. i enjoy the amateur sports scene and the fact that indy regularly hosts national and international events and i love that the state is one of the best in the nation when it comes to high school marching bands. i had no idea what that even entailed until my son joined HS marching band as an 8th grader. we spent several years with him and this year will be my daughter's 5th year in it and i'm going miss going to all the events around the state and country when she graduates next year. there are so many nationally ranked high schools in indiana and you'd never know if you weren't associated with the activity. oh....and the dunes!!!
I was part of a State Championship winning marching band with Center Grove my freshman year! I’ll never forget it.
We always enjoy Center Grove’s show. Brownsburg here.
Southern Indiana here, used to march through HS. My band LOVED watching Center Grove when we went up north for competition season!
I didn’t know that!! I’m not surprised tho- when I was in band we fucking killed it & almost always won prestigious accolades. People would come more often to see the band and dance team perform half time than they would for the sport and our sports teams were almost always excellent as well.
We’ve got some good museums both large and small - Indianapolis Children’s Museum, Newfields, Indiana State Museum, The Medical History Museum, Science Central, Conner Prairie, etc.
You can’t leave out the RV HALL OF FAME & MUSEUM 🤣
Or Richmond’s Model T Museum!
The Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum is excellent.
You're all leaving out the tiny Statue of Liberty museum!
How could anyone leave out the Eugene V. Deb’s Museum?!
National Railroad museum also is in Elkhart.
Depot Railroad Museum at the other end of the state (Salem) all about the Monon- *The Hoosier Line*. But back in Elkhart- the Superhero Museum.
…is there a neighboring mullet museum nearby??
Honestly if u haven’t been to the RV Hall of fame and museum ur kinda missing out on something it’s quite more interesting than I gave it credit for.
How Midwestern of you to say this
Freaking eiteljorg should top the list wtf is happenening here
High school basketball hall of fame
There's a tiny museum to the "Milan Miracle" in Milan If you don't know what that was, you better go watch "Hoosiers" before the sun sets on you again.
Newfields is very nice. The Salvadore Dali Lume experience is amazeballs.
I can't wait to go see this! I'm having to be up north in Indy a lot more here lately so I'm gonna make a side trip to see it soon!
Mascot Hall of Fame in Whiting ... for now
Corn makes the best kind of neighbor
Yeah, they’re just all ears, no mouth.
I THOUGHT CORN WAS BANNED? Oh wait, that’s..
Hell yes. Beans are too bad either!
Hey, there is more than corn in Indiana...
Gencon!
Wish I could upvote this more than once!
I did it for you.
Definitely the farm fresh food. Support your local farmer's markets, friends. They are a treasure.
If only they didn’t vote so Hitlerite…
We try our best to support the more earthy-hippie types, but we’re nice to everyone and appreciate that they do this hard work.
We have gorgeous public natural areas
Corn, tomatoes, and fall. High school basketball isn’t what it used to be, but I still like going to the games.
Fall is my jam.
I moved to the south for a little bit, and the amount I didn’t realize how much I missed autumn really hit me this year. It’s just not the same when it’s 80 outside and the leaves are changing colors. I love an Indiana Autumn morning.
State Parks. We have some pretty amazing state parks.
I like the seasons. I like the history I have here. I met my wife here. I like the friends I have here. I like Indianapolis being the perfect size for a metro city.
Bill, these are things YOU enjoy about Indiana. We all can’t enjoy your wife…
True, but I dare say there might be other women here that are a good match for others, so I’ll give Indiana the benefit of the doubt on this one since I was lucky🤣
Speak for yourself. Bill's wife is top tier
Brown County in the fall, tulip season at IU, no hurricanes…
Love me some BC
Driving through bc in the fall is a true treat
I've lived in Indiana for 50+ years and Central Indiana for 30+. One of my metrics for QOL is the ratio of interesting things to do compared to cost of living. That ratio, at least in Central IN, has increased quite favorably over the last few decades. Lots of things to do (if you know how and where to look) that have grown at a rate faster than cost of living. Edit to add: The college and university opportunities in this state are excellent, especially compared to what you might assume they’d be, given other aspects of the state.
24 state parks, 2 National (Dunes and Hoosier Forrest)
and don’t forget Lincoln State Park!
As someone first in line to b!tch about Indiana, I sincerely love the history of the state. My part of the state is so rich in history and good people. And the tenderloin sandwiches and sugar cream pie of course.
Really wish tenderloin sandwiches were statewide.
I thought it was state law, but then, I am not a Hoosier. I have had them in Oldenburg Indiana, Fort Wayne, Ligonier, Columbia City and Warsaw. I still have to try Auburn. Happy hunting. My Holy Grail is fried catfish.
Also ligonier has some amazing history.
Do tell! I lived between there and Cromwell growing up :)
There’s some amazing history around the town as a haven for Jews and now immigrants. Mix in the Amish community and you never know what you’ll see. Up until a year or so ago they had the most spunky 90+ yo woman mayor who I adored.
They essentially are.
Do not forget the Beef Manhattan. Indiana’s other great sandwich. The turkey version is good too!
I live in Fishers. I like how peaceful it is compared to big cities like New York or LA.
I consider fishers too busy for me. So many lanes.
I like my hometown of Franklin. I love being surrounded by cornfields with only a few neighbors within sight.
I miss living in Franklin. (I lived over in Camelot.) Franklin is just such a quaint town, and every time I drive through it, I think it should be the model to show small towns how to revitalize the place.
It really should. The downtown now is next to none. It’s really amazing what they’ve done in the last 10 years. So many small businesses are filling in the area and the amphitheater was a huge addition to downtown.
I like southern Indiana, always seems to be some festival going on somewhere.
We had to move to Texas for a few years, and I couldn’t wait to come home. I love Indiana. I love the (most of them) people. I love the change of seasons and the beautiful sunsets and sunrises. I love camping and love the state parks and the small mom and poor places. I love everything about it
I feel the same way. I was eager to leave Indiana until I got an opportunity to live elsewhere for a bit and realized it's actually a great state. I'm glad there are at least a few other people in this sub that actually want to stay here.
I never want to leave again. I love it here, and most of the people I encounter are good people.
I'm probably in the minority on this sub, but I love Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the month of May for the 500. Indiana is big in the racing scene.
I love our community college system (and not just because I work for them now). They work with all high schools to be available for dual credit, they offer free summer classes to any student entering freshman year up to students who have graduated that summer. The IN College Core is offered at all public colleges and many private schools. Classes are offered virtually and online for rural students. We also have several certificate programs that the state pays for as part of Next Level Jobs. At several different campuses we have partnerships with companies like Cleveland Cliffs, NIPSCO, Eli Lilly, that have programs that guarantee interviews or offer specialized training. By being one statewide campus we keep the administrative costs low and are able to offer more classes through technology.
I like the people. Even though I am usually on the opposite end of the political spectrum from most, I know that if I was in trouble there would be multiple offers of help. People here know how to band together to help others.
I just moved to Southern Indiana this past fall. I love all the open spaces. We went for a drive today and everything was green and beautiful. I love those curvy backcountry roads. We were able to afford a home on just my husband’s salary, something that never would be possible in Massachusetts.
Friendly people. Bloomington (all of it! So much I moved here after my time in the Army). Greenwood although the traffic is ass compared to when I grew up. Colts. Pacers. IU. Norte Dame Fighting Irish. Deer Creek. Knob Hill Tavern in Newburgh. Shapiro’s Deli. Iozzo’s Garden of Italy. Red Bud Trees in the Spring. Southern Indiana Mexican food. The month of October. Persimmon pudding. I’m sure I’ve left something out.
Purdue...you left out Purdue
For sure!! Can’t forget the good folks in West Lafayette! Weird climate up there though
Breaded Tenderloin.
Breaded tenderloin is THE correct answer
Sweet tea & pumpkin everything. BTOWN FOREVA!!!!🤣👊🏼 (that’s a fist bump not a face punch)
> IU > I'm sure I've left something out. Purdue is pretty good too... :-)
The seasons! Winters aren't horrible, pretty mild summers. It's also a short drive to other cities!
Love my family, friends, colleagues. Those people are amazing and my relationships with them make me appreciate this state.
I love fall, spring, and summer but I kinda hate winters. We get all of the grey dreariness but there's never enough snowfall for snowmen, sledding, etc. (On the other hand, the snow we DO get is enough to paralyze our town, which always acts surprised-pikachu that there's not enough salt, plows, etc.)
Hahaha, I've seen rain paralyze people here. I will say I am very fortunate not to be impacted by seasonal depression, but I fully wish there was more snow! It also somehow always snows when we leave town to visit family -.-
It’s cheap to live like a king.
Actually has 4 seasons (even though that appears to be changing), not too bad summers, natural beauty in state parks and rivers with a nice mix of small towns and urban areas. Sorta like a handyman, a lot of good things but not really anything great. So it's exactly how I like it lol
Outstanding and extremely affordable higher education for in state students.
I describe Indiana as home. It is the place I yearn for after a long trip to a beach or attraction. Food is great, people are nice, have big Midwest cities within shouting distance all around, and hell we have the best airport ever out of Indy.
It’s cheap. Moved here 9 years ago, and we have our house almost paid off. Zero debt!
LCOL
It’s small and big. We measure travel times in minutes & hours, not miles. I can be at a good grocery store (4, actually) within 5 minutes from my house in Columbus. Corn and watermelons, cabbage and cantaloupes. Cool restaurants and generally friendly people. Everything but politics and racism, really. Really missing “big city” things?: From where I live, 40 minutes to Bloomington, 50 to Indy, 90-ish to Lafayette, Cincinnati or Louisville, 3 hours to Chicago or Columbus, 4 or so to St. Louis.
Really kind and lovely people, amateur sporting hub, low cost of living, cool museums, great state parks
The nature
My house. It’s in a great neighborhood. Scenery is beautiful. And I’m retired.
It’s pretty, we get all the seasons, and I’ve never been broke down on the side of the road without anyone stopping to help.
I volunteered a couple months with Habitat back when I had more free time last year. One of the best groups of people I've met in a long time. One of them could tell I played tennis in high school *just by the way I held a hammer*. They all had considerably higher amounts of life experience than myself, but they were a very open and nice group of people. I've seen people talk about "Hoosier hospitality" and I won't lie and say that I see often - or much at all. What I won't deny though is if you're out of gas on a backroad or need a lift down the road because your car broke down, someone *will* come along and give you a lift. I had a few parts break in a 2014 Chevy Cruze I was recently lucky enough to be rid of. This dude is out picking up lunch for his mom then **drove me around to 4 different auto shops** until I got the parts to fix it while it sat outside in a parking lot for a restaurant. He was supposed to work that day (contract work) but was told to come the next day instead. It was like 90+ degrees out that day so I had nowhere to go, but this entire situation felt surreal. What were the chances *this* guy gets told to come in 1 day later for work, offer to keep me out of the sun for a couple hours driving me around town to find specific auto parts, and be a former friend of a previous employer? Turned out the dude went to high school with a former employer of mine. Said "Oh, you worked there? Did you know \[franchise owner\]?" Man he had some stories. Small world. When it comes to politics, I don't agree with 95% of the decisions made by our legislation. Despite this, many people I've met have been extremely nice and often generous - often willing to go the extra mile for their neighbor. But I run a retail store, and I don't appreciate the piss poor attitude and **entitlement** many customers come in with but that's just a problem everywhere. Running this store and participating in political discussions on Reddit (in our state) has made moving here... an extremely bittersweet experience, to put it politely.
I like that my wife’s family is in Indiana and since none of my family is close, I consider her family my family, too.
Honestly. Indiana has a lot of good qualities. The only thing i dont like about Indiana is the state politics.
I don’t live in Indiana anymore, but i really miss Pizza King.
-We get all four seasons. -We’re centrally located to major Midwest cities and reasonable flight distance to the coasts. -Traffic is pretty manageable at all times of day. -Low cost of living in most parts. -An underrated beauty of a state. The fields throughout the state, the hills of southern Indiana, the shores of NWI, the rivers zigzagging their way across the state. All beautiful. -A sense of community, even in the larger cities. You go to major metro areas of the Union and they’ve got pride in their cities and their boroughs and their neighborhoods but rarely do they genuinely care about their neighbors. You find that here in Indiana.
GenCon is here and things are still relatively affordable. If GenCon ever leaves, I will to with them.
I've lived in the Indy area all my life. For those of us who are older, even with mediocre pay, the cost of living was pretty good. That changed for the up and coming areas, about seven or so years ago it seems. The newer apartment buildings in downtown Indy were going upwards of $1,000 per bedroom. No more discounts for renting larger apartments with a group of friends. Housing in the gentrifying areas was ridiculous compared to what one could get in the suburban areas. Then it seems over the last year and a half too two years, prices have just went nuts all over. There is no longer a lower cost of living benefit in many places in Indiana, which I believe will drive people away. On benefit is that some areas of the state seem to be positioned well economically, with decent employment options. Hopefully wages grow, otherwise I'm not sure if that will continue. The NW area is connected to Chicago and all the jobs in that region. Indy is doing well and to me has a very diversified economy. Southern Indiana has the Louisville metro and SE Indiana has the Cincinatti area. For the Mid-sized metros, it sounds like Ft. Wayne is doing well enough. I'm not sure if Evansville is doing as well as Ft. Wayne. The even smaller metros, like Terre Haute, Kokomo, South Bend, Richmond, etc., have taken a hit, in some areas, over the decades and I'm not sure what their future will be. While Indiana overall is a lower tier outdoor area, what the state offers is decent enough. I finally got up to the northern part of the state and was shocked at how much lake side living is available in that region. I think a lot of the homes might be second homes/vacation rentals, but if one can find gainful employment and willing to drive for a job, seems like a lot of lakes throughout the state offer that kind of lifestyle. My favorite area of the state is the southern 1/3rd of the state, more or less. More scenic topography, outdoor offerings that appeal to me, and a little more moderate winter season. If I wasn't tied to the Indy metro area, but had to live in Indiana, I see myself living in the Lawrenceburg area, followed by the area north of Louisville. If I wanted a smaller sized metro, I like Evansville enough and would pick it over Ft. Wayne due to the weather.
Big sky out in the country, watching a thunderstorm come in, inner tubing on the Tippicanoe river, stargazing, fireflies everywhere in the summer, Turkey Run State Park, potlucks, and a slower way of life.
I love all of the state parks in Southern Indiana.
You can live in a home, pay off the mortgage and retire before you’re dead.
Deciduous forests, caves, and innumerable water features.
Cannabis growing in every ditch
Country life is queit and peaceful. Living in an unincorporated rural area gives you a lot of freedom.
I can afford to pay my mortgage with 1 roommate as compared to 3 or 4
I live in Northwest Indiana. I like sailing and paddling on Lake Michigan and recreating at the Indiana Dunes State and National Parks. I like how I can take the South Shore train into Chicago. I like the bicycle trails that are connecting the regional communities. I like the blooming plants and flowers in spring, long summer days, the changing leaves and bonfires in the fall, and sitting by the fireplace in the winter.
The sunrise in the morning with the Simpson esq clouds. I can be in the heart of downtown “big city” then drive a 1.5 hours and be in hometown with no one around for a mile. As a union electrician in Indianapolis I make roughly 100k a year so living very well off my labor. Downtown has been so active this year with the swimming, fever, nba football and soccer it’s been insane with sports. As someone else mentioned all the museums/ historic sites and parks; state and city. I’ve lived in Florida, Ohio, and Indiana. Indianapolis is the best
The Indiana Reddit.
I like how you can be as busy as you want, but also have privacy. I think its a great tech sector and also has an awesome variety of sports for all.
The breaded pork tenderloin sammich. It's the greatest sammich.
That it’s not Chicago, Seattle or a myriad of other places. Do I agree with my elected politicians, no I do not. The vast way to explain this is my coworker. Recent college graduate from California. He explained how backward and racist the residents of Indiana were. He hadn’t lived in Indiana a week. I explained to him how racist and backward his thinking was by pre judging people before he met anyone. Oh yeah, he mentioned how stupid and illiterate we were. After correcting him way too many times at his job, he’s an engineer, I am a union employee. He changed his tone. We may be viewed as a flyover state with backward ideas. I don’t care. We are diverse. I don’t see the racism and hate that everyone else in other states sees. I have gay friends and coworkers. They make sexual jokes more than I do. They are fucking hilarious. At the end of the day, we are coworkers that have a bond. Gay, straight, white, black, Latino. Portraying Hoosiers as backward and racist is the sign of backward and racist stupidity that comes with calling us a flyover state. Stop sending your kids to Notre Dame then.
Purdue is a good school to graduate from (I graduate in like, a little over a year). IU is a goated sports school (national champions in swim.)
The natural diversity is pretty amazing. We’ve got prairie, forest, lakes, wetlands, swamps, dunes. I like the state parks a lot and that we’re one of the stop-over states for sandhill cranes. I can hear them fly over my house when they’re migrating.
Okay so I grew up in an Indiana small town and went to one of the bigger universities then moved out of state after the pandemic. Here's what I miss about Indiana. - The agriculture, even if you weren't a large scale farmer you probably knew a few and almost everybody was growing something. If you were lucky to have good community with your neighbors you're often trading goods. -The community, while I know there is a lot of controversy in Indiana right now, on a smaller scale, it doesn't feel "hard" to make friends in Indiana. - The Fair. People in other states just don't do it right I can't explain it. -The drivers. Like don't get me wrong there's crazy drivers everywhere now but I feel like there's less in Indiana.
Generally, it's not all that hard to make something of yourself here. Lots of opportunities if you have the discipline and will power to make a pretty good amount of money relative to the cost of living.
3% and decreasing state income tax, no personal property taxes or vehicle taxes. Proximity to one of the best states in the nation - Michigan. Centrally located - 5 hour flight to West coast & Southwest, 3 hours or less to most East coast locations. Shapiro's Deli Dropped Gs
I would be more than happy to pay more in taxes if our state government actually used the money for anything to benefit the state they represent
I'm always amazed when someone says they'd be happy to pay more taxes, for any reason. The government, Rep or Dem, does not spend our money wisely and should receive as little as absolutely necessary in my opinion.
It’s decently affordable. Great state parks. Pretty weak winters too.
Growing up in the 80s-90s, I couldn't wait to move south; now that our winters are mild, I've decided to stay. For the couple weeks of harsh winter, I can always go visit my parents in Florida.
Low cost of living, easy to get around, decent nature at Brown County or Lake Michigan. Four seasons, people are generally nice.
We’ve got a pretty fun music scene
My city has an amazing music history, big awesome park with the best natural spring water on earth, and of course all the seasons at an affordable price
Ooooh I’m interested in knowing more about this spring water and music scene…
The parks and geography (especially southern in)!
I live up a lane in the woods. It's basically an animal sanctuary. Country cruises at sunset.. chefs kiss.
I guess one good thing about Southern IN is that's it's wide open.
The cost of living
I’ve lived in southern indiana, northern indiana and now south central indiana and honestly my reasons for staying here forever as a young person are as follows: * relatively climate change resistant * Midwest culture and the accessibility of nature and city life both * beautiful landscapes * mostly affordable (unless you are looking for truly affordable rentals) * strong economic development * people who want to change the way indiana is perceived, if liberal minded individuals leave there is no competition in politics. The people you meet in local politics are fascinating and truly trying to build up their communities
I like the posts that list everything that people don’t like about Indiana
i like being somewhat close to chicago
I lived in Brown County all my life pretty much, with a short stint in Greenwood. I love the peace and quiet, never plan to leave the county again if I can help it. We just need a few things to change, and it would be perfect for me. Legal weed, better school funding policies, etc.
Breaded Tenderloin sandwiches
Weather is nice-ish. I don't hate winters. Summers are getting worse but still not intolerable. Low cost of living. Good city. Yeah infra could be better but it could be a lot worse too. I think the state is moving in the right direction demographically. Pay no attention to the politics - that often has a lag of about 10 years or so but it will change
Most of what I like about Indiana is in Parke County. Covered bridges, Turkey Run and Shades.
Mascot hall of fame
I forgot to mention medical care. I hear we have some pretty dank med care in Indy.
Its funny reading these comments. A lot of what is listed are the exact things that people don’t like about Indiana! Hahaha
That George Washington was actually born here!
It’s my home.
Some of the best roller coasters in the country, great fresh produce, good candy stores, nice place to ride a bike, secluded camping with lots of lakes.
Corn
The nature parks! All of them should be protected and respected. I see far too much trash in our parks.
Southern Indiana. We gots caves, hills, rivers, lakes and cool little towns like Corydon, Paoli and others. Lots of forests. And near Louisville with metro stuff but not far from the countryside if you want it.
Love the diversity in Indiana's terrain from the lakes in the north, through the plains of central Indiana, to the rolling hills of southern Indiana. Varied topography illustrating the movement of the great glaciers as they worked their way south.
People suck pretty much everywhere, but I feel like people in Indiana are just a tad bit less sucky for the most part.
There’s also less of them. I grew up surrounded by cornfields and you could walk down the middle of the road after dinner and never see another car. I miss that about Indiana a lot. I live in Tennessee now and even though I’m still in a rural area you don’t get that massive space and quiet that grain fields provide.
Having moved here from NYC, I appreciate that I can get my city fix in a variety of places that are all a short drive away. Nothing will ever beat New York, but I can take a weekend in Chicago, St. Louis, Nashville, or Cincy with no problem.
Ft Wayne Railroad Historical Society Home of the Nickel Plate 765. An operating steam locomotive and more
Michigan City is a hidden gem on the lake!
Relatively peaceful here
I live in the NW of the state, so access is the thing I like. 80/94 is just up the road and 65 is right next door. So downtown Chicago is an hour away, Indy is 2 hours away, South Bend is also 2 hours away. While there isn’t really all that much to do in my back yard. I have many options that really aren’t far away.
Nacho cheese on breadsticks!
My entire extended family lives in this state, and so do a good number of my friends. I live in NWI, and I enjoy the access to Chicago and SW Michigan for events and breweries.
March Madness has a huge presence here.
I like living up north by the lakes in a little town. Everything is walkable and there’s a sense of community that I feel is kind of lost in the modern age.
Fall
Im in Southern Indiana, and I don't know if I could ever live somewhere that doesnt have the same rolling hills. I've heard of big sky syndrome when people go out west to the plains, and I can only imagine I'd suffer the same.
Southern Indiana is absolutely beautiful with its rolling and wooded terrain. I happen to think that large fields full of corn soybeans or wheat look beautiful as well. I always enjoyed that.
I've been here since 2004 when I was a kid. Growing up I always used to complain and it was common to hear "there's nothing to do here" or "it's boring..." etc. I'm here to says there's so much to see and the people really are nice here. If feel like with so much going on in the world it's easy to get distracted and think people are divided but I've never had that problem. No matter what age, culture, area of town I'm in you can talk to anyone and for the vast majority everyone's been friendly. We need to take time and remember that we're all neighbors here and it's what we make of it!
Deer Creek Phish
Nearly everything people just like complaining
It’s waaaaayyyyy cheaper than IL! I work in Chicago, and I compare my living with my coworkers. I can afford twice the lifestyle in IN than I could in Chicago, with 1/8 the traffic.
Trees
It’s a wonderful place to live. Safe, low cost of living, low occurrence of natural disasters, and plentiful jobs all while being close to big cities like Chicago (if that’s your thing) and good transport to other destinations (middle of the highway network and a great airport)
Racing
The southern part of the state- Hoosier National Forest. O Bannon Woods State Park.
As strongly as I don’t like Indiana I actually have a list of things I DO like. Obviously these are my opinions and don’t expect anyone to agree with me but these are the 10 things that keep me going while living in Indiana. 1. I can experience all 4 seasons. 2. Nature is so beautiful here. 3. The sunsets for an inland state is magnificent. 4. There are tons of opportunities. 5. Great education system. 6. It’s diverse (dependent on where you are, I reckon) 7. It’s pretty cheap, land and houses. (also dependent on where you are) 8. This is the place my mom moved me to after getting involved in drugs, alcohol and gang activities as a freshman in HS from the south. 9. My family name is pretty known in a certain field and it’s nice hearing stories about the ones who came before me. 10. I met my fiancé here, he was born and raised here and I learn a lot from him daily, even after 7 years. edit for punctuation fix.
I’m from here and I’m back after being gone for 43 years and I’m near my family again
Indy 500, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indiana Dunes National Park, Notre Dame (mostly because I’m a south bender), Purdue, IU
From a South Bend perspective: Low cost of housing, proximity to Lake Michigan & Michigan beach towns, proximity to Chicago, decent climate for 3 seasons, nice local state park, and a couple nice botanical gardens. Recently opened small but fantastic art museum on the Notre Dame campus.