Houston, TX → Indianapolis, IN
Moving to Indianapolis costs you $689 a month
−$8,268 a year for the same registered nurse, the same household size, and the same number of bedrooms.
In 2022-2023, 211 households moved Houston → Indianapolis (avg AGI $57,100). 356 went the other way. The whole move →
| Per month | Houston | Indianapolis | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $7,958 | $7,412 | −$546 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,661 | $1,868 | +$208 |
| Take-home pay | $6,298 | $5,544 | −$754 |
| Rent | $1,199 | $1,205 | +$6 |
| Getting around | $572 | $545 | −$27 |
| Groceries | $380 | $368 | −$12 |
| Healthcare | $428 | $414 | −$14 |
| Utilities | $238 | $230 | −$8 |
| Everything else | $333 | $322 | −$11 |
| Left over | $3,149 | $2,460 | −$689 |
To break even in Indianapolis, you'd need to earn
$101,500
Household gross, versus $95,500 today. That's the salary that leaves you exactly as much at the end of the month as Houston does now.
The tax difference alone
−$4,435
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 20.9% in Houston, 25.2% in Indianapolis.
More about Indianapolis
Houston, TX in full
The cheapest housing of any top-10 metro, paid for in property tax and humidity.
Indianapolis, IN in full
Cheap housing, a 3% flat state tax, and a short commute.
The reverse move
Same two cities, but starting from Indianapolis on Indianapolis wages.
Indianapolis → Houston →Rent is Zillow's asking rent for each metro; taxes and living costs are modelled. An estimate, not a quote or tax advice. How this is calculated.