Los Angeles, CA → Indianapolis, IN
You'd keep $769 more a month in Indianapolis
+$9,228 a year for the same registered nurse, the same household size, and the same number of bedrooms.
In 2022-2023, 403 households moved Los Angeles → Indianapolis (avg AGI $80,816). 285 went the other way. The whole move →
| Per month | Los Angeles | Indianapolis | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $8,750 | $7,422 | −$1,328 |
| Income and payroll tax | $2,378 | $1,872 | −$506 |
| Take-home pay | $6,372 | $5,550 | −$822 |
| Rent | $2,276 | $1,205 | −$1,071 |
| Getting around | $674 | $545 | −$129 |
| Groceries | $476 | $368 | −$108 |
| Healthcare | $536 | $414 | −$122 |
| Utilities | $298 | $230 | −$68 |
| Everything else | $417 | $322 | −$95 |
| Left over | $1,697 | $2,466 | +$769 |
To break even in Indianapolis, you'd need to earn
$75,000
Household gross, versus $105,000 today. That's the salary that leaves you exactly as much at the end of the month as Los Angeles does now.
The tax difference alone
+$1,351
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 27.2% in Los Angeles, 25.2% in Indianapolis.
More about Indianapolis
Los Angeles, CA in full
Perfect weather, deep job market, and a car payment you can't avoid.
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 → Los Angeles →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.