Moving from Seattle to Indianapolis
Moving to Indianapolis costs you $936 a month
−$11,232 a year for the same registered nurse, the same household size, and the same number of bedrooms.
Seattle leftover
$3,402
a month after tax and rent
Indianapolis leftover
$2,466
−$936 vs Seattle
In 2022-2023, 115 households moved Seattle → Indianapolis (avg AGI $95,765). 188 went the other way. The whole move →
| Per month | Seattle | Indianapolis | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $9,375 | $7,422 | −$1,953 |
| Income and payroll tax | $2,081 | $1,872 | −$209 |
| Take-home pay | $7,294 | $5,550 | −$1,744 |
| Rent | $1,761 | $1,205 | −$556 |
| Getting around | $493 | $545 | +$52 |
| Groceries | $452 | $368 | −$84 |
| Healthcare | $508 | $414 | −$94 |
| Utilities | $283 | $230 | −$53 |
| Everything else | $395 | $322 | −$73 |
| Left over | $3,402 | $2,466 | −$936 |
To break even in Indianapolis, you'd need to earn
$106,500
Household gross, versus $112,500 today. That's the salary that leaves you exactly as much at the end of the month as Seattle does now.
The tax difference alone
−$4,441
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 22.2% in Seattle, 25.2% in Indianapolis.
More about Indianapolis
Seattle, WA in full
No state income tax and high wages, offset by home prices and 150 sunny days.
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 → Seattle →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Indianapolis than Seattle?
A one-bedroom is about $1,761 in Seattle versus $1,205 in Indianapolis. On a one-adult, one-bedroom household, leftover is about $936 a month lower in Indianapolis. Change the job or household on the comparison to see your number.
Does Indianapolis have state income tax?
Indianapolis is in Indiana, which taxes wage income, plus a local wage tax of 2.02%.
What changes if you move from Seattle to Indianapolis?
Take-home pay is recalculated under Indiana tax, rent is priced at the same bedroom count, and leftover is the gap. The from-to page also lists IRS households that already made the move, when that data exists.
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.