Moving from Iowa to Indiana
Moving to Indiana on the same salary cuts your real buying power by 7.8%; you'd need about $82,500 to break even. Change the salary below to see your own numbers.
Equal salary in IN: $82,500
To keep the same lifestyle, you need about $82,500 in Indiana to match $75,000 in Iowa ($7,500 more), after 2026 taxes and local prices.
Single filer, W-2 salary, standard deduction.
These changes cover taxes, housing and electricity. Food, transport, healthcare, other spending and one-time moving costs are excluded. They are not total savings. State medians may differ from your neighborhood and current quotes.
| Tax on $75,000 | Iowa | Indiana |
|---|---|---|
| Federal income tax | $7,670 | $7,670 |
| Social Security + Medicare | $5,738 | $5,738 |
| State income tax | $2,198 | $3,404 |
| State payroll programs (UI, disability, paid leave, transit) | $0 | $0 |
| Take-home pay | $59,394 | $58,189 |
Key facts: Iowa to Indiana
- Median rent
- $981 → $1,104/mo
- Median home value
- $227,300 → $243,500
- Price level (U.S. = 100)
- 87.8 → 93.3
- Road distance
- ≈ 440 miles
- Natural hazard risk (FEMA)
- Above average (62.8 → 72.5 of 100)
What changes when you move to Indiana
- Your state taxes rise by about $1,206 a year on the same $75,000 salary.
- BEA's housing price index is 13% higher in Indiana. Median rent goes from $981 to $1,104 a month and the median home value from $227,300 to $243,500.
- Homeowners pay less property tax: the median bill is $1,798 in Indiana vs $2,937 in Iowa.
- The average home electric bill is $133 a month in Indiana vs $112 in Iowa (EIA 2024), about $258 a year more.
Who moves from Iowa to Indiana
In the latest IRS migration data (2022–2023), 540 households (983 people) filed their taxes in Indiana after filing in Iowa the year before. That makes Indiana the #19 destination for people leaving Iowa. These households reported an average adjusted gross income of $60,593. Going the other way, 588 households moved from Indiana to Iowa, a net loss of 48 households for Indiana.
Five-year trend
Moves from Iowa to Indiana peaked in 2020–21 at 697 households, then fell 23% by 2022–23. That is still down 1% from 2018–19.
Source: IRS SOI state-to-state migration files, tax years 2018–19 to 2022–23.
Cost to move from Iowa to Indiana
Moving cost: $440–$6,400
Moving about 440 miles from Iowa to Indiana costs roughly $440 – $6,400, depending on how much of the work you hire out.
Distance between the states' population centers by road (estimate).
| Moving method | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Rental truck (DIY) Truck rental, taxes and fees. Add fuel, damage coverage, lodging and your time. | $440 – $1,320 |
| Moving container You pack and load; the company drives the container. | $1,230 – $2,560 |
| Full-service movers Packing, loading, transport and unloading. | $2,040 – $6,400 |
These ranges are based on summer (peak-season) quotes. A move between October and April usually costs less: peak prices run 20–30% higher.
A rental truck also burns about 44 gallons of fuel over this distance. One-way truck rental prices depend on direction: a truck headed where many people are moving often costs more than the same trip in reverse.
Ranges combine 198 published quote ranges on 22 interstate routes (moveBuddha, retrieved 2026-09-24) with 47 independent published prices from U-Pack, HireAHelper and Move.org, which raised the top of several ranges. They are not quotes; get at least three written estimates.
Alaska and Hawaii ranges come from published carrier rates and moving quotes, dated in each row (Matson's household-goods rates, U-Pack, Royal Hawaiian Movers). See how we estimate.
Shipping a car from Iowa to Indiana
Car shipping: $670–$1,010
Shipping a sedan from Iowa to Indiana on an open carrier costs about $670–$1,010, typically 1–4 days in transit over about 440 miles.
Modeled from 32 published 2026 route prices (SGT Auto Transport 'Ship a Car to Another State' sample routes, SGT Auto Transport cost calculator sample routes) plus published Hawaii and Alaska rates. SUVs cost about 25% more and enclosed carriers about 35% more. Not a quote.
Iowa vs Indiana take-home pay at every salary
| Salary | Equal salary in IN | Take-home change | Take-home in IA | Take-home in IN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $54,700 | -$1,006 | $41,107 | $40,101 |
| $75,000 | $82,500 | -$1,206 | $59,394 | $58,189 |
| $100,000 | $109,400 | -$1,406 | $76,032 | $74,626 |
| $150,000 | $163,500 | -$1,806 | $108,743 | $106,937 |
| $250,000 | $272,200 | -$2,606 | $174,334 | $171,728 |
Single filer, 2026 tax rules, standard deduction. "Equal salary" keeps the same after-tax buying power.
Cost of living: Iowa vs Indiana
| Measure | Iowa | Indiana |
|---|---|---|
| Overall price level (U.S. = 100) | 87.8 | 93.3 |
| Housing price index | 65.3 | 73.9 |
| Utilities price index | 83.3 | 85.5 |
| Goods price index | 93.7 | 95.5 |
| Median rent (monthly) | $981 | $1,104 |
| Median home value | $227,300 | $243,500 |
| Median property tax (yearly) | $2,937 | $1,798 |
| Electricity (residential) | 15.93¢/kWh | 17.51¢/kWh |
| State sales tax rate | 6% | 7% |
| Median household income | $75,501 | $71,959 |
Renting and buying: Iowa vs Indiana
| Measure | Iowa | Indiana |
|---|---|---|
| Income to rent the median home (30% rule) | $39,240 | $44,160 |
| Monthly cost to own the median home (20% down) | $1,567 | $1,548 |
| Income needed to buy the median home | $67,151 | $66,342 |
| Homeowners insurance (yearly median, homes with a mortgage) | $1,421 | $1,304 |
| Infant child care (center, yearly) | $12,694 | $16,478 |
Mortgage at the Freddie Mac 30-year average with 20% down, plus the median property tax and the median homeowners insurance that owners with a mortgage paid in 2024 (Census ACS). Premiums have risen in most states since then, so get quotes. See buying a home in Indiana for other down payments.
Your yearly budget: Iowa vs Indiana
On a $75,000 salary, taxes, housing, electricity, one car and health insurance for one adult come to $37,685 a year in Iowa and $40,181 in Indiana if you rent: $2,496 more after the move. If you buy the median home, they come to $44,715 and $45,509 ($794 more).
Your yearly budget, before vs after
| Yearly cost | IA | IN | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income and payroll taxes on $75,000, single filer | $15,606 | $16,812 | +$1,206 |
| Electricity state average bill | $1,338 | $1,597 | +$259 |
| Car insurance one car, state average | $873 | $926 | +$53 |
| Gas 12,000 miles at 25 mpg | $2,084 | $1,910 | -$174 |
| Health insurance one adult, age 40, own plan before subsidies | $6,012 | $5,688 | -$324 |
| If you rent | |||
| Rent median, 12 months | $11,772 | $13,248 | +$1,476 |
| Total if you rent | $37,685 | $40,181 | +$2,496 |
| If you buy the median home (20% down) | |||
| Mortgage payment median home, 20% down, 6.95% | $14,444 | $15,474 | +$1,030 |
| Property tax median home | $2,937 | $1,798 | -$1,139 |
| Homeowners insurance state median, with a mortgage | $1,421 | $1,304 | -$117 |
| Total if you buy | $44,715 | $45,509 | +$794 |
Taxes: 2026 federal and state rules, standard deduction. Rent, home value and property tax: Census ACS 2024 state medians. Mortgage: Freddie Mac 30-year average (6.95%, week of September 17, 2026).
State figures: EIA 2024 average residential power bill, NAIC 2023 auto insurance (average per car), Census ACS 2024 homeowners insurance (median for owners with a mortgage; premiums have risen since), AAA regular gas on September 23, 2026, and the KFF 2026 benchmark silver Marketplace premium. Job-based health coverage usually costs you less, and in 2026 incomes between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level can get a premium tax credit.
Not included: sales tax (combined state and local rates are not in our data yet), food, car payments and other spending.
Child care is not in the totals. Full-time center care for one infant averages $12,694 a year in Iowa and $16,478 in Indiana (Child Care Aware of America, 2024 state averages).
Cost of living in Indiana cities: Indianapolis, Fort Wayne.
After you arrive in Indiana
- Indiana new resident checklist: driver license and vehicle registration deadlines.
- Taxes the year you move: part-year returns in Iowa and Indiana.
- How Indiana taxes retirement income.
Frequently asked questions
How much salary do I need in Indiana to live like I do in Iowa?
A $75,000 salary in Iowa works out to about $82,500 in Indiana once 2026 federal and state taxes and BEA regional price levels are counted. At $100,000 it is about $109,400.
Will I pay less tax in Indiana than in Iowa?
No, about $1,206 more a year in income and payroll taxes on a $75,000 salary (20.8% of pay in Iowa vs 22.4% in Indiana). Property and sales taxes are shown separately.
How much does it cost to move from Iowa to Indiana?
For a 2–3 bedroom home over about 440 miles, expect roughly $440–$1,320 with a rental truck, $1,230–$2,560 with a moving container, or $2,040–$6,400 with full-service movers.
Are more people moving from Iowa to Indiana?
Moves from Iowa to Indiana peaked in 2020–21 at 697 households, then fell 23% by 2022–23. That is still down 1% from 2018–19.
How many people move from Iowa to Indiana?
IRS migration data for 2022–2023 show 540 households (983 people) moved from Iowa to Indiana, making Indiana the #19 destination for people leaving Iowa. 588 households moved the other way.
Is Indiana cheaper than Iowa?
Overall prices in Indiana are 6.3% higher than Iowa (BEA Regional Price Parities 2024). Median rent is $1,104 vs $981 a month.
Compare other moves
Where people from Iowa actually move
- IA to Illinois 4,586 households
- IA to Nebraska 3,156 households
- IA to Minnesota 2,819 households
- IA to Texas 2,432 households
- IA to Florida 2,080 households
- IA to Missouri 2,029 households
- IA to Wisconsin 1,768 households
- IA to Colorado 1,504 households