Pros & Cons of Living in Noblesville

Pros of Living in Noblesville: 

Noblesville schools are highly rated.

Nearly all of the Indianapolis suburbs have fantastic public school systems. This is just one of the many reasons Indianapolis is such a great place to raise a family. Noblesville schools are outstanding, but are sometimes overshadowed by other nearby school systems. This is likely because the other schools are just bigger. Carmel High School, for example, is the biggest public school in Indiana. 

Being smaller does not diminish Noblesville schools. In fact, schools with smaller student body populations often tend to be a better fit for many kids. With less competition for teacher’s attention, sports teams, and even friends, students are given a bit more of a buffer to just be kids, and get support when and where they need it.

Learn More: Why Noblesville IN is such a different Indy Suburb

Noblesville has a little bit of everything

Even if it isn’t the biggest Indy suburb, Noblesville brings a lot to the table. Golfing, entertainment, shopping, dining, parks, outdoor activities…the list goes on. Morse Reservoir is a beautiful area with public access to the water, perfect for dropping in a boat, or just enjoying a picnic on the beach. Hamilton Town Center is the perfect one-stop shop for all of your retail therapy needs, and with plenty of dining options; you can make a day of it. 

Though Noblesville has maintained much of its historic architecture, you can still find large chain retailers all over town, from grocery stores, to home goods, to hardware stores. There truly isn’t very much you would need to leave Noblesville to get.

Noblesville is affordable.

Carmel and Zionsville have always been known for being pricey. Fishers was once more affordable, but now isn’t far behind. But in Noblesville, not only are the prices still reasonable, you have a huge selection to choose from. Unlike Carmel, where there’s a lot of new construction and many of the homes look the same, you’ll see many looks and different kinds of character in Noblesville. Everything from historic homes, to mid-century homes, to new construction can be found here, and they come in all shapes and sizes too.  

With so many options available, this means you can find something that fits your family size and budget, and also probably has a bit of its own charm as well.  If you have a bigger budget to work with, you can find absolutely stunning homes in Noblesville that will still come at a lower price than you’d find elsewhere. On Morse Reservoir, you can find lakefront homes for 500K, that’s nearly half of the average price for waterfront realty.

Learn More: Pros & Cons of Living in Carmel, IN

Cons of Living in Noblesville:

Noblesville has a somewhat inconvenient location.

Undoubtedly, Noblesville is just really far north. It lies to the northeast of Carmel and Fishers, and those are already pretty far north of Indianapolis itself. If you work in Downtown, or like to go there often, this is going to be a haul for you. If you work on the northern end of town, this might not be such a big deal to you. 

Though you can get nearly anything you might need there, if you do need to leave, the commute won’t be short. People sometimes like this area for that reason; because they really feel like they can get out of the hustle and bustle of city life, but it can be considered by some to be a con.

*Special note: If you’re a frequent flier, Noblesville has one of the longest commutes to and from the Indianapolis airport of all of the Indy suburbs. To those who fly rarely for the occasional vacation or work trip, this may not be of importance.

Learn More: The FIVE Most Underrated Places to live around Indianapolis

The White River runs right through the city.

The White River is not only beautiful, but provides Noblesville residents with fun outdoor activities in the summertime, such as kayaking or tubing down the river. But it also runs right through town, and getting from one side to the other can be a bit tricky. Luckily, nobody is going to have to ford the river on a hand-hewn log raft as our westward bound ancestors did, but it still isn’t extremely easy. 

There are only a few places in town that provide access from one side of the river to the other. This means if you want to get across town, even if your prospective location is close in latitude to your current spot, you might have to travel pretty far north or south to cross the river. Not inaccessible, but inconvenient for sure.

Noblesville doesn’t feel as “new” as other Northern Indy Suburbs.

Noblesville was founded in the 1800’s, and many of its hand-laid brick streets and sidewalks are still around today. Historic buildings have been maintained, and even the new infrastructure does a great job of blending in with the old. The Noblesville downtown area is alive and thriving with unique shops and restaurants. But you will notice quickly that Noblesville lacks the newness that many other nearby suburbs have. 

Though its historic aspects are charming and unique, there hasn’t been much change in Noblesville over the years. Because of this, you can find parts of town that are a bit rundown. This doesn’t mean they are dangerous, but they might be considered by some to be unsightly.  The older nature of much of Noblesville also lends to its affordability. Charming as it may be, if you are looking for a suburb with constant growth and new infrastructure, Noblesville might not be the place for you.