Top questions about moving to Indianapolis 

Most frequently asked questions about living in Indianapolis

1. Is Indianapolis safe?

If you have considered moving to Indianapolis, one of the first things you likely looked into was the safety rating of the city. Unfortunately for Indy, it isn’t really glowing reviews. Not only are the safety ratings pretty poor, Indianapolis actually has somewhat of a reputation for being a dangerous city.

This isn’t entirely fair because Indy is a very large metropolitan area; there are over 2 million people in the greater Indianapolis area. When you have so many people all living in the same place, there is going to be more of everything – crime included.

Some parts of Indianapolis are more crime-dense than others. There are some areas where yes, it’s fairly safe to say you wouldn’t want to live here if you have a family or live alone as a single woman. But for the most part, Indy is a safe and comfortable place to live. Areas like downtown, and some of the older, more urban parts of town have higher crime rates than the suburbs. This is pretty universal in any big city. Most of the crime in Indianapolis is theft and vandalism, not violent crime. If you want to move to Indy, don’t let the crime rate deter you right off the bat.

2. Is there anything to do in Indianapolis?

When people come to me with questions about living in Indianapolis this one comes up a lot. Along with its sheer size comes a wealth of things to do. There is so much to do in Indianapolis, in fact, that it can actually be overwhelming! Everywhere you turn there is something to do. Because Indiana experiences all four seasons, much of the activities in Indianapolis are seasonal.

If you don’t know what to do during any given time of the year, visit a few of the best websites that have done the footwork for you! Visitindy.com, indywithkids.com, and do317.com are all great resources for finding fun things to do on any budget.

Indianapolis is a sports town, so if you enjoy watching professional sports, you’ll be among great company! Even if you don’t make it to the actual games, there are countless sports bars and places to go out and about to watch the game with friends and enjoy a few drinks.

The music and entertainment scene in Indianapolis is surprising to some, given the fact that Indy is plopped more or less in the middle of cornfields. Indianapolis has a number of stadiums and amphitheaters, some of which host huge acts from around the world to local Indiana talent.

Learn More: Top Five Indianapolis Suburbs for Families to live

3. What is the traffic like in Indianapolis?

This is a loaded question because traffic perceptions are extremely relative. So, my “take this with a grain of salt” answer is “It’s really not that bad.” If you are coming from a small town it will feel like a lot of traffic. But relative to other cities of the same size, the traffic in Indianapolis is really manageable. The infrastructure around town is constantly being improved to support the flow of traffic so it’s seemingly always getting better. Of course, this construction causes delays and traffic while it’s happening, but it certainly means things will be better in the near future!

The main reasons for traffic congestion in Indianapolis are high traffic hours and poor road conditions. Rush hour is a thing almost anywhere you live. The streets headed to and from the suburbs can get really congested before and after work hours. The weather conditions also have an impact on the traffic. If there is snow or ice on the roads, drivers quickly revert to driver’s ed driving tactics, leaving the road full of motorists going 30 miles an hour.

But even in the worst of traffic conditions in Indianapolis, it still really doesn’t add much more than a few minutes to your commute.

4. Is there anything to do in Indy during the winter?

We mentioned how the activities in Indianapolis are seasonal, so what is there to do when that season is winter? If you are an avid snow bunny that wants to head to the nearest ski slope five times a week, unfortunately, Indianapolis is not the place for you. There actually is skiing in Indiana, but it’s down south in Southern Indiana where the terrain is far more wooded and hilly. With the relatively small amount of snow that Indy gets throughout the winter, if you enjoy any snow activities outdoors, they won’t be available too often.

Even though there isn’t much to go do outside during the winter in Indianapolis, there’s still plenty to do! The websites mentioned above are really useful when it comes time to try to find something to do for a restless, cooped up family. Some people feel that the winter in Indiana is a welcomed respite. It’s nice to take a break from running around to just enjoy time indoors having a family game night, reading a book, or heading to a cozy brewery to try a few seasonal beers. Like any place, you will find things to do in the fall and winter, they just look different across the county.

Learn More: Great Places to live West of Indianapolis

5. Why don’t I live in the areas I showcase?

I talk about a lot of wonderful places to live in Indianapolis, but obviously, most of them are not where I live. People often ask why I talk about the great features of various parts of town but wouldn’t live there myself. The fact is, it’s not that I wouldn’t live there, I just wouldn’t live there right now.

At this point in my life I have a family, kids – we need more space and want a family-friendly environment. But I would love to live downtown. I would love to live in one of the older historic neighborhoods with the steep price tags. These places just aren’t for me in this season of my life. The right place for you might not be the right place for me,