Rent affordability
How much rent can you afford in Indiana?
At Indiana's median household income of $71,959, the 30% rule leaves about $1,568 a month for rent after about $230 in utilities, internet, and renters insurance. 1-bedroom medians run from $671 in the Terre Haute metro to $1,223 in the Columbus metro. Each of the 8 city pages below adds its metro's rent and local utilities.
Max rent in Indiana
$1,568/mo
30% of gross income is $1,798 a month. Utilities, internet, and renters insurance take $230, which leaves $1,568 for rent.
Metro 1-bedroom medians here run from $671 to $1,223. Pick a city below to compare one with your max.
- Take-home
- $4,775/moAfter estimated federal tax, state tax, and FICA.
- Move-in cash
- $3,136First month and a one-month deposit, at your max rent.
- Landlord screen
- $1,998/moHighest rent if a landlord wants income of 36× the rent.
Monthly budget
Where take-home pay of $4,775 goes at your max rent of $1,568. Each slice is its share of take-home.
- Rent33%$1,568
- Electric, gas, water3%$145
- Internet2%$71
- Renters insurance<1%$14
- Left over62%$2,977
Housing comes to $1,798 a month, 30% of gross income and 38% of take-home. That leaves $2,977 for food, transportation, savings, and everything else.
Rent by metro in Indiana
Cities in the same metro share its median rent, as of August 2026. Each city page compares that rent with your max and adds local utilities and Census figures for the city.
Indianapolis metro
$1,079 1-bed
Fort Wayne metro
$941 1-bed
South Bend metro
$959 1-bed
Evansville metro
$839 1-bed
Lafayette metro
$990 1-bed
Terre Haute metro
$671 1-bed
Bloomington metro
$1,088 1-bed
Columbus metro
$1,223 1-bed
Household income in Indiana
The U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 American Community Survey 1-year estimates put median household income in Indiana at $71,959. That was up 0.6% from $71,519 in 2023. The margin of error on the 2024 figure is $630. The estimate covers income of everyone age 15 or older in the household, in 2024 inflation-adjusted dollars.
Household utility bills in Indiana
These are typical monthly bills for all household types in Indiana, not an apartment quote. The rent calculator uses a smaller apartment estimate for electricity, gas, water, sewer, and trash, plus the internet row. The all-household core of those housing bills is $397 a month.
| Bill | Monthly |
|---|---|
| Electricity | $140 |
| Natural gas | $87 |
| Water | $38 |
| Sewer | $71 |
| Trash | $61 |
| Internet | $71 |
Methodology and sources
Updated . Max rent is 30% of gross monthly income minus estimated utilities, internet, and renters insurance. If you enter other bills, max rent also keeps housing plus those bills within 36% of gross income, a debt-to-income ratio lenders generally consider good. Take-home pay uses 2026 federal brackets, Indiana's 2025 single-filer income tax brackets, and FICA. Metro rents are Apartment List estimates. City pages add Census American Community Survey 5-year estimates. See how Indiana's metros compare in the rent affordability rankings. None of this is tax, legal, or housing advice.