Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Verdict
Less Favorable
Cost Index: 95.7 → 98.1
Rent Delta: +$379/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + Better student-teacher ratios

Cons of Moving

  • - $379/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
  • - Higher violent crime rate
  • - More environmental violations

Moving from Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood to Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos shifts your BEA Regional Price Parity from 95.7 to 98.1 (100 = US average), so a Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood salary needs to be multiplied by 1.02 to hold the same purchasing power in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos. On rent, HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom goes from $1,473/month in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood to $1,852/month in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos - a higher monthly bill of $379, or $4,548/year. That rent delta alone is often the single biggest line item when relocating.

Wages tell the other half. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics report a median salary of $70,366 in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood versus $71,789 in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos - a raw gap of $1,423 higher. The Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos labor market has 1,265,270 tracked jobs against 1,085,370 in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, shaping how easy it is to find a comparable role. Combine that with the cost-of-living shift above and you get the real purchasing-power delta, sometimes a "higher salary" is actually a pay cut once rent and RPP are applied.

Safety, schools, and childcare round out the move. FBI UCR violent crime rates near Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood and Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos are 308 and 395 per 100,000 (state-level). NCES student-teacher ratios run 15.9:1 at origin versus 14.7:1 at destination. Our composite verdict - Less Favorable - weighs all seven federal sources; the dimension table below lets you override that with your personal priorities.

Dimension
Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos
Winner
💰 Cost of Living
RPP 95.7
RPP 98.1
Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood
🏠 Rent (2BR)
$1,473/mo
$1,852/mo
Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood
💼 Wages
$70,366
$71,789
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos
🔒 Crime
308 per 100K
395 per 100K
Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood
🎓 Schools
15.9:1
14.7:1
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos
👶 Childcare
N/A
$7,566/yr
Tie
🌿 Environment
1467 violations
33822 violations
Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood

Salary Adjustment Calculator

Enter your current salary in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood to see what you'd need to earn in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos
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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos more expensive than Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood?
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos has an RPP of 98.1 compared to Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood's 95.7 (100 = national average). Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos is more expensive overall. The 2BR rent in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos is $1,852/mo vs $1,473/mo in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood.
What are salaries like in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos compared to Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood?
The median salary in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos is $71,789 compared to $70,366 in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood. That's a +$1,423 difference.
Is Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos safer than Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood?
The violent crime rate near Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos is 395 per 100K vs 308 per 100K near Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood (state-level data). Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood has a lower crime rate.
How much would I need to earn in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos to match my Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood salary?
To maintain the same purchasing power, multiply your Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood salary by 1.02. For example, a $75,000 salary in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood would need to be $76,857 in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos. Use the salary calculator above for your exact figure.
What does the "Less Favorable" verdict mean?
The verdict is computed from 7 dimensions, cost of living, rent, wages, crime, schools, childcare, and environment, using federal data. "Less Favorable" means the origin edges ahead on balance. Individual priorities may shift the balance, weigh the dimensions that matter most to you.

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Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA June 2026

Data Sources

  • Cost of Living: Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities
  • Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR)
  • Wages: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES)
  • Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) - state level
  • Schools: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
  • Childcare: Department of Labor (DOL) - state level
  • Environment: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)