Here & There – Indianapolis, IN
Indianapolis, Indiana –
Indianapolis is the nation’s 12th largest city and the capitol of Indiana. As the host of major sporting events and home to several professional sports teams, the Indianapolis 500, and headquarters for the NCAA, INDY has a strong sports history.
With a diverse economy based in healthcare, education, insurance and manufacturing, Indianapolis is the headquarters for Eli Lilly, Anthem Insurance, and Simon Property Group. St. Vincent Health and Indiana University Health are the two largest employers.
In 1970, the city of Indianapolis and Marion County consolidated into UniGov, expanding the city limits to include all unincorporated areas of the county. This consolidation continued in 2005, when the City Police Department merged with the County Sheriff.
Even though efforts over the past fifteen years to revitalize the city’s blighted areas and expand sports and convention facilities has led to accelerated growth of the central business district and fringe areas, Indianapolis faces several challenges for continued development. Increases in property and income taxes to fuel expansion and a sharp rise in crime rates were the top issues in this year’s mayoral race.
In 2013, the murder rate in Indianapolis exceeded Chicago, and increased again in 2014 – high enough to merit a ranking in the Top Ten Murder Capitols in the country. The IPD uses horseback and bicycle officers to patrol the city’s downtown areas, but certain areas of Indianapolis remain a concern for law enforcement officials.
Because Indiana state law limits the number of miles of state highways, US and IN state routes were re-routed on I-465 instead of through the center of the city, with all seven routes sharing the same right-of-way. With limited public transportation other than bus service, and the increase of urban sprawl due to interstate travel, the average commute time in Indianapolis is 35 minutes.
The population of Indianapolis is 843,393. The median household income in Indianapolis is $40,854, the median home value is $117,900 and the cost of living index is 89.1, higher than Decatur’s affordable 84.5.
Bayshore
Price: $149,900
Square Feet: 3263
Bedrooms: 4
Baths: 2.5
Garage: 2-car
Overlooks Lake Decatur, 3 levels, main floor master, stone fireplace, large deck.
Lakeland
Price: $149,900
Square Feet: 1379
Bedrooms: 3
Baths: 2
Garage: 2-car
3-season room, new laminate flooring, deck and firepit, easy access to interstate.
Here & There is sponsored by the Economic Development Corporation of Decatur & Macon County. Housing information provided by Realtor.com. For other cost of living comparisons go to www.decaturedc.com.
This article originally appeared in the June/July 2015 issue of Decatur Magazine.
It may not be reproduced or redistributed in whole or in part without the publisher’s consent.
© Copyright 2015 Decatur Magazine – First String Productions. All rights reserved.
