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Indianapolis, IN


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Indianapolis, Indiana

Introduction to Indianapolis, Indiana

Indianapolis, the largest city in Indiana and its state capital, is located in the center of the state on the White River. Settled in 1820, "Indy" was incorporated as a city in 1832 and saw tremendous growth with the advent of railroads in the 1840s and the automobile industry at the turn of the century. Today, Indianapolis is the twelfth-largest city in the United States, with a steadily-growing population of around 800,000 and a strong, diverse economy supported by manufacturing, agriculture and the service industries. Leading employers in the area include electronics, pharmaceuticals, publishing, food processing and insurance companies. Indianapolis is one of the busiest convention centers in the country.

Indianapolis Culture

Cultural attractions in Indianapolis are plentiful. Some of the finest art and artifact collections in the country can be seen at the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians & Western Art and at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. The latter is set on 52-acre grounds with the restored mansion of J.K. Lilly Jr., surrounded by beautiful gardens. The city is also home to the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, the Indiana Repertory Theatre and Indianapolis Civic Theatre.

Indianapolis Sports and Leisure

The NBA's Indiana Pacers (18,000-seat Conseco Fieldhouse) and the NFL's Indianapolis Colts (56,000-seat RCA dome) bring major league sports to downtown Indianapolis. Other pro teams include the Fever (WNBA), the Indians (minor league baseball), the Firebirds (Arena Football) and Blast (USL soccer), but the area is best known as the home of the Indianapolis 500 road race and a hotbed of college basketball. A few miles west of downtown, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) packs in more than 250,000 spectators each Memorial Day weekend for the Indy 500, a tradition since 1911. The IMS also houses a Hall of Fame Museum and part of a golf course. Within an hour's drive are perennial NCAA basketball tournament powerhouses Indiana, Indiana State and Purdue. Within a 2-hour drive are Notre Dame, Louisville and Cincinnati.

Indianapolis Outdoors

There's a lot to do in the Indiana outdoors. Brown County Park, just 46 miles away in Nashville (IN), is Indiana's largest park, offering 12 miles of hiking trails, cabins and camping facilities, horseback riding, and great lakes for fishing. A 2-hour drive away, the Falls of Ohio State Park on the Ohio River in Clarksville offers fishing, hiking and 386-million-year-old fossils, which can be viewed when the Ohio River recedes in early autumn.

Indianapolis at Night

There's always something going on at night downtown; another popular area about a mile away is Fountain Square, a renovated factory loaded with shops, restaurants, bowling alleys and a theatre. Although Indianapolis doesn't have the large student population of comparably sized cities, it has many huge colleges within a reachable radius. Indianapolis ranks among the cleanest, safest, most affordable and easiest-to-get-to cities, making it easy to get-to-know.

Recognizing Indianapolis

Indianapolis ranked #6 on BestJobsUsa.com's 2002 list of the Best Places to Live and Work in America and #27 on the Forbes 2004 list of the Best Cities for Singles.

Yellow Pages Trussville, Alabama

High Points

Indianapolis strengths, compared to Peers (similar size places nationally) or State (other places in Indiana):

CategoryTrophy
Racial Diversity
(vs. State)
Top 2%trophyIndianapolis Racial Diversity
Public Transportation Use
(vs. State)
Top 4%trophyIndianapolis Public Transportation Use
Well-Paid Single Women
(vs. State)
Top 9%Indianapolis Well-Paid Single Women
College Educated Adults
(vs. State)
Top 10%Indianapolis College Educated Adults
Well-Paid Single Men
(vs. State)
Top 12%Indianapolis Well-Paid Single Men

Comparative Profile of Indianapolis, IN

Comparing Indianapolis to similar size places nationwide (Peers) and to other places in Indiana (State):

Ratings range from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).


The People

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers
Compared
to State
Well-Paid Single Women810
Female Share of the Population75
Age of the Population73
Well-Paid Single Men79
Children Under 5 Years Old66
Senior Citizens63
Male Share of the Population46
Racial Diversity410

Families

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers
Compared
to State
Portion of People Married51
Average Household Size33

Wealth

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers
Compared
to State
People in Middle Class or Better85
People Above Poverty83
Median Family Income78
College Educated Adults610

Commute & Sprawl

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers
Compared
to State
Short Commute Times66
Working at Home57
Public Transportation Use410
Walking and Biking to Work37

Housing

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers
Compared
to State
Affordability of Property Taxes82
People Living Alone78
Affordability of Rents72
Seasonal and Vacation Housing54
Housing Recently Built58
Studio & One-Bedroom Rentals410

Crime

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers
Compared
to State
Low Property Crime52
Low Violent Crime41
Detailed pages on related topics: Colleges in Indianapolis, Graduate Schools in Indianapolis, Indianapolis mortgage and property, Indianapolis travel

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