The state is home to the best universities. In great professional and work opportunities. The name Indiana means “Land of the Indians”, so it shouldn't be surprising to learn that Native Americans (Shawnee, Miami, Illin and others) occupied this land when the French first arrived in the early 18th century. By 1800, most Native Americans had lost their title deeds through illegal purchase, treaty, or seizure.
Indiana joined the Union as the nineteenth state in 1816 and the state capital was moved in 1825 to present-day Indianapolis. The downside is having to look at all the corn while driving to the Cracker Barrel for the fourth time this month, where you'll enjoy fried chicken and another discussion of conservative politics. Indiana's low cost of living can also be attributed to its reasonable tax burden. With a total tax burden of 8.9%, the state ranks 11th in the country with the lowest taxes in the country, and only a few tenths of a percent from being in the top 5 in the country.
Overall, statewide, Indiana statistics show that the state has an average level of crime, ranking 22nd best in the country. However, half of Indiana's crimes take place within the capital city, Indianapolis. Unfortunately, the city of Indianapolis is ranked as the tenth worst city in the United States for crime. In college football, it's often Norte Dame that gets the most attention, playing football in South Bend since 1887, making it one of the oldest football programs in the country.
Overall, Indiana ranks 16th in the nation as the best state to be in if you're a sports fan. School systems in Hamilton are excellent, ranking 12th best in the United States. Crime statistics show that crimes fall far short of pro. Hamilton is in the top 90% of several other categories, such as buying a home, starting a family, staying healthy and being a young professional.
On the bright side, Indiana has more than 300 schools (out of a total of 1965) ranking 8th out of 10, scattered across the state. New residents looking for good schools will have many towns to choose from. Indiana is considered to be in a humid subtropical climate region, with mild winters, warm summers and rainfall evenly distributed throughout the year. Summer highs average around 85 degrees and winter lows around 19 degrees.
Rain, snow and sun are similar to national averages. State residents experience the four distinct seasons. Out of the few big cities, Indiana residents are heavily Republicans. They are also very religious, with 72% of residents attending a Christian church.
The unemployment rate in Indiana is around 2%, which is about half the national rate. Manufacturing companies find the state attractive due to lower wages and taxes. As a result, Indiana has been able to avoid most of the economic collapse of the Rust Belt. Indiana doesn't have mountains or much forest, but it does have many natural water resources, with a border on Lake Michigan, more than 900 lakes and 24,000 miles of river.
Its largest lake is Lake Monroe, which is nearly 11,000 acres in size, and its deepest lake is Lake Wawasee, which is 120 feet deep. Indiana ranks second in the country for being a good state for drivers, with low cost of ownership, decent traffic and reasonable safety. It is not surprising to learn that the rural area has a decent traffic flow, but even the city of Indianapolis ranked in the Top 10% of cities with the least traffic congestion. As a result of smooth smooth roads, the Indiana resident enjoys a travel time of 23 minutes, just below the national average.
One hundred years ago, Indiana lost most of its forest land to over-harvesting timber and logging for farms. The state now has a total of only 156 thousand acres of forest. Compare this to a state like Arkansas, which has 19 million acres of trees. As a result, the state ranks 33rd in the nation for parks, with only 0.81% of its land protected as a park.
Compare this to California, which has parks in 7.49% of its territory, almost ten times more than Indiana. Indiana ranks 13th most boring state. Indiana residents can experience miles and miles of flat corn lands. They often live in small towns with a restaurant and a pizzeria.
His social life revolves around church and high school sports. Their lives get a little more exciting when it's time to charge the car and drive more than 1 hour to visit the Walmart area. It may be better that Indiana does not have access to public parks because the state's air is not good for breathing. The Indianapolis area is in the bottom 5% for having the worst particulate pollution and in the bottom 20% for the worst ozone.
The reason for this air pollution is because the state is operating 24 coal-fired power plants, including the largest plant in the country and the country's most polluting plant. Given the fact that the state has invested heavily in coal mining and its 24 coal-fired power plants, it's no surprise to learn that Indiana isn't investing much in sustainable green energy. It is currently ranked as the eighth worst state for green energy, as it obtains only 6% of its electricity from sustainable sources. Indiana also ranked 15th for having the highest number of drug overdose deaths and has one of the highest numbers of opioid prescriptions.
Overall, 83% of Indiana residents are white and 9% are black. But keep in mind that the vast majority of African-Americans live in some of the big cities, leaving rural areas almost entirely white. In addition, only 2% of the population practices a religion other than Christianity. Indiana is a heavily dependent state on cars and is ranked as the seventeenth worst state in public transportation infrastructure.
Much of the public transport that does exist is in larger cities, so rural people will have very limited public transport options. Indiana ranks 14th worst state for its restaurant dining scene. This score would probably be much worse if Indianapolis were not included. The state doesn't really excel in any genre of food.
Try the sugar cream cake and the fried loin, but stay away from the fried brains. When in doubt, the state has a generous amount of Cracker Barrel restaurants to enjoy. You should be safe in any neighborhood in Indiana, except in some bad parts of Indianapolis. The city of Indianapolis is ranked as the tenth worst city for crime.
The state capital, Indianapolis, is the sixteenth largest city in the United States. But, with a population of less than 900,000 people, it looks like a small city compared to New York City or Los Angeles. There are a few skyscrapers, and that's it. No wild nightlife, no big events.
However, there are some places that every metropolis must have. Like a symphony, a convention center, a shopping mall. There you can also find a zoo, several museums and galleries. Not to mention two great professional sports teams: the Indianapolis Colts and the Indiana Pacers.
On the other hand, unlike many other big cities, there is no smog or heavy traffic in Indianapolis. Wherever you go in Indiana, there will always be plenty of parks and play areas. You can sit on the bench, enjoy the weather, without worrying about a car ruining the moment. You can go with your family, organize a picnic or just take a walk.
And if you're not a big fan of unknown people, you can always stay in your backyard. Houses in Indiana usually have huge backyards with lots of flowers. If you're moving to Indy from a less affordable location (for example, anywhere on the West Coast), but want to continue living a “big city lifestyle”, Indianapolis is the place to be. Many big cities are a great place to live a “car-free” life, but Indianapolis isn't one of them.
Indianapolis is working to expand public transportation, but for now, the best way to get around if you live outside the city center is by driving. . .