Look, we get it: Carmel is a popular place to call home. So too are Fishers and Noblesville. Hamilton County frequently earns top accolades in rankings provided by Forbes, WalletHub, Livability and Niche.com.
Recently, U.S. News & World Report evaluated more than 850 cities and declared Carmel and Fishers were the second and fourth best places to live overall in 2025-26, respectively.
That’s commendable. What if, however, you don’t want to reside in Hamilton County?
What if Carmel just isn’t your scene? What if, for whatever reason, you have a burning hatred for roundabouts?
Here’s a quick breakdown of how Evansville and other Indiana cities fared in the same rankings provided by U.S. News & World Report. Some areas of the Hoosier State were cited as both top places to live and retire.
Note: Reviews of each city have been included from Niche.com and have been edited for clarity and length.
How U.S. News & World Report determined its rankings of Best Places to live in 2025-26
The publication weighed quality of education and health care, air quality, state economy and infrastructure, housing affordability, cost of living, crime rates, weather, unemployment rates and net migration when compiling this year’s list.
Best Places to Live in Indiana, according to U.S. News & World Report
After Carmel, Fishers, and Noblesville (in that order), Indiana’s best places to live, according to U.S. News & World Report, are as follows.
#4 Best Indiana City to Live, Greenwood (#91 Best City to Live in the U.S.)
Greenwood has earned 4.0 out of 5 Stars on Niche.com in 248 reviews.
The Good: “Greenwood is a wonderful place to live. It’s definitely the safer side and I very much love living here,” wrote one anonymous Niche.com user in August. I’ve lived in Greenwood for over 17 years and I highly recommend it.”
The Not-So-Good: “There really isn’t much to do in Greenwood for teenage/young adult residents in the area,” wrote another anonymous user on Niche.com in December 2024.
#5 Best Indiana City to Live, Columbus (#92 Best City to Live in the U.S.)
Columbus has earned 3.9 out of 5 Stars on Niche.com in 172 reviews.
The Good: “I’ve lived in Columbus my whole life and I truly have loved growing up here,” wrote an anonymous Niche.com user in August 2024. “I didn’t truly appreciate it until I grew older and experienced what it was like to live in other places. Columbus is a big city with a hometown feel.”
The Not-So-Good: “The nightlife is very lacking, as well as affordable housing, which is nigh non-existent,” an anonymous Niche.com user wrote in February 2024.
#6 Best Indiana City to Live, Evansville
Evansville has earned 3.6 out of 5 Stars on Niche.com in 469 reviews.
The Good: “Evansville is a great place to live, work, go to school, and raise a family. I did not grow up in Evansville but moved here in my 20s and it has been a wonderful place to live,” wrote an anonymous user in May on Niche.com.
The Not-So-Good: “There’s lots of construction everywhere, it’s hard to get a job, and there’s a growing crime rate,” wrote an anonymous Niche.com user in June.
#7 Best Indiana City to Live, Kokomo
Kokomo has earned 3.4 out of 5 Stars on Niche.com in 215 reviews.
The Good: “Nice and family-friendly. Always able to find help when you need it. Several great schools to select from. Lots of job opportunities,” wrote an anonymous Niche.com user in July.
The Not-So-Good: “As much as the small town appeal is what I like about Kokomo, it is also what I dislike. I am definitely a bigger city girl,” wrote an anonymous Niche.com user in June.
#8 Best Indiana City to Live, Michigan City
Michigan City has earned 3.5 out of 5 Stars on Niche.com in 83 reviews.
The Good: “I like that Michigan City has easy train access to Chicago and Lake Michigan surely does not hurt. I would like to see Michigan City continue to grow culturally and socioeconomically,” wrote an anonymous Niche.com user in September 2022.
The Not-So-Good: “Michigan city was once a very busy town with a lot of businesses and jobs. Overtime Michigan City has decreased in safety and opportunities,” wrote an anonymous Niche.com user in January.
#9 Best Indiana City to Live, Muncie
Muncie has earned 3.3 out of 5 Stars on Niche.com in 319 reviews.
The Good: “I think Muncie is very innovative, diverse, and has everything you could need. There are many places to eat, great social places, stores, and good scenery,” wrote an anonymous Niche.com user in September 2023.
The Not-So-Good: “I’ve lived here for decades, and have watched this city decline with age. Rent prices are unreasonable for the conditions of the apartments because it’s a college town,” wrote an anonymous Niche.com user in February. “I’ve not had positive experiences with the people, either. They’re as cold as the weather in the winter.”
#10 Best Indiana City to Live, Indianapolis (#43 Best U.S. City to Retire, #14 Best Big U.S. City to Live)
Indianapolis has earned 3.6 out of 5 Stars on Niche.com in 2,813 reviews.
The Good: “I have lived in Indianapolis for 14 years and have enjoyed it. There is always something to do. I would recommend,” wrote an anonymous Niche.com user in August.
The Not-So-Good: “Indianapolis needs better public transportation — better access to health centers and grocery stores — more public gyms, and could use an improvement in safety,” wrote an anonymous Niche.com user in July.
#11 Best Indiana City to Live, Fort Wayne (#10 Best U.S. City to Retire)
Fort Wayne has earned 3.9 out of 5 Stars on Niche.com in 953 reviews.
The Good: “I actually love Fort Wayne. I’ve lived here most of my life and even moved away for a couple years but ended up coming back,” wrote an anonymous Niche.com user in May. “It feels safe and slow at a comfortable pace here. People are friendly and the cost of living isn’t outrageous.”
The Not-So-Good: “Housing is becoming more and more expensive as people who can’t purchase a home are forced to pay more and more for rent,” wrote an anonymous Niche.com user in February. “It’s frustrating and unfortunate.”
#12 Best Indiana City to Live, Anderson
Anderson has earned 3.1 out of 5 Stars on Niche.com in 191 reviews.
The Good: “I’ve lived in Anderson my entire life, and have watched as the city has grown,” wrote one anonymous Niche.com user in January. “I am proud to call this city my home.”
The Not-So-Good: “Anderson, Indiana is just like any small to moderate town in the Midwest,” an anonymous Niche.com user wrote in August. “It’s a place you end up, not really one you’d purposefully choose.”
#13 Best Indiana City to Live, Elkhart
Elkhart has earned 3.3 out of 5 Stars on Niche.com in 123 reviews.
The Good: “I love the small-town feel here in Elkhart. It makes me feel connected to everyone,” wrote one anonymous Niche.com user in February. “The restaurants are diverse and well-located. There is not much night life that is disruptive.”
The Not-So-Good: “Nice town. Nothing fun in the area and usually have to drive somewhere else because everything that you could do is ruined or changed or demolished,” wrote an anonymous Niche.com user in April.
#14 Best Indiana City to Live, Terre Haute
Terre Haute has earned 3.2 out of 5 Stars on Niche.com in 273 reviews.
The Good: “This is a growing city. This community is a wonderful mix of new growth and continuing traditions,” wrote an anonymous Niche.com user in January. “This is a community that cares and does its best to help everyone within it.”
The Not-So-Good: “The cost of living compared to Indianas (sic) wages make for finding housing pretty difficult,” wrote an anonymous Niche.com user in April. “The public transportation system could use some new buses, larger than the current ones. All together, I believe Terre Haute is a decent place to raise your family if you’re in the right area.”
#15 Best Indiana City to Live, South Bend (#15 Best U.S. City to Retire)
South Bend has earned 3.5 out of 5 Stars on Niche.com in 391 reviews.
The Good: “South Bend is a great city for college students; there are so many different restaurants, parks, coffee shops, and community gatherings, with an amazing art and music scene,” wrote an anonymous Niche.com user in August.
The Not-So-Good: “South Bend job opportunities are midling (sic) at best,” an anonymous Niche.com user wrote in January.
Other Indiana cities on the list
Following South Bend, U.S. News & World Report ranked the following Indiana cities in this order:
IndyStar reporter Jake Allen contributed to this report.
John Tufts covers trending news for IndyStar and Midwest Connect. Send him a news tip at JTufts@Gannett.com. Find him on BlueSky at JohnWritesStuff.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Where are Indiana’s ‘Best Places to Live’ (that aren’t Carmel, Fishers or Noblesville)?
Reporting by John Tufts, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
