What it's like to live in Lawrence
Lawrence is a small city in Indiana with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, and unemployment below the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Lawrence deals with air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, larger class sizes than the national average, a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin, and cold winters.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low unemployment
The not so good
- Air quality concerns
- High student-teacher ratio
- High rent burden for renters
- Cold winters
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Lawrence compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Lawrence
Based on Lawrence's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,356
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $47,120 a year
- 53% of Lawrence renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$46,020
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $23,010
- Homes cost 3.1× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 17% below US
$1,178/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,178 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $230,100. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $230,100 · 53% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 21% below US
3.4% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.4%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 23% below US
252 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 1182/100k · Lawrence Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
25 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 24.7 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 15% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 83°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 23°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforceNear US average
36% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 36% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
13 public schools inside the boundary
There are 13 public schools inside the boundary and 6 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 19:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is William Howard Taft National Historic Site (94 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Lawrence's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are air quality that falls short of national benchmarks and a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin. A year of median rent ($1,178/mo) equals 19% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and job seekers.
Other places near Lawrence
All Indiana guides →Moving to Indianapolis →
10 mi away · pop. 885,860
Rent $1,156/mo · Income $66,219
Compare with Lawrence →Moving to Noblesville →
12 mi away · pop. 73,362
Rent $1,389/mo · Income $104,047
Compare with Lawrence →Not sure Lawrence is the one?
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