What it's like to live in Lowell
Lowell is a small city in Indiana with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, crime rates well below the national average, and a population that has grown fast since 2020. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Lowell deals with commute times longer than most cities, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, larger class sizes than the national average, and cold, harsh winters.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low crime rates
- Fast-growing population
The not so good
- Above-average commute times
- Air quality concerns
- High student-teacher ratio
- Cold, harsh winters
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Lowell compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Lowell
Based on Lowell's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,246
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $44,920 a year
- 36% of Lowell renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$49,600
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $24,800
- Homes cost 3.0× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 21% below US
$1,123/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,123 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $248,000. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $248,000 · 36% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
5.1% county unemployment
Unemployment in Lake County is 5.1%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Lake County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 97% below US
9 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 112/100k · Lowell Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 26% above US
33 min average commute
Traffic is a real factor here. The 32.7 minute average means plenty of commuters are pushing 45 to 60 minutes on a bad day. Proximity to work matters more here than it might elsewhere. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 9% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 82°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 18°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 33% below US
24% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 24%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
3 public schools inside the boundary
There are 3 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 21:1, above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Indiana Dunes National Park (29 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Lowell's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are commute times longer than most cities and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks. A year of median rent ($1,123/mo) equals 16% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and anyone prioritizing low crime. It may be a harder fit for people who dread long commutes and anyone who dislikes long, cold winters.
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