Bloomington vs New Albany
Bloomington, Indiana versus New Albany, Indiana: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Bloomington and New Albany score about the same overall (49 vs 49 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Bloomington | New Albany |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $47k | $54k |
| Cost of Living | $46k | $46k |
| Home Value | $268k | $161k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $927 |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $1k | $1k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.81% | 0.78% |
| Income Tax | 4.45% | 3.95% |
| Sales Tax | 7.00% | 7.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 11.44% | 8.58% |
| Unemployment | 6.5% | 4.9% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 30°F | 35°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 75°F | 79°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 49.4 in | 48.0 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 17.5 in | 4.3 in |
| Sunny Days | 168 days | 176 days |
| Summer Humidity | 65°F | 67°F |
| Comfortable Days | 91 days | 75 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 58.9 | 72.9 |
| Air Quality | 52 AQI | 53 AQI |
| School Quality | 60.8 | 45.9 |
| Violent Crime | 1896/100k | 1320/100k |
| Property Crime | 2344/100k | 3118/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 79,006 | 37,598 |
| Median Age | 24.4 | 38.0 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.36 | 0.30 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.02 | 0.91 |
| Political Leaning | D+29 | R+14 |
| White (%) | 76.8% | 80.9% |
| Black (%) | 4.7% | 8.5% |
| Hispanic (%) | 4.5% | 5.0% |
| Asian (%) | 10.5% | 1.1% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.5% | 4.5% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 17 min | 21 min |
| Walkability | 16.4/20 | 10.7/20 |
| Airport Distance | 40 mi | 11 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 87.0% | 80.4% |
| Amenities Nearby | 32.40 | 40.69 |
| Park & Nature Access | Excellent | Excellent |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Bloomington or New Albany more affordable?
- New Albany has the lower cost of living: its index is $46k, compared with Bloomington's $46k and New Albany's $46k. Median rent is $1k in Bloomington versus $927 in New Albany.
- Is Bloomington or New Albany safer?
- New Albany has the lower violent crime rate. Bloomington reports 1896/100k and New Albany reports 1320/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Bloomington or New Albany?
- The median home value is $268k in Bloomington and $161k in New Albany, so homes are more affordable in New Albany.