Indiana's Charming City Near Indy Offers Affordable Living, An Artsy, Walkable Downtown, And Friendly Vibes

Located in central Indiana as the seat of Hancock County is a small town that's as affordable as it is charming. At just 13.6 square miles in size, it's the perfect amount of space for leading an idyllic, rural-feeling existence, featuring a walkable downtown steeped in the arts and an overall vibe of friendliness. It's a Midwestern safe haven for anyone seeking out a scenic, livable place to put down roots, raise a family, or even retire. 

There is an assortment of low-key, relaxed things to do in Greenfield, Indiana, from museums and art galleries to parks and hiking trails. All year round, there are festivals and events held by the town that reinforce the overall sense of belonging here. It's an active little place rather than a sleepy small town; to simply explore downtown means running into friendly faces, unique boutique shops, and niche eateries you'll never find anywhere but here. Let's take a moment to explore the small town of Greenfield, Indiana, its vibrant arts scene, and the affordability that makes it all so appealing. 

Downtown Greenfield is walkable and compact, with a whole bunch of little wonders crammed into a surprisingly small, easily walkable space. While public transportation is available through RIDE Hancock, it's not entirely necessary while in town thanks to downtown's walkability score. And it's just as friendly, too! People greet one another everywhere you go; this is the spirit of Greenfield through and through, and it becomes quite noticeable in very little time. Greenfield is one town in central Indiana that takes its community ties to heart, with a strong sense of belonging that it prides itself on. The arts are also a big deal here, and everywhere you turn, you'll discover breathtaking murals painted by local artists. 

Art lovers will find the Twenty North Gallery located right on State Street to be a major draw. The exhibitions rotate out every so often, so there's always a great reason to come back and see what's new. The Depot Street Park hosts interactive art displays to get lost in, and for the theatrically inclined, the H.J. Ricks Centre for the Arts puts on various stage productions all year. About 30 minutes away in nearby Indianapolis, artists also flock to Healer — an incredibly surreal sanctuary for art, music, and more. In fact, Indy is host to a scenic district full of art and shops that's sure to please any artist or art lover, making Greenfield an awesome home base for exploring it all. 

As part of the Indianapolis metropolitan area, you might expect Greenfield to be more expensive than average. Thankfully, in Indiana, proximity to the big city does not guarantee a higher cost of living, as Greenfield demonstrates. Living here is 12% less expensive overall than it is in the entire United States; it's also just a tiny bit less expensive than the rest of the Hoosier State, too — with just a 1% difference in cost of living between Greenfield and Indiana as a whole. In general, the cost of living here is 28.3% less than the national average for a family and an impressive 39.2% less for single folks. 

Located 25 miles east of downtown Indy, this little town is filled with brand-new housing developments in anticipation of continued population increases. The town's reasonable cost of living is likely to be at least partially fueling the influx of new families moving in; according to ERI, Greenfield ranks 4,675th out of 6,011 cities in terms of most to least expensive (placing it in the lower, lesser-expensive half). This, combined with the town's overall welcoming, laid-back charm, ensures that the town's population continues to grow steadily.

As of the time of this writing, over the last five years, housing costs in Greenfield have risen; Greenfield's overall cost of living, however, remains considerably below the national average. While the rest of the world seems to get more and more expensive all the time, many small towns in Indiana seem more than happy to remain at a reasonable standard of living (see also Fort Wayne, another Indiana city with one of the lowest costs of living in America) — and this one is no exception.