Should I Move To
Lawrence, Indiana comes in at about 49,218 residents. Cost of living comes out affordable — 7% below the national average. Rent typically lands near $1,064/mo, and the median household income is about $70,762. Overall, 43/100 on our composite score, which works out to a D, putting it at #734 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
Cost-of-living index of 93 (with 100 as the US baseline) — that's affordable territory. With median rent at $1,064/mo and median household income at $70,762, housing takes about 18% of gross income — comfortably under the 30% rule of thumb, which is unusual. Homes typically value around $193,100.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →Expect four-season weather — summers near 85°F, winters around 26°F. Rain (and snow, in some seasons) totals about 45 inches annually. You'll need a car for most things, though the central core is more walkable than the citywide score suggests. AQI is in the moderate range at about 53.
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
Lawrence is a tougher sell for families. The profile-weighted score is 54/100 — a C-. Its standout dimension is affordability (76/100); the soft spot is environmental quality (11/100).
Lawrence is a tougher sell for retirees. The profile-weighted score is 49/100 — a D. Its standout dimension is affordability (76/100); the soft spot is environmental quality (11/100).
Lawrence is a tougher sell for remote workers. The profile-weighted score is 51/100 — a C-. Its standout dimension is affordability (76/100); the soft spot is environmental quality (11/100).
Lawrence is a tougher sell for young professionals. The profile-weighted score is 48/100 — a D. Its standout dimension is affordability (76/100); the soft spot is environmental quality (11/100).
Our overall score for Lawrence is 43/100 — a D, sitting at #734 in the national ranking. It's a weighted average across the seven UrbRank dimensions.
By the composite index, Lawrence sits at 93 — affordable, 7% below the national average. Median renter pays around $1,064 a month.
Lawrence runs four-season on the weather. Summer's near 85°F, winter's near 26°F; 45 inches of precipitation annually.
Walk Score: 31/100. You'll need a car for most things, though the central core is more walkable than the citywide score suggests.
Roughly 49,218 people live here, with 33% college-educated (bachelor's or higher) among adults 25+ with a median age of 34.
Drop Lawrence into the comparison tool with any other US city and you'll get housing costs, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life data lined up side by side. Profile-specific leaderboards (families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals) are linked from the navigation.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Lawrence with other Indiana cities scored on UrbRank.
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