(Getty Images)|
(Getty Images)|
Overview of Indiana
- Area
- 36,421 SQ. MI.
- GDP
- $456 Billion
- College Educated
- 38.0%
- Population
- 6,833,037
- Capital
- Indianapolis
- Median Income
- $37,998
- Area
- 36,421 SQ. MI.
- GDP
- $456 Billion
- College Educated
- 38.0%
- Population
- 6,833,037
- Capital
- Indianapolis
- Median Income
- $37,998
Rankings Scorecard
- Crime & Corrections #22
- Economy #26
- Education #17
- Fiscal Stability #25
- Health Care #43
- Infrastructure #26
- Natural Environment #50
- Opportunity #7
Native American tribes inhabited the Midwest for thousands of years before the first white settlers arrived in the 1600s. Within a century of their arrival, tensions between the French and English led to the French and Indian War in 1755. When both sides signed the Treaty of Paris in 1763, Britain gained formal control of the region that is now Indiana, whose name means “Land of the Indians.”
The influx of white settlers caused conflicts with Native Americans, and clashes continued until future president Gen. William Henry Harrison led federal troops to victory at the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811. Indiana was admitted in 1816 as the 19th state, and Indianapolis has served as its capital since 1825.
After the war, advances in transportation and manufacturing led to rapid population growth in northern Indiana, and although the state remained primarily rural, dependence on river transportation and the old pioneer influence began to wane. With borders on Lake Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and Illinois, the state became a hub for trade throughout the region.
In the beginning of the 20th century, automobile manufacturing became a major industry there, and vehicles were produced in more than 40 Indiana cities. Though many of the factories eventually failed during the Great Depression, in 1911, the state became the host of the most famous automobile race in the world, the Indianapolis 500.
The state is an exporter of cars, car parts and pharmaceuticals. Indiana’s natural resources, including coal, also contribute heavily to its economy.
Indiana Rankings
Crime & Corrections | #22 |
---|---|
Economy | #26 |
Education | #17 |
Fiscal Stability | #25 |
Health Care | #43 |
Infrastructure | #26 |
Natural Environment | #50 |
Opportunity | #7 |
Crime & Corrections | #22 |
---|---|
Economy | #26 |
Education | #17 |
Fiscal Stability | #25 |
Health Care | #43 |
Infrastructure | #26 |
Natural Environment | #50 |
Opportunity | #7 |
Corrections Outcomes | #36 |
---|---|
Public Safety | #21 |
Corrections Outcomes | #36 |
---|---|
Public Safety | #21 |
Incarceration Rate
National: 307
Juvenile Incarceration
National: 66
Violent Crime Rate
National: 399
Business Environment | #33 |
---|---|
Employment | #19 |
Growth | #19 |
Business Environment | #33 |
---|---|
Employment | #19 |
Growth | #19 |
Venture Capital per GDP
National: $7.65
Job Growth
National: 0.2%
Net Migration
National: 0.1%
Higher Education | #28 |
---|---|
Pre-K-12 | #7 |
Higher Education | #28 |
---|---|
Pre-K-12 | #7 |
Debt at Graduation
National: $29,300
High School Graduation Rate
National: 86.5%
NAEP Math Scores
National: 274
Long-Term Fiscal Stability | #19 |
---|---|
Short-Term Fiscal Stability | #29 |
Long-Term Fiscal Stability | #19 |
---|---|
Short-Term Fiscal Stability | #29 |
Government Credit Rating
National: N/A
Budget Balancing
National: 1.014
Liquidity
National: 3.6
Health Care Access | #39 |
---|---|
Health Care Quality | #41 |
Public Health | #41 |
Health Care Access | #39 |
---|---|
Health Care Quality | #41 |
Public Health | #41 |
Population Without Health Insurance
National: 12.2%
Preventable Hospital Admissions
National: 2,781
Obesity Rate
National: 33.7%
Energy | #33 |
---|---|
Internet Access | #12 |
Transportation | #30 |
Energy | #33 |
---|---|
Internet Access | #12 |
Transportation | #30 |
Renewable Energy Usage
National: 12.3%
Average Commute Time
National: 25.6
Roads in Poor Condition
National: 19.0%
Air & Water Quality | #35 |
---|---|
Pollution | #49 |
Air & Water Quality | #35 |
---|---|
Pollution | #49 |
Days With Unhealthy Air Quality
National: 114
Drinking Water Violation Points
National: 1.91
Industrial Toxins
National: 926
Affordability | #15 |
---|---|
Economic Opportunity | #22 |
Equality | #23 |
Affordability | #15 |
---|---|
Economic Opportunity | #22 |
Equality | #23 |
Cost of Living Index
National: 100.0
Median Household Income
National: $69,717
Poverty Rate
National: 12.8%
Photos From California to New York: All 50 U.S. States Excel at Something
Best States Methodology
The overall Best State ranking from U.S. News & World Report shows how each of the 50 U.S. states ranks in 71 metrics across eight categories.
Rankings Scorecard
- Crime & Corrections #22
- Economy #26
- Education #17
- Fiscal Stability #25
- Health Care #43
- Infrastructure #26
- Natural Environment #50
- Opportunity #7
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