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Renting an Apartment in Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital city of the State of Indiana, and the county seat
of Marion County, Indiana. According to the 2000 Census, its population is
listed as 791,926, making it Indiana's most populous city and the 12th largest
city in the U.S.. Indianapolis is the third largest city in the Midwest after
Chicago and Detroit.
Greater Indianapolis consists of Marion County and several contiguous counties.
By one broad definition the Combined Statistical Area (CSA) of Indianapolis had
a population of about 2 million people in 2005, ranking 23rd in the United
States and 7th in the Midwest. As a unified labor and media market, the
Indianapolis Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) had a 2005 population of 1.64
million persons, ranking 34th in the United States. Indianapolis is the 8th
largest MSA in the Midwest, following Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis, St. Louis,
Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Columbus.
A fairly "American" city that has managed to escape a Rust Belt reputation,
Indianapolis is well known as a city with a strong sports reputation, having
hosted major events such as the 1987 Pan American Games and is perhaps most
known for its annual race, the Indianapolis 500. Some nicknames for Indianapolis
include "Naptown", "The Nap", "Circle City", "Indy", "The 317", and "The Indy
City".
Indianapolis was founded as the state capital in 1821. Jeremiah Sullivan, a
judge of the Indiana Supreme Court, invented the name Indianapolis by joining
Indiana with polis, the Greek word for city. The city was founded on the White
River under the incorrect assumption that the river would serve as a major
transportation artery; however, the waterway was too sandy for trade. The state
commissioned Alexander Ralston to design the new capital city. Ralston was an
apprentice to the French architect Pierre L'Enfant, and he helped L'Enfant plan
Washington, DC. Ralston's original plan for Indianapolis called for a city of
only 1 square mile, and, at the center of the city, sat the Governor's Circle, a
large circular commons, which was to be the site of the Governor's mansion. The
Governor's mansion was finally demolished in 1857 and in its place stands a
284-foot-tall (86.5-meter-tall) neoclassical limestone and bronze monument, the
Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument.
The city lies on the original east-west National Road. The first railroad to
service Indianapolis, the Madison & Indianapolis, began operation on October 1,
1847, and subsequent railroad connections made expansive growth possible. By the
turn of the century, Indianapolis had become a heavy automobile manufacturer,
rivaling the likes of Detroit. With roads leading out of the city at all
directions, Indianapolis was on its way to becoming a major "hub" of regional
transport connecting to Chicago, Louisville, Cincinnati, Columbus and St. Louis,
as is befitting the capital of a state whose motto is "The Crossroads of
America." Ironically, this same network of roads would allow quick and easy
access to suburban areas in future years. Natural gas and oil deposits in the
surrounding area in the late 19th century helped prosper the economy of
Indianapolis. City population grew rapidly throughout the first half of the 20th
century. During this period, rapid suburbanization began to take place, and
racial relations deteriorated throughout the 1960s, although, on the night that
the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated, Indianapolis was the only
major city in which rioting did not occur. Racial tensions heightened in 1970
with the passage of Unigov, which further isolated the middle class from
Indianapolis' growing African American community.
In the 1970s and 1980s Indianapolis suffered at the hands of urban decay and
white flight. Major revitalization of the city's blighted areas, such as Fall
Creek Place, and especially the downtown, occurred in the 1990s and led to an
acceleration of growth in and around the Indianapolis Metropolitan Area.
Indianapolis is situated in the Central Till Plains region of the United States.
Two natural waterways dissect the city: the White River, and Fall Creek.
Physically, Indianapolis is like most Midwestern cities. A mixture of dense
deciduous forests and prairie covered much of what is considered Indianapolis
prior to the 19th century. Land within the city limits varies from flat to
gently sloping; most of the changes in elevation are so gradual that they go
unnoticed, and appear to be flat from close distances. The mean elevation for
Indianapolis is 717 feet. The highest point in Indianapolis lies at the
Marion/Boone County line, with an elevation of about 900 feet, and the lowest
point in Indianapolis lies at the Marion County/Johnson County line, with an
elevation of about 680 feet. The highest hill in Indianapolis is Mann Hill, a
bluff located along the White River in Southwest way Park that rises about 150
feet above the surrounding land. Variations in elevation from 700-900 feet occur
throughout the city limits. There are a few moderately-sized bluffs and valleys
in the city, particularly along the shores of the White River, Fall Creek, Geist
Reservoir, and Eagle Creek Reservoir, and especially on the city's Northeast and
Northwest sides.
Indianapolis has a humid continental climate. Like most cities in the Midwest,
it has four distinct seasons. Summers are hot and humid, with average high
temperatures approaching 90 degrees. 100-degree temperature days are not unheard
of. Spring and autumn are usually pleasant, with temperatures reaching around 18
C / 65 F. Winters can be long and cold, with daily highs barely inching above
freezing. Temperatures can fall into negative digits. The rainiest months are in
the summer, with average rainfalls of over four inches per month, but these
averages fluctuate only slightly throughout the year.
As of the census of
2000, there were 791,926 people, 320,107 households, and 192,704 families
residing in the city, but the metropolitan population was nearing 1.5 million.
The population density was 2,163.0 people per square mile (835.1/km). There
were 352,429 housing units at an average density of 975.0 per square mile
(376.4/km). The racial makeup of the balance was 69.1% white, 25.50% black or
African American, 0.25% Native American, 1.43% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander,
2.04% from other races, and 1.64% from two or more races. 3.92% of the
population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. The majority of the non-white
population lives in the central and north portions of the inner-city area.
Indianapolis has over 6000 immigrants from ex-Yugoslavia which are now known as
Croatia, Bosnia, and Serbia.
There are 320,107 households out of which 29.8% have children under the age of
18 living with them, 40.6% are married couples living together, 15.1% have a
female householder with no husband present, and 39.8% are non-families. 32.0% of
all households are made up of individuals and 8.5% have someone living alone who
is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.39 and the average
family size is 3.04.
The age distribution is: 25.7% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 32.9%
from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.0% who are 65 years of age or older.
The median age is 34 years. For every 100 females there are 93.7 males. For
every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 90.2 males.
The median income for a household in the balance is $41,964, and the median
income for a family is $48,755. Males have a median income of $36,302 versus
$27,738 for females. The per capita income is $21,640.[1] 14.8% of the
population and ??? of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total
population, 16.2% of those under the age of 18 and 8.1% of those 65 and older
are living below the poverty line. Crime statistics for Indianapolis can be
misleading due to the county and city merger. The inner-city of Indianapolis has
suffered with high crime for many years.
Indianapolis is the home of Butler University, the University of Indianapolis,
Marian College, Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana, Martin University,
Oakland City University School of Adult and Extended Learning, and Indiana
University Purdue University Indianapolis. The last was originally an urban
conglomeration of branch campuses of the two major state universities, Indiana
University in Bloomington and Purdue University in West Lafayette, created by
the state legislature. A merged campus created downtown in 1969 at the site of
the Indiana University School of Medicine has continuously grown, with a student
body today of just under 30,000, the third-largest campus in the state.
Indianapolis has eleven unified public school districts (eight township
educational authorities and three legacy districts from before the unification
of city and county government) each of which provides primary, secondary, and
adult education services within its boundaries. The boundaries of these
districts do not exactly correspond to township (or traditional) boundaries due
to political concerns and the influence of a 1971 federal court ruling which
held that the Indianapolis public schools were unlawfully segregated.
Indianapolis also has four public International Baccalaureate high schools,
Lawrence Central High School, Lawrence North High School, North Central High
School, Pike High School, and at least one private school that awards this.
Indianapolis also has several Roman Catholic high schools, including Brebeuf
Jesuit Preparatory School, Bishop Chatard High School, Cathedral High School,
Roncalli High School, Scecina Memorial High School, and Cardinal Ritter High
School. Indianapolis also has a Protestant high school called Heritage Christian
High School and a Lutheran high school, Lutheran High School of Indianapolis.
Indianapolis prides itself on its rich cultural heritage. Several initiatives
have been made by the Indianapolis government in recent years to increase
Indianapolis' appeal as a destination for arts and culture.