Carmel, a city of around 102,000 in Hamilton County, Indiana, has a lot going for it. Recognized as one of the safest and best run cities in America, this carefully designed community combines the perks of a big city and the welcoming atmosphere of a smaller town.
Carmel’s downtown area has an old-world look not normally found in a midwestern city. The area, designed with narrow streets, flowerpot-bedecked streetlights and sidewalk cafes creates a streetscape reminiscent of Brussels or Vienna. Even the city’s 125 traffic roundabouts add to Carmel’s continental feel. When designing the community, city planners created a mixed zoning design like European cities where residents work, live, play and relax all in one space.
“Unlike most suburban cities, Carmel has invested millions of dollars in the public arts, including the Palladium concert hall, the centerpiece of the city’s Center for the Performing Arts, which includes two other theaters," says Rebecca Carl, Carmel’s director of marketing and communication. "There is also a substantial number of outdoor sculptures and murals that provide a beautiful backdrop to a walk or bike ride along the Monon Greenway."
It's not just the beautiful surroundings that appeal to homeowners. Carmel has a lower cost of living than most other Midwestern cities. “Our local taxes are among the lowest of any city our size in Indiana,” Carl says. “Far from a sleepy suburb of Indianapolis, Carmel has more than 130 corporate headquarters and many other corporate employers who make it easy to live and work in Carmel, rather than commuting to another city.”
Carmel sits 16 miles north of Downtown Indianapolis, though the drive is 23 miles via the Interstate 465 loop. The land here is mostly flat, highlighted by gently rolling hills and valleys. Carmel has a warm continental climate, but all four seasons appear. Winters are cold. Carmel sees about 23 inches of snow annually, with daytime highs in January hovering around 35 degrees. Summers are warm and comfortable. The hottest month is July, when daytime highs average 83 degrees and rarely get above 91.
Main Street in Carmel is filled with lots of shopping and dining options.
Midtown Plaza features a colorful mural city sign in downtown Carmel near East Carmel.
The Monon Trail in Downtown Carmel stretches for many miles into downtown Indianapolis.
Many fun statues are sprinkled around downtown Carmel near East Carmel.
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Well-connected urban and suburban neighborhoods
In the past 30 years, Carmel has tripled in size, growing from a true bedroom suburb to an edge city with an identity of its own. These newcomers aren't just making the short move north from Indy. This was once considered a fairly homogeneous community, but that is no longer true. "Over 100 languages are spoken in Carmel,” says Carmel city councilman Adam Aasen. “Carmel looked very different in 2002 than today.”
As the city began to grow, city planners worked to connect the growing subdivisions scattered across the area with Carmel’s urban core. The result is a seamless blend of urban and suburban sections connected via roads and plenty of open, green space.
Older neighborhoods feature mid-century ranch homes and split-levels. Newer subdivisions boast contemporary Farmhouse, American Standard and Craftsman style homes. Suburban neighborhoods all feature landscaped yards, plenty of shade trees and well-tended sidewalks. Townhomes and condos are popular closer to the urban core of the city. The median home price in Carmel is about $515,000, which is more than double that of Indianapolis. Prices range from around $170,000 for a 1-bedroom, 868-square-foot condo in the heart of downtown to more than $2 million for a five-bedroom, 6,300-square-foot lakefront home in a gated community.
Downtown Carmel is surrounded by neighborhoods offering different price levels.
Many of the older homes in East Carmel have been renovated.
East Carmel is full of many styles of homes, from giant mansions to smaller ranches.
Here's a more modest two story home found among the larger homes in East Carmel.
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One of Indiana's top-ranked school districts
The Carmel Clay School system is excellent. The district is rated A-plus by Niche and has won 10 National Blue Ribbon Awards for its exemplary teachers and learning programs. Niche ranks it as the top school district in the Indianapolis area, and No. 2 overall in the entire state. The school system serves about 16,000 students across 15 schools. Schools in Carmel are large — the elementary schools all have more than 600 students and the middle schools have more than 1,000.
The city’s one high school, Carmel High, has more than 5,300 students, making it one of the nation’s largest secondary schools. Despite that sizable number, the school has a 97% graduation rate. Its average SAT score is 1300. The school is nationally known for its athletic programs, which have won more state championships than any school in Indiana. “The school also has a very successful media program — radio, TV, newspaper — that has produced nationally known figures such as NPR’s Steve Inskeep and the Food Network’s Ted Allen,” Carl says.
The Monon Trail, a Gold Medal park system, and championship golf courses
The Carmel Clay Parks and Recreation Department is a two-time national Gold Medal winner, managing more than 700 acres of park land spread across 17 parks and greenways.
The Monon Trail is a 27-mile path stretching from Indianapolis to just north of Carmel on what was once the Monon Railroad. Today, the trail crosses through Carmel, providing residents easy access to dozens of shops, parks and restaurants. On a warm summer’s day, the trail usually bustles with activity as cyclists, dogwalkers, runners and families all hit the trail.
Accessibility and variety are emphasized in Carmel's parks. Highlights include River Heritage Park has a wheelchair-compatible playground and pathway overlooking the White River. Founders Park features native prairie, wetlands and a fishing pond near a playground designed to reflect its natural surroundings. Even every dog has its day at the 3-acre Central Dog Park, which is so popular that it has a waiting list for memberships.
Most kids in Carmel will probably say the city’s best summertime park is The Waterpark. The venue, open only during the summer season, includes a lazy river, adventure slides, a wave machine and other watery activities.
Carmel is one of Indiana's top cities for golf. Crooked Stick Golf Club is a private course designed by the world-renowned golf course designer Pete Dye, who once lived just off the 18th hole. The course has hosted prestigious events like the PGA Championship and the BMW Championship, and will host the 2028 U.S. Senior Open. Plum Creek is another Dye-designed private course in Carmel, while Brookshire Golf Club and Prairie View Golf Club are open to the public.
Flowing Well Park is a great place to go for a hike in East Carmel.
Practice your swing on the back nine at Woodland Country Club in Carmel.
A more wooded section of the Monon Trail cuts through downtown near East Carmel.
East Carmel's River Heritage Park is a small, quiet park that's perfect for walking a dog.
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CarmelFest, concerts and Christkindlmarkt among city's many popular events
Carmel is known as a city of events. Since the late 1980s, residents have embraced CarmelFest. This annual summer event observes the nation’s birthday with live entertainment, a summer marketplace, local food vendors and fireworks to celebrate American independence. The Fourth of July parade is one of the city's annual highlights.
The annual Art of Wine festival is held in May in the Carmel Arts & Design District. While only the 21-and-older crowd can sample the wine, the event is open to all ages. Enjoy wine tastings from vineyards across the state while listening to street musicians and checking out the many shops and restaurants.
The city sponsors a Family Concert Series on Wednesday evenings from June through September. Held at the Gazebo in Carmel’s Civic Square, the concert series features family-friendly pop, rock, country and jazz musicians. Residents who attend this popular event usually bring a picnic dinner, lawn chains and a blanket to enjoy the music.
In winter, downtown's Carter Green transforms into the Carmel Christkindlmarkt, which offers the quaint feel of an open-air European holiday market.
Carmel Porchfest brings local musicians together to play their music on front porches twice a year. Singers and bands take to porches to perform for the public at no cost. Residents throng the streets of Carmel as they walk from one participating home to the next. Food, wine, beer, and arts-and-crafts vendors are located throughout the city to provide attendees with sustenance and shopping opportunities.
The Palladium provides a much bigger stage for musicians. Known for state-of-the-art acoustics, the venue has drawn artists such as Tony Bennett, John Legend and Sting to its stage since opening in 2011.
The magnificent Palladium rests in downtown Carmel near East Carmel.
Live music is on tap at Downtown Carmel's Midtown Plaza.
Many of the events at Downtown Carmel's Meet Me on Main take place at Midtown Plaza.
There are many vendors selling fresh produce at Carmel's Winter Farmers Market.
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Carmel shopping centers stand out
Carmel City Center is more than just a shopping center — it’s a destination. This upscale retail hub features trendy boutiques, specialty shops and restaurants. The center is laid out in a charming setting reminiscent of the Georgian architecture in many European cities. Stone sidewalks and brick streets wind through the center, leading shoppers past water fountains and quiet rest areas.
Pet-friendly shopping area Clay Terrace is home to locally owned shops and national chains such as Chico’s, Orvis and American Eagle. The shopping destination features several dining options including Kona Grill and Qdoba. It also has a dog park.
Carmel is home to many nationally and regionally recognized supermarkets, including Aldi, Kroger, The Fresh Market, Meijer, Needler's Fresh Market and Whole Foods. Carmel's Farmers Market, which draws in more than 60,000 shoppers from May through October, is a popular source of locally grown produce. For those who prefer all-in-one shopping convenience in department stores, Carmel is also home to Target and Walmart.
Kroger is one of the many national chain stores in Downtown Carmel.
Grab a seat at the scenic bar at Cake Bake in Carmel
Locals head to Needler's Fresh Market on 126th St in East Carmel.
Downtown's Main Street is always full of people walking around.
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The city of roundabouts
Carmel’s roundabout-based street system stands out not only in Indiana but in the United States. With more than 150 roundabouts, Carmel has the most of any American city. The city says the rate of injury-causing accidents has decreased by 80% since roundabouts were implemented. The city has also made an effort to make roundabouts aesthetically pleasing, commissioning sculptures and artwork for traffic circles.
The city is 23 miles from Downtown Indianapolis via I-465 and 31 miles from Indianapolis International Airport along the same route. Range Line Road (US-31) divides the city in half and connects with I-465.
The roads in Carmel also have a reputation for being well maintained, which is no small feat in Midwestern winters notorious for producing potholes. As Realtor with Compton Home Group, Jason Compton, says, “Driving into Carmel is like giving your car a featherbed to flop into after it has just completed the Oregon Trail in a wagon train.”
A lack of public transportation makes Carmel a car-dependent community, but the League of American Bicyclists has named it a Silver Level Bicycle Friendly City.
A sterling reputation for safety
"Carmel is known for public safety," Aasen says. "In a survey of residents, 'safe' and 'clean' were the two most prominent words in the word cloud."
Safewise and SmartAsset have listed Carmel as one of the five safest suburbs in the United States in multiple years, citing low rates of violent crime and property crime. The 2023 violent crime rate of 33 per 100,000 residents was about one-quarter the national average, and and property crime rate of 68.9 per 100,000 residents is about one-third the national average.
Written By
Alex Hickey
Photography Contributed By
Travis Patton
Video By
Maurice Boone
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GreatSchools:
The GreatSchools Rating helps parents compare schools within a state based on a variety of school quality indicators and provides a helpful picture of how effectively each school serves all of its students. Ratings are on a scale of 1 (below average) to 10 (above average) and can include test scores, college readiness, academic progress, advanced courses, equity, discipline and attendance data. We also advise parents to visit schools, consider other information on school performance and programs, and consider family needs as part of the school selection process.
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On average, homes in Carmel, IN sell after 32 days on the market compared to the national average of 49 days. The median sale price for homes in Carmel, IN over the last 12 months is $530,000, up 1% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
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Custom-Built design in Bridgewater's gated Wintergreen section! Serene outdoor retreat w/ 2 Smart Pergolas with lighting and fans & beautiful landscaping with built in uplighting. Inside boasts 5BR & 5FB, w/ optional study on Main. Beautiful attention to detail throughout. Main Level includes a gourmet kitchen w/ large center island, built-in refrigerator, & premium appliances, as well as
Welcome home to 478 Firefly Lane! This beautiful, like-new condo with convenient main floor primary suite is walkable in minutes to the renowned Arts & Design District of Downtown Carmel! Sojourn to Sun King Brewery, Anthony's Chophouse, Savor Restaurant, Monterrey Coastal Cuisine & more, within steps of your own front door. Consisting of approximately 2,600 square feet in total, this home is one
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