Photo: Carol M. Highsmith · Public domainHow is Indianapolis run?
Who represents Indianapolis, what homeowners pay in property tax, and how Indianapolis voted.
What stands out about how Indianapolis is run
Read from the city’s official records.
Who’s in charge in Indianapolis
From public records with a current term; a name is hidden the day its term ends.
Council members and agencies: indy.gov ↗
Indianapolis’ meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on indy.gov ↗.
The typical homeowner pays $2,042 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.91% of the home’s value, vs 0.74% across Indiana State.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Indianapolis’ rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Indianapolis’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Indianapolis →
How Indianapolis compares with the towns next door
Indianapolis’ own figures are not in the Census files, so it isn’t placed among its neighbors. 8 of the 10 towns next door reported 2022 figures, from $9 to $1,435 per resident. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Perry Township | $9 | $2,291 |
| Lawrence Township | $21 | $2,200 |
| Vernon Township | $155 | $2,353 |
| Decatur Township | $199 | $1,767 |
| Pike Township | $267 | $1,828 |
| Lawrence | $455 | $1,942 |
| McCordsville | $651 | $2,548 |
| Zionsville | $1,435 | $4,798 |
| Brown Township | estimate | $3,039 |
| Franklin Township | estimate | $2,519 |
| Indianapolis | estimate | $2,042 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Indianapolis’ government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Indianapolis’ government
What is the property tax rate in Indianapolis?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,042 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.91% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.74% across Indiana State. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see indy.gov.
Who is the mayor of Indianapolis?
Joe Hogsett, as listed by Open States (checked October 9, 2026). The council and agencies are listed on indy.gov.
Ask neighbors about Indianapolis’ government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →