Gen Z thinks Indianapolis’ vibe is OK, but there’s room for improvement

A new study examines Gen Z's perception and experience of Indianapolis — where the city is doing well and where it can do better. It was presented at a recent NEXTGEN Indy panel discussion on culture, tourism, livability and hospitality in the city.

People in their 20’s, both locally and nationally, were asked to score Indianapolis on factors including safety, jobs, music scene and overall vibes. More than 600 people completed the survey.

Respondents said safety and cost of living were of top importance. Professor David Pierce, director of the IU Indianapolis Sports Innovation Institute and department chair, said those measures are important for any city. And Pierce said the report found good marks for Indianapolis in a number of areas.

"We have a lot of individual factors that score well, you know, from the outdoor spaces and the sports scene and nightlife and culture and fairs and festivals,” Pierce said. "But maybe what is missing is like, how does all of that come together to create the overall vibe?"

Researchers say respondents scored job opportunities higher than they expected, especially for people who don’t live here. Transportation ease scored fair, but was listed as a low priority for non-residents. The city's food scene scored low.

Pierce says Indianapolis' reputation as a sports city plays into its overall perception.

"Even though it always rings the lowest on these importance scales, we do know that [for] actual residents, their perception ranking is even higher than non-residents, which means Indy is getting the word out to people not in the market through sports," Pierce said.

The city performs best with males and those who get sports information about Indianapolis on social media.

Pierce says research like this can help decide what new efforts to focus on in the city.

"I think it can be a useful tool, you know, to help city leaders make decisions around where to put investments," he said.

Indianapolis ranked third as a city people would want to relocate to, behind Chicago and Nashville. It was compared to other metros including Detroit, Columbus and Louisville.

Contact WFYI city government and policy reporter Jill Sheridan at jsheridan@wfyi.org.