Metro Life Score
Kokomo, IN
Above-median composite Life Score — grade B, 60th percentile of the national corpus.
- 52.2
- Life Score / 100
- B
- Grade (curved)
- #153
- of 387 metros
- 60%
- composite percentile
Data updated August 2026
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The verdict
Kokomo is above-median composite Life Score — #153 of 387 (52.2/100, grade B, 60th percentile). Carried by rent at 77/100; held back most by environment at 16/100.
- 60th
- composite percentile
- #153
- of 387 peers
- 76th
- cost dimension percentile
- 19th
- wages dimension percentile
Life Score shape · MID · BALANCED · signature wages
Kokomo: wage lag defines the peer set
Kokomo is a MID-band metro where wages sit at only the 19th percentile (LOW) while cost is CHEAP (76th) and composite #153. Environment at 16/100 is the clearest drag; Rent (77/100) is the offset. According to PlainCompare's federal Life Score corpus ranking, Kokomo, IN ranks #153 of 387 metros by composite Life Score (highest = #1) and #92 of 387 by cost-of-living dimension score (highest = #1). Methodology.
BEA RPP 89.6 (rent-RPP 59.3). BLS median salary $59,160, 26,100 jobs (Fast Food and Counter Workers, Retail Salespersons, Cashiers). HUD 2BR FMR $1,123/mo (studio $884).
FBI UCR (IN): 308 violent, 1321 property/100K. NCES: 15.2:1 ratio, 6.5% charter. EPA: 53 Superfund sites (IN).
Where Kokomo sits among all US metros
Composite Life Score vs the national field
52 60th percentile higher than 60% of 387 US metros
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US metros. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source PlainCompare composite of BEA, BLS, HUD, FBI, NCES, DOL, EPA data · August 2026
How the 52.2 is built
Kokomo's Life Score, decomposed
Dimension detail
How Kokomo scores, dimension by dimension
Score Breakdown
Dimension Scores
Key Data Points
Geography used: crime, schools, childcare, and environment cards above are IN state-level when metro-specific feeds are unavailable, see the scope key at the top of this page.
Compare Kokomo With...
Ranking Context
Kokomo outranks 60% of U.S. metros.
| Rank | Metro | Score | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| #150 | Jackson, MI | 52.3 | B |
| #151 | Rockford, IL | 52.4 | B |
| #152 | Farmington, NM | 52.4 | B |
| #153 | Kokomo, IN | 52.2 | B |
| #154 | Fond du Lac, WI | 52.2 | B |
| #155 | Wausau, WI | 52.2 | B |
| #156 | Bay City, MI | 52.1 | B |
Quality vs. Affordability
Kokomo, IN is top 40% highest-quality nationally and also top 24% most affordable -- a rarer combination among its composite-quality peers, where overall rank and affordability rank usually diverge more than this.
IN Metro Scores
Read with Kokomo
Nearest composite peers and cost poles for Kokomo (MID · BALANCED · CHEAP/LOW), replacing the fixed Explore/Guides strip.
Fond du Lac, WI
ABS(composite) peer at 52.2 (Δ 0.0 vs this metro); higher Life Score · grade B vs this page's MID · BALANCED · CHEAP/LOW.
Wausau, WI
ABS(composite) peer at 52.2 (Δ 0.0 vs this metro); higher Life Score · grade B vs this page's MID · BALANCED · CHEAP/LOW.
Jackson, MI
ABS(composite) peer at 52.3 (Δ 0.1 vs this metro); higher Life Score · grade B vs this page's MID · BALANCED · CHEAP/LOW.
Bay City, MI
ABS(composite) peer at 52.1 (Δ 0.1 vs this metro); lower Life Score · grade B vs this page's MID · BALANCED · CHEAP/LOW.
Lima, OH (cost pole)
ABS(cost_score) orthogonal peer at 76/100 (Δ 0); cost stamp CHEAP vs this metro's CHEAP.
Wichita Falls, TX (cost pole)
ABS(cost_score) orthogonal peer at 77/100 (Δ 0); cost stamp CHEAP vs this metro's CHEAP.
Kokomo, IN relocation guide
Stamp-branched guide for MID · BALANCED · CHEAP/LOW - how to read federal Life Score inputs before a move.
Using Kokomo's middle-third Life Score
Kokomo scores 52.2/100 overall, but Rent (76.7) and Environment (16.3) sit 60.4 points apart, so decide which of the two matters more to you before leaning on the total.
- Rent is the strongest of Kokomo's seven dimensions (weighted 15% in the composite); if it is your priority, this is where the metro earns its rank. See all seven dimensions
- Environment is the weakest (weighted 10% in the composite); if it is a dealbreaker, weigh it before the ranking does. Rank metros on the composite
- Muncie is the nearest comparison this page can offer; put the two side by side on the same seven dimensions. Compare with Muncie
A middle-third composite is a weighted blend; individual dimensions can sit well above or below it.