From its humble agricultural beginnings Indiana’s economy flourished during the Second World War, when the state produced steel and food for the war effort. After the war Indiana had recovered from the economic downturn of the Great Depression and industry, not agriculture, has since been the largest sector of employment. The main industry sectors were automotive, pharmaceutical and steel. Hit particularly hard by the oil crisis in the 1970s and the global downturn in the 1980s, the automotive industry fell into decline.

The Ohio River on its southern border forms a natural divide from neighbouring state Kentucky. The Central Lowlands and the Interior Low Plateau are two natural regions within Indiana State, which means that the average altitude of Indiana rises just about 760 feet above sea level. Blessed with many natural waterways Indiana’s Wabash River, the longest free-flowing river east of the Mississippi, divides the state from northeast to southwest. The climate throughout the state is continental and humid; warm and wet in summer and moderately cold in winter.

Some 829,000 people live in Indianapolis, making it the largest city in the state, followed by Fort Wayne with just over 251,000 residents, Evansville with some 116,000 residents and South Bend with a population of just over 104,000. Today some 3 million people work in industries as diverse as steel production – Calumet in northwest Indiana is the largest steel producing region in the US – automobile, transportation equipment, pharmaceuticals, chemical production, rubber, petrochemical industries and machinery production.

Although generally speaking there has been a decline in manufacturing jobs throughout Western countries, Indiana seems to have weathered the storm better than others. Blessed with a highly skilled, well trained labour force, Indiana has seen many large and medium sized businesses relocate to the state because they were seeking such skills.

Dotted around the state these companies relocated to medium and smaller cities instead of the great cities in other states. This allows them to employ local people who are prepared to work for lower wages, as living standards are less high and accommodation – both residential and commercial - is less costly than in big cities.

If you are thinking of relocating to the state and are looking for an apartment to rent in Indiana, you should budget for an average of $547 to $768 per month for one to two bedroom apartments, depending on location and proximity to city centers. Three bedroom apartments list about $872 on average. Indianapolis in the largest of Indiana's cities. Some of the apartment complexes include Lockerbie Court, Madison Park village, and Southgreen Apartments.