INDIANAPOLIS — People who live and work in Downtown Indy agree: the city is safer, cleaner and more walkable than in years past.
In fact, the number of people living downtown has more than doubled since 2015.
Downtown Indy Alliance, formerly known as Downtown Indy Inc., released its 2025 Community Report at the State of Downtown on Thursday.
The perception survey included responses from about 2200 people.
“We saw some improvements in safety and cleanliness, specifically with downtown property owners. That’s a really wonderful thing as we continue to invest those economic enhancement district dollars in those core services," President and CEO Taylor Schaffer said.
Shaffer says the data shows a lot of momentum, but there are still challenges ahead: older adults and residents in adjacent counties reported less positive reviews.
“We know a stronger downtown is for the entirety of Indianapolis. We want to make sure we see new residents coming to downtown," she said.
The report shows 30,467 people live downtown.
Margie Litz is one of them.
“I can walk to work. I can walk to the grocery store. Every day I walk to church," Litz said. “I just wish the city would be open to more housing downtown. More condos. They’re building a lot of apartments, as long as they’re locally owned and operated.”
The hospitality industry downtown is thriving.
Hotel occupancy rates continue to rise year over year.
In 2025, the top five days for the most hotel rooms sold downtown were directly tied to major events like Gen Con, WNBA games and the Indy 500.
“It’s benefiting us because we’re having more people visit our hotels that may not have even wanted to stay downtown," Conference Sales Manager for City Centre Hotels Justin Hendricks said.
His properties, Staybridge Suites and Holiday Inn Express, are located right across from Lucas Oil Stadium.
“From the parks, the entertainment, the cultural trail. It’s just a great lively atmosphere that it’s nice for people to experience that aren’t from here," he said.
