Homes for Sale in Bloomington, Indiana

Bloomington, Indiana – a city of sights, sounds, and tastes. Established in 1818 and named for its profusion of natural beauty, this now burgeoning, hip city has managed to maintain its native serenity despite its continued growth as a regional economic hub. In fact, this fantastic location has been designated a "Tree City" by the U.S. Arbor Day Foundation every year since mid-1980's based on its commitment to preserving its scenic streets.

It’s home to numerous historic buildings built with stone from the famous limestone quarries of Monroe County where Bloomington is the county seat. The city rests in the rolling hills that rise between the divide of the east and west forks of the majestic White River. The city of Bloomington makes for just about as ideal a location to buy a home as one could hope for.

Bloomington is affluent but not too big for itself, allowing it to maintain a friendly, conscientious, safe community despite being the sixth largest city in Indiana. Bloomington boasts an elite educational system anchored by Indiana University Bloomington and has a nationally-regarded business community rife with employment opportunities in numerous fields. Residents have access to a slew of cultural offerings and entertainment options. If you're looking to buy a home in southern Indiana, Bloomington offers a quality of life that few towns in the state can match.

Bloomington Area Homes

Having been established in 1918, Bloomington has a wide variety of architectural options for home buyers to select from at a range of prices. Whether you want to live in the buzzing downtown area close to the Indiana University campus, or nestled somewhere in the peaceful outskirts of this prosperous and pristine community in southern Indiana, our realtors are available to assist. We’ll help you find a home that meets your preferences and needs. No matter where you choose to buy your home, you'll find yourself able to easily access the rest of the city. You also have plenty of options to get out of the city too; many state roads intersect in Bloomington, including SR-37, SR-45, SR-46, SR-48, and SR-446. Bloomington Transit also operates a fleet of buses within the city, making it easy to get to work, school, or play without the hassle of having to drive.

You'll be greeted with tremendous scenery, framed by the plentiful hills this unique town was built upon. Bloomington is 23 square miles of picturesque views, featuring forest hills, historic limestone architecture, and tree-line avenues – a perfect spot for your new home.

Shopping and Dining

As one might expect in a city of Bloomington's size, shopping and dining venues play a prominent role in its residents' daily lives. Downtown Bloomington, which is typically regarded as the area encompassed between First to Eleventh Streets and Madison to Lincoln Streets, is at the center of the scene. The numerous locally-owned businesses are protected from big-box development thanks to development restrictions put on the area by the Bloomington city government.

Downtown Bloomington offers ample street and garage parking for easy access to its unique shops and eateries. The Bloomington Fashion Collective is made up of city appointees and promotes the efforts of the many clothing boutiques in this fashion-minded locale. The historic Fountain Square Mall with its diverse specialty shops is a must-visit when shopping for unique items you can't find anywhere else. Dining options in Downtown span the food spectrum.

Breakfast eateries, such as Michael's Uptown Café, vegetarian specialists, like the Owlery Restaurant, traditional fare specialists, like the Irish Lion Restaurant & Pub, or the very popular Samira's Restaurant with its authentic Afghan cuisine are just a few of the options you'll find. Be sure to check out Upland Brewing Company, Indiana's largest microbrewery, renowned for its food and atmosphere as much as its award-winning brews.

Preserving the downtown aesthetic hasn't hampered major retail developments in Bloomington but rather pushed commercial development to the east and west sides, where you can find all of the major retail centers typically associated with a city of its stature. For mall goers, College Mall on the west side of the city is easily accessible from anywhere in town. Afterwards, check in at Mother Bear's Pizza, one of the top-rated restaurants in the city. The IU campus is another favorite for its funky ambiance and inspired deep-dish cuisine.

The Bloomington Community Farmers' Market is open every Saturday from April through October at the city hall, offering shoppers a selection of locally produced produce, vegetables, crafts, and more.

Culture and Entertainment

While located just 50 miles south of Indianapolis, Bloomington residents don't need to head to the big city to fulfill their entertainment needs. Bolstered by its fusion with the higher education system, Bloomington offers a flourishing arts community. Multiple theater companies, both professional and amateur, are active in the city, whether at the 3,000-seat performing arts venue, Indiana University Auditorium, or at any number of smaller venues, including the much beloved Buskirk-Chumley Theater (the Bus-Chum, to locals), a 1922 vaudeville and movie house converted to a theater in the mid-nineties.

Such venues also help support an eclectic, art-first music scene. Recent years have seen Bloomington become positioned at the leading edge of the folk-punk scene, thanks to influential, internationally-recognized record labels, such as Plan-It-X Records. The Plan-It Fest and annual punk music festival is a destination event for music enthusiasts from around the world. For those with more international tastes, the annually held Lotus Festival of World Music is also a big draw. Numerous other music schools, labels, and groups account for a well-rounded and fresh musical landscape, including the Jacobs School of Music at IU Bloomington, which sponsors over a thousand performances each year, both public and private.

Music festivals aren't the only events in town either. Far from it, in fact. Bloomington plays host to nearly two dozen cultural festivals each year with event themes ranging from film to food and everything in between. Museums are in abundance as well, highlighted by Indiana University Art Museum, Mathers Museum of World Cultures, and Wonderlab, a children-oriented science museum.

For your leisure and sporting needs, the B-Line Walking Trail (a former rail line converted to a trail, which cuts through the heart of downtown) is extremely popular amongst walkers, runners, and bikers. Want to get a little more in touch with nature? Indiana's largest state park, Brown County State Park and Lake Monroe are not far to drive to. Yellowwood State Forest, Lake Lemon, and the Morgan-Monroe State Forest are also close by as well. Bloomington also features two public golf courses and a private country club course. Sports fans enjoy watching the IU Bloomington "Hoosiers" and their strong sports traditions, fielding over twenty NCAA Division I teams that have won multiple national championships. Bloomington is also home to the largest collegiate bike race in the United States, the Little 500, held every April.

Careers and Industry

Being the sixth largest city in Indiana and home to a robust secondary education system, Bloomington is a bustling economic center with a myriad options for job seekers. Indiana University Bloomington is by far the largest single employer in the city, and employment opportunities abound among private companies that thrive off of their proximity to the campus as well.

Education, life sciences, medical technologies, advanced manufacturing, and the arts are popular career sectors in Bloomington. Larger successful companies such as Cook Group, Inc., specializing in medical devices and Baxter Pharmaceuticals grab a lot of the headlines. But don't overlook Bloomington's prosperous small-business community. Recognized by Inc. Magazine, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Forbes Magazine for its thriving business and entrepreneurial community, Bloomington is widely touted as a haven for small businesses and startups. The city government, not content to let momentum run its course, is actively pursuing and evolving initiatives to make sure Bloomington keeps that status,.

A booming community also means plenty of jobs in the retail and food industries as well, so if you'd like to live and work in Bloomington, there's an option for everyone.

Schools

Bloomington hosts a number of primary education options for residents with children, including both public and private schools, all benefiting from a location in a city abounding in history and extracurricular educational opportunities. The two high schools in Bloomington (Bloomington North and Bloomington South) are top class as well. Indiana University enrolls about 40,000 students every year. Not only is this a hub of higher learning, it also has a thriving NCAA Division I sports program. Bloomington is also home to an Ivy Tech Community College campus, the largest singly accredited statewide community college system in the United States. Not sold? Lumosity ranks Bloomington as the 7th smartest city in America.