How Indianapolis is fighting America's loneliness epidemic
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Hoosiers may be huge on hospitality. But that doesn't make the idea of striking up a conversation with the new family next door any less terrifying.
Why it matters: Without socializing with neighbors — who are often from other races, or have different religions and political ideologies — people risk becoming more isolated and more dependent on superficial, algorithm-driven digital communities.
Threat level: In 2023, the U.S. surgeon general declared loneliness a public health crisis, equating its impact on health and mortality to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
By the numbers: In 2012, 51% of young Americans regularly engaged with neighbors, according to an American Enterprise Institute (AEI) report. Today, that number has plummeted to 25%.
- By contrast, 56% of seniors socialize with neighbors, a 7-point drop since 2012.
- More broadly, 59% of Americans chatted with neighbors a few times per week in 2012. In 2025, that number is 41%.
- Meanwhile, American Time Use Survey data finds that the average time spent socializing per day has fallen from 45 to 35 minutes over the last 20 years.
Closer to home, more than 29% of Indy residents live alone, per U.S. Census Bureau data.
Between the lines: Daniel Cox, head report researcher and director of the Survey Center on American Life at AEI, tells Axios that technology deserves some of the blame.
- He says young Americans also talk less with neighbors because they have less practice with face-to-face connections during their formative years.
Zoom in: Indianapolis residents are fighting back against the nationwide loneliness epidemic by creating communities that acknowledge the difficulties that come with making friends as an adult.
- It's what inspired Nicole Kearney to open SipEasy SocialHaus, a downtown lounge that prioritizes providing quality IRL experiences through events like wine tastings, game nights and vinyl nights.
- "We want people to come, sip, share and connect. Meet some new people, put your phones down [and] actually engage in conversation with your neighbors," she told WISH-TV on Tuesday.
Finding best friends forever in an unfamiliar city is what compelled Noblesville's FrancesMary Loughead to launch BFF Indy, an organization that has grown from a "The Bachelorette" watch party to a network of more than 30,000 women in less than five years.
- BFF Indy now reaches all the way to Hoosier cities like Bloomington and Lafayette, hosting events like weekly walks, speed friending and baseball game outings.
- "If we host an event and one person makes a friend, I call that success, just because that's one friendship that wasn't created yesterday," Loughead previously told Axios.
📬 You tell us: How well do you know your neighbors? And how did you get to know them?
- Reply to this email or drop us a note at indianapolis @axios.com with your best community-building tips.
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