Muncie is an affordable, friendly Midwestern college city anchored by Ball State University, with a compact downtown, local restaurants, coffee shops, parks and a steady calendar of arts and campus events—great for unpacking for multi-week contracts and feeling like a local.
For bigger-city nights or weekend escapes, Indianapolis is about 50–63 miles away and Fort Wayne about 66 miles, both within roughly an hour to 90 minutes by car for extra dining, entertainment and airport options.