Okay, I will weigh in since I actually live in Indiana. I was raised in Portland, OR, and I also spent many years in downtown Chicago, so I have places to compare.
Indiana is not just a big cornfield, it is not a bad place to live cheaply. I have a very nice three bedroom home on a tree lined quiet street with a big yard outside of Lafayette that cost $80k. Being near Lafayette is nice because Purdue University is there, so there is some culture and restaurants. Yes, there are people you don't want to meet here, but that is true in every place, really. There are also some very nice people. there are things to do and the taxes are very low. I paid $450 in property taxes this year. At least in my town though, the city services are very good!
Now, I will say, if I didn't have family here and I won the lottery tomorrow, I'd be back on the West Coast. but, I actually think Indiana is not a bad place to retire if you pick the right area. I'd stay near one of the colleges and wouldn't live near Indy.