County housing intelligence
Indiana Housing Market by County
Indiana is not one housing market. Across 92 counties, the median county home value is $179,200 and the median county rent is $866/mo. The useful question is not whether Indiana is cheap. It is which county fits your income, tax tolerance, and buy-versus-rent plan.
County median home value
$179,200
Median of county medians, less distorted by the largest metros.
County median rent
$866/mo
Gross rent includes rent plus utilities where Census reports it.
Counties compared
92
Every county with available ACS housing data in this state.
Fast answers
Start with the housing question.
Market brief
The state-level housing signal
These benchmarks use the median county in the state, not one metro-weighted average. That makes the brief better for county comparison and rural-to-urban screening.
Purchase price
State county median vs national benchmark
Rent
State county median vs national benchmark
Owner cost
State county median vs national benchmark
Income base
State county median vs national benchmark
Tax rate
State county median vs national benchmark
The Indiana Pattern
These are the signals a statewide average hides. Start here before choosing counties to compare.
Price geography
Hamilton County, Boone County, Hendricks County sit at the top of the purchase market, while Blackford County, Vermillion County, Randolph County anchor the lower-cost end.
Rent reality
Hamilton County, Hendricks County, Boone County lead on rent, while Perry County, Crawford County, Martin County show where monthly lease costs are lowest.
Decision lens
Randolph County, Vermillion County, Blackford County screen best for purchase affordability when home values are measured against local household income.
Best Counties by Housing Goal
Different households need different rankings. Price alone is not enough, so these groups compare rent, income, owner costs, and tax exposure.
Cheapest to buy
Lowest median home values. Useful for purchase-price screening.
- 1. Blackford County
$107,500
- 2. Vermillion County
$113,100
- 3. Randolph County
$113,400
- 4. Jay County
$117,500
- 5. Crawford County
$117,700
Best buy affordability
Lowest home-value-to-income ratios. Better than price alone.
- 1. Randolph County
1.9x home-value-to-income
- 2. Vermillion County
1.9x home-value-to-income
- 3. Blackford County
2.1x home-value-to-income
- 4. Jay County
2.1x home-value-to-income
- 5. Miami County
2.1x home-value-to-income
Cheapest to rent
Lowest median gross rent among counties with ACS rent data.
- 1. Perry County
$682/mo
- 2. Crawford County
$686/mo
- 3. Martin County
$697/mo
- 4. Blackford County
$699/mo
- 5. Parke County
$704/mo
Lowest rent burden
Where typical renters spend the smallest share of income on rent.
- 1. Tipton County
17.8% rent burden
- 2. LaGrange County
20.0% rent burden
- 3. Martin County
20.8% rent burden
- 4. Fountain County
21.6% rent burden
- 5. Dubois County
22.0% rent burden
Lowest tax-rate signal
Lowest effective property-tax rates in the state data.
- 1. Clay County
0.41% effective tax rate
- 2. Brown County
0.44% effective tax rate
- 3. Switzerland County
0.45% effective tax rate
- 4. Pulaski County
0.45% effective tax rate
- 5. Jasper County
0.46% effective tax rate
Owner-cost advantage
Counties where median owner costs are furthest below median rent.
- 1. St. Joseph County
$135/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 2. Delaware County
$121/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 3. Jackson County
$111/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 4. Miami County
$110/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 5. Jennings County
$95/mo cheaper to own than rent
Income-backed value
Higher-income counties that still hold a reasonable value-to-income profile.
- 1. Warren County
$82,425 income, 2.2x value-to-income
- 2. Hamilton County
$121,530 income, 3.3x value-to-income
- 3. Hendricks County
$101,144 income, 3.0x value-to-income
- 4. Warrick County
$89,844 income, 2.7x value-to-income
- 5. Union County
$76,424 income, 2.3x value-to-income
Tradeoffs to Check
The best page is not the one that crowns a winner. It is the one that shows where a county can surprise you after the headline price looks attractive.
| Signal | County | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Cheap price, weaker income base | Blackford County $107,500 home value, $51,326 income | Low purchase prices can still feel tight when local wages are also low. |
| Renter pressure | Monroe County $1,193/mo rent, 36.90% rent burden | Monthly rent alone does not show whether renters can comfortably absorb the cost. |
| Expensive, but income-supported | Hamilton County $405,500 home value, $121,530 income | Some high-price counties also have stronger incomes, so affordability depends on both sides of the equation. |
Lowest home values
Best value-to-income
Compare Every Indiana County
Sorted by home-value-to-income ratio so the first rows are not just cheap counties, but counties where purchase prices look smaller relative to local income.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Income | Value/Income | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Randolph County | $113,400 | $723/mo | $60,791 | 1.9x | 0.79% |
| Vermillion County | $113,100 | $750/mo | $60,200 | 1.9x | 0.69% |
| Blackford County | $107,500 | $699/mo | $51,326 | 2.1x | 0.81% |
| Jay County | $117,500 | $770/mo | $54,969 | 2.1x | 0.60% |
| Miami County | $126,200 | $838/mo | $61,139 | 2.1x | 0.60% |
| Clay County | $153,000 | $873/mo | $70,010 | 2.2x | 0.41% |
| Fayette County | $130,700 | $791/mo | $59,321 | 2.2x | 0.73% |
| Knox County | $137,700 | $796/mo | $61,237 | 2.2x | 0.68% |
| Parke County | $151,200 | $704/mo | $68,485 | 2.2x | 0.49% |
| Pike County | $154,900 | $739/mo | $71,334 | 2.2x | 0.78% |
| Warren County | $182,500 | $830/mo | $82,425 | 2.2x | 0.50% |
| Benton County | $151,000 | $774/mo | $65,875 | 2.3x | 0.77% |
| Fountain County | $143,400 | $843/mo | $62,542 | 2.3x | 0.59% |
| Grant County | $122,300 | $853/mo | $53,522 | 2.3x | 0.72% |
| Jennings County | $161,500 | $988/mo | $69,322 | 2.3x | 0.60% |
| Martin County | $159,400 | $697/mo | $68,594 | 2.3x | 0.54% |
| Newton County | $171,500 | $918/mo | $75,481 | 2.3x | 0.77% |
| Sullivan County | $131,100 | $829/mo | $56,204 | 2.3x | 0.61% |
| Tipton County | $174,600 | $842/mo | $76,156 | 2.3x | 0.65% |
| Union County | $173,500 | $760/mo | $76,424 | 2.3x | 0.64% |
| Cass County | $133,800 | $783/mo | $56,403 | 2.4x | 0.68% |
| Crawford County | $117,700 | $686/mo | $49,640 | 2.4x | 0.75% |
| Delaware County | $139,400 | $906/mo | $58,127 | 2.4x | 0.75% |
| Henry County | $154,400 | $820/mo | $63,150 | 2.4x | 0.73% |
| Huntington County | $161,600 | $879/mo | $66,301 | 2.4x | 0.71% |
| Montgomery County | $171,800 | $858/mo | $71,479 | 2.4x | 0.65% |
| Orange County | $158,700 | $855/mo | $65,873 | 2.4x | 0.58% |
| Wabash County | $157,200 | $762/mo | $66,806 | 2.4x | 0.52% |
| Clinton County | $164,100 | $920/mo | $65,019 | 2.5x | 0.60% |
| Greene County | $153,200 | $797/mo | $62,094 | 2.5x | 0.58% |
| Jackson County | $178,300 | $1,004/mo | $70,262 | 2.5x | 0.49% |
| Pulaski County | $156,400 | $772/mo | $62,792 | 2.5x | 0.45% |
| Rush County | $166,800 | $873/mo | $66,473 | 2.5x | 0.65% |
| Spencer County | $185,200 | $751/mo | $74,506 | 2.5x | 0.62% |
| Starke County | $157,700 | $712/mo | $63,960 | 2.5x | 0.61% |
| Wayne County | $140,200 | $815/mo | $55,692 | 2.5x | 0.81% |
| DeKalb County | $194,100 | $861/mo | $74,331 | 2.6x | 0.62% |
| Fulton County | $156,500 | $839/mo | $61,360 | 2.6x | 0.54% |
| Howard County | $165,000 | $937/mo | $64,027 | 2.6x | 0.72% |
| Lawrence County | $175,000 | $845/mo | $66,468 | 2.6x | 0.60% |
| Madison County | $161,300 | $939/mo | $63,037 | 2.6x | 0.74% |
| White County | $175,900 | $901/mo | $67,303 | 2.6x | 0.54% |
| Adams County | $178,400 | $833/mo | $65,289 | 2.7x | 0.77% |
| Gibson County | $180,000 | $935/mo | $67,573 | 2.7x | 0.72% |
| Noble County | $196,800 | $832/mo | $71,723 | 2.7x | 0.67% |
| Perry County | $163,400 | $682/mo | $61,151 | 2.7x | 0.68% |
| Switzerland County | $175,800 | $758/mo | $65,343 | 2.7x | 0.45% |
| Warrick County | $242,500 | $1,061/mo | $89,844 | 2.7x | 0.67% |
| Washington County | $172,200 | $780/mo | $64,641 | 2.7x | 0.63% |
| Wells County | $197,600 | $813/mo | $71,957 | 2.7x | 0.54% |
| Carroll County | $180,900 | $890/mo | $65,645 | 2.8x | 0.56% |
| LaPorte County | $195,500 | $976/mo | $71,055 | 2.8x | 0.77% |
| Owen County | $172,400 | $911/mo | $62,464 | 2.8x | 0.66% |
| Putnam County | $218,900 | $884/mo | $78,378 | 2.8x | 0.48% |
| Scott County | $158,400 | $822/mo | $56,352 | 2.8x | 0.65% |
| Vigo County | $148,500 | $924/mo | $52,976 | 2.8x | 0.88% |
| Whitley County | $219,400 | $934/mo | $78,083 | 2.8x | 0.70% |
| Bartholomew County | $232,800 | $1,127/mo | $79,901 | 2.9x | 0.75% |
| Daviess County | $197,200 | $847/mo | $68,503 | 2.9x | 0.69% |
| Dearborn County | $243,400 | $845/mo | $84,735 | 2.9x | 0.73% |
| Decatur County | $199,100 | $861/mo | $69,783 | 2.9x | 0.62% |
| Hancock County | $274,800 | $1,203/mo | $93,186 | 2.9x | 0.66% |
| Jasper County | $221,500 | $962/mo | $77,314 | 2.9x | 0.46% |
| Kosciusko County | $216,000 | $1,043/mo | $75,317 | 2.9x | 0.60% |
| Marshall County | $204,900 | $938/mo | $71,808 | 2.9x | 0.66% |
| Posey County | $222,900 | $782/mo | $78,129 | 2.9x | 0.62% |
| Shelby County | $212,400 | $987/mo | $72,190 | 2.9x | 0.66% |
| St. Joseph County | $192,800 | $1,062/mo | $66,868 | 2.9x | 0.86% |
| Steuben County | $216,200 | $933/mo | $74,911 | 2.9x | 0.57% |
| Allen County | $214,900 | $1,021/mo | $70,737 | 3.0x | 0.79% |
| Clark County | $222,900 | $1,129/mo | $74,214 | 3.0x | 0.77% |
| Dubois County | $230,100 | $834/mo | $75,979 | 3.0x | 0.66% |
| Hendricks County | $307,600 | $1,436/mo | $101,144 | 3.0x | 0.81% |
| Jefferson County | $194,600 | $890/mo | $64,577 | 3.0x | 0.64% |
| LaGrange County | $255,900 | $839/mo | $84,487 | 3.0x | 0.55% |
| Morgan County | $237,600 | $1,042/mo | $79,429 | 3.0x | 0.49% |
| Ohio County | $213,100 | $898/mo | $70,392 | 3.0x | 0.61% |
| Vanderburgh County | $184,000 | $985/mo | $61,648 | 3.0x | 0.80% |
| Elkhart County | $210,400 | $1,047/mo | $68,561 | 3.1x | 0.82% |
| Floyd County | $251,000 | $1,036/mo | $79,704 | 3.1x | 0.69% |
| Harrison County | $229,600 | $836/mo | $74,475 | 3.1x | 0.53% |
| Johnson County | $284,600 | $1,271/mo | $90,454 | 3.1x | 0.71% |
| Franklin County | $249,500 | $870/mo | $78,074 | 3.2x | 0.59% |
| Lake County | $230,600 | $1,131/mo | $71,493 | 3.2x | 0.92% |
| Porter County | $281,500 | $1,219/mo | $87,972 | 3.2x | 0.83% |
| Ripley County | $222,500 | $839/mo | $70,573 | 3.2x | 0.56% |
| Hamilton County | $405,500 | $1,574/mo | $121,530 | 3.3x | 0.88% |
| Boone County | $376,200 | $1,359/mo | $111,250 | 3.4x | 0.78% |
| Brown County | $269,100 | $895/mo | $78,528 | 3.4x | 0.44% |
| Marion County | $224,000 | $1,153/mo | $66,346 | 3.4x | 0.91% |
| Tippecanoe County | $239,300 | $1,124/mo | $60,636 | 3.9x | 0.62% |
| Monroe County | $285,200 | $1,193/mo | $65,868 | 4.3x | 0.71% |
Questions This Page Answers
Each answer is generated from the current county dataset, so it changes when the underlying ACS data changes.
What is the typical home value in Indiana by county?
What is the typical rent in Indiana by county?
Which Indiana counties are most affordable to buy in?
Why do cheap counties still need a closer look?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.