Housing decision brief
Adams County, IN Housing Market
Adams County screens as a higher purchase price, below-state rent, a manageable tax-rate signal market. Use the page as a decision brief, not just a price lookup, because local income, taxes, and data confidence change how affordable the county really is.
48th lowest home value out of 92 Indiana counties with data | 25th lowest rent out of 92
Median home value
$173,100
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$799/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$855/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
2.7x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
26.0%
Below 30% usually screens as less pressured.
Rent vs own
$56/mo
Median rent screens below owner cost.
Data confidence
1 note
Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
What Works
Lower rent
$799/mo is 6% below Indiana county median
Rent burden below pressure line
26.00% of renter income goes to rent, below the 30% burden threshold.
What to Check
Lower income base
$63,128 median income is 5% below Indiana county median
Water quality cross-check
Water quality grade is F. Review water data before treating housing cost as the full story.
Health context
Health score is 36.2 out of 100, so affordability should be weighed against local health indicators.
Crime data coverage
Crime data coverage is partial. Treat zero or low crime rates as incomplete until you check the source coverage.
Best Fit For
- Buyers comparing homes to local incomes
Poor Fit For
- Households dependent on a deep local wage market
- Buyers who will not investigate local water systems before moving
- Anyone treating reported crime rates as complete without source context
County vs State vs National
The county number only matters after you see the benchmark. These comparisons show where Adams County is genuinely cheap, where it is average, and where the hidden cost may be.
| Metric | County | State | U.S. | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Median home value Lower usually helps affordability. | $173,100 | $171,400 | $281,900 | Near state median1% above Indiana county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $799 | $850 | $1,163 | 6% favorable6% below Indiana county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $855 | $898 | $1,672 | 5% favorable5% below Indiana county median |
Median household income | $63,128 | $66,674 | $74,755 | 5% pressure5% below Indiana county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 0.75% | 1.00% | 1.02% | 25% favorable25% below Indiana county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 26.00% | 26.00% | N/A | Near state median26.00% of renter income goes to rent. |
Income Fit
A low price only helps if local income can carry the monthly cost. This panel compares the county income base with rent and owner-cost thresholds.
Rent cushion
+$31,168
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$26,485
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Adams County offers affordable rental housing at a median of $799/month , about 15.2% of the typical household income here.
Rent vs own
Renters in Adams County pay $799/month on average, compared to $855/month for homeowners. This market favors renters by about 7%.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $31,960/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $36,643/year. With a median household income of $63,128, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 26.0% of renter households in Adams County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Within Indiana, Adams County is less affordable than Ohio County by roughly 6% ($799/mo vs $852/mo).
Better Counties to Compare
Similar counties are matched on home value, rent, income, and state context. This is more useful than a simple nearest-price list.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Why compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lawrence County, IN | $164,500 | $800/mo | Same-state comparison near $164,500 home value and $800/mo rent. |
| Montgomery County, IN | $166,300 | $827/mo | Same-state comparison near $166,300 home value and $827/mo rent. |
| Carroll County, IN | $167,700 | $874/mo | Same-state comparison near $167,700 home value and $874/mo rent. |
| Washington County, IN | $162,400 | $760/mo | Same-state comparison near $162,400 home value and $760/mo rent. |
| Rush County, IN | $155,900 | $831/mo | Same-state comparison near $155,900 home value and $831/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Adams County
Is Adams County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Adams County?
How much income do you need for housing in Adams County?
What should I double-check before moving to Adams County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.