The story of this market
The typical home in Porter County, Indiana sells for about $339,995, or $185 per square foot.
Prices are up +1.5% from a year ago, so sellers still have some momentum. Homes take about 53 days to sell. Over the long run, values in this county have grown 121% since 2000. Last year 29 of 39 neighborhoods saw prices rise, so the story isn't the same street to street. The biggest natural hazard here is cold wave, which FEMA rates relatively high. HUD's fair market rent for a two-bedroom is $1,429 a month.
HUD sets the fair market rent for a 2-bedroom at $1,429 a month. FEMA's National Risk Index rates overall hazard risk here as Relatively Low.
Price climate
Every year of price change, 2000–2025
+3%
2025
Each stripe is one year's median price change across the area's census tracts (FHFA repeat-sales index). Deep blue is a strong gain year, red a falling year. Best: 2022 (+13.6%). Worst: 2010 (-3.2%). Hover to read a year.
Monthly price momentum
Home values since 2015
+4.7%
IN · past 12 months
Freddie Mac House Price Index, single-family homes, monthly through 2026-08. Each line starts at 100 in January 2015, so a reading of 180 means prices are up 80% since then.
Rent benchmark
Fair market rent by size
$1,739
3-bed / month
HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal 2027, for this county. A typical rent for a modest unit, used to set housing-voucher payments.
Neighborhood price trend
Long-run price trend, 2000–2025
+3%
2025 change
FHFA repeat-sales index, median of 39 census tracts in this county (2000 = 100). Bars are each year's median change.
Natural hazard exposure
The area's risk shape
37
Relatively Low
FEMA National Risk Index. Each spoke is a hazard ranked nationally, where 100 is the most exposed. Expected annual loss: $58,179,679.
Mortgage activity
Home lending in this county
84.3%
2019 approval rate
| Year | Applications | Loans made | Approval | Investor share | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 9340 | 5289 | 81.5% | 4% | $200,000 |
| 2019 | 10774▲ | 6209▲ | 84.3%▲ | 4.1%▲ | $225,000▲ |
CFPB Home Mortgage Disclosure Act records: every mortgage application reported by lenders for homes in this county. Approval rate is approved ÷ decided (withdrawn and incomplete files excluded). Investor share and home value are the median census tract.
Porter County, Indiana
The Porter County housing market shows moderate price appreciation and stable inventory levels, reflecting a balanced environment for buyers and sellers. Demand remains supported by the county's economic stability and improved transit connectivity to the Chicago area.
No ARED distress-ledger coverage for this county yet — the foreclosure ingest rotates the national county directory, and filings appear here once the county's posted notices are read. Key-figure check: median price corroborated by the prior refresh cycle (within 12.5%).
Select a city to expand its ZIP intel reports beneath · 4 cities · 6 ZIP reports
Median prices moved up 4.7% year over year.
Homes spend a median of 69 days on market with 0.0 months of supply — a balanced-paced market.
0% of listings have cut prices · homes sell at 24.26% of asking — demand is holding steady.
no recorded foreclosure-ledger notices (0.0 per 10,000 residents) · unemployment 3.8% · poverty 6.5% — a stable, low-distress profile.
Deterministic aggregate of 4 researched ZIP reports of 6 — sales_count-weighted (population fallback); per point, children lacking the value or its weight are excluded. Tax rates, sentiment and context notes are tier-native and never roll.
Porter County, Indiana — researched county-level history with a deterministic 1 / 3 / 5-year projection
Solid: researched ten-year history · dotted: 1 / 3 / 5-year projection extended from the historical 7.0%/yr trend — a deterministic estimate, not a published forecast or guarantee.
No researched properties in this county yet — the property base layer populates as property research runs, and each property feeds its ZIP's roll-up.
researched Oct 22
researched Oct 1
researched Oct 1
researched Oct 1
| 46304 | Chesterton | $359,819 | $129 | +5.8% | 71 | 98% | — | — | 153 | $1,500 | researched Oct 22 |
| 46368 | Portage | $285,000 | $165 | +0.4% | 42 | 98.5% | 18% | 3.2 | 282 | $1,241 | researched Oct 1 |
| 46383 | Valparaiso | $355,000 | $190 | +4.3% | 68 | — | — | — | 144 | $1,212 | researched Oct 1 |
| 46385 | Valparaiso | $449,000 | $190 | +4.3% | 68 | — | — | — | 267 | $1,346 | researched Oct 1 |
Figures are each ZIP report's own latest research — the county roll-up aggregates them sales_count-weighted (population fallback); ZIPs cycle quarterly.
Porter County generally reports lower crime rates compared to the neighboring urban centers in Northwest Indiana, with safety trends remaining stable across its suburban and rural communities.
The county is served by several highly-rated school corporations, including Valparaiso Community Schools and Duneland School Corporation, which are frequently recognized for academic performance.
The county faces standard Midwestern climate risks, including seasonal severe thunderstorms and occasional winter weather impacts, with flood zones primarily concentrated near the Kankakee River and Lake Michigan shoreline.
Economic momentum is driven by proximity to the Chicago metro area, a strong manufacturing base, and ongoing infrastructure investments in the South Shore Line double-track project.
Composed from the ARED governance burden registry — tier-native tax structure (state + county + city + special districts), never averaged. State (Indiana) — Ad Valorem Property Assessment: Property is assessed at 100% of true tax value, determined by market-based assessment systems and annual adjustments. State (Indiana) — Standard Homestead Deduction: Removes the first $45,000 of the homestead's assessed value from taxation. State (Indiana) — Indiana Property Tax Caps (Circuit Breaker): Limits annual property tax liability to 1% of gross assessed value for principal residences, 2% for other residential property, and 3% for non-residential property.
The economy is anchored by a mix of manufacturing, healthcare, and education, with significant employment provided by regional steel producers and the proximity to the Chicago labor market.
The county is served by major corridors including I-94, I-80/90, and the South Shore Line commuter rail, facilitating regional and interstate connectivity.
The Porter County Assessor manages property assessments based on annual market adjustments to ensure compliance with Indiana's market value-in-use standards.
The county includes various special districts for fire protection, library services, and conservancy, which are funded through local property tax levies.
Property insurance premiums in the region are influenced by standard Midwestern weather risks, with competitive market availability for residential coverage.
The amenity base that shapes daily life and property demand in this county — what residents actually live with, and what the pipeline is adding.
A major regional attraction offering extensive hiking trails, beaches, and diverse ecosystems along the Lake Michigan shoreline.
A vibrant hub featuring local dining, boutique shopping, and community events that serve as the cultural heart of the county.
A protected area providing miles of trails and educational opportunities focused on environmental conservation.
Retrieved from data.census.gov
applies when — Property must be the taxpayer's principal place of residence.
Removes the first $45,000 of the homestead's assessed value from taxation.
Indiana Code 6-1.1-12-37.
Indiana requires a judicial foreclosure process, meaning lenders must file a lawsuit in court to obtain a foreclosure decree.
Indiana Code 32-30-10.
Property is assessed at 100% of true tax value, determined by market-based assessment systems and annual adjustments.
Indiana Code 6-1.1-4.
applies when — Applies to the sale, exchange, or installment contract of residential real estate containing not more than four dwelling units.
Requires the seller to complete a disclosure form regarding the condition of the property, subject to specific statutory exemptions (e.g., court-ordered transfers, foreclosures).
Indiana Code 32-21-5.
Limits annual property tax liability to 1% of gross assessed value for principal residences, 2% for other residential property, and 3% for non-residential property.
Indiana Constitution Article X, Section 1; Indiana Code 6-1.1-20.6.
≈ $3,400/yr on a $339,995 median
Governance registry — every jurisdiction re-researches on a rolling 90-day cycle. Property reports compose these inherited burdens into a per-parcel ledger with conditional determinations. Informational only — not legal advice.