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Buying a home in Valparaiso, Indiana

The typical owner-occupied home in Valparaiso is worth about $267,300, 23% above the Indiana median of $218,200 and 20% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $2,745 a year in property taxes, about 1.03% of their home's value, higher than the Indiana rate of 0.74%. The median household earns $69,872 a year, so the median home costs 3.8 times the median income (3.0 times for Indiana). 58% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 66% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Valparaiso at a glance

Valparaiso Indiana U.S.
Median home value $267,300 $218,200 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $2,745 $1,614 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 1.03% 0.74% 0.94%
Median household income $69,872 $71,957 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 58% 71% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 66% 64% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $1,580 $1,404 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 19.1% 18.1% 21.0%
Median rent $1,224 $1,062 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 32.1% 29.1% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1980 1976 1980
Vacant homes 6.1% 8.8% 10.1%
Population 34,733 6,851,073 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Valparaiso

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Valparaiso home of $267,300 with 20% down costs about $1,779 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $2,225, because the loan is bigger and FHA adds mortgage insurance.

Lenders usually want housing costs under about 28% of gross income, which means an income of roughly $76,257 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 31% of the median Valparaiso household income of $69,872; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $245,000.

The median rent here is $1,224 a month, so owning the median home costs about $555 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$53,460
Loan amount$213,840
Principal and interest$1,439
Property taxes (1.03% a year)$229
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$111
PMI$0
Total per month$1,779

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$9,356
Loan amount$262,459
Principal and interest$1,766
Property taxes (1.03% a year)$229
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$111
FHA mortgage insurance$118
Total per month$2,225

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Questions about home buying in Valparaiso

What is the median home value in Valparaiso?

About $267,300 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Valparaiso?

Homeowners pay a median $2,745 a year, which is about 1.03% of the median home value. Your bill depends on your home's assessed value and local rates.

What income do you need to buy a home in Valparaiso?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $1,779 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $76,257 a year.

More about Valparaiso

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates; Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, week of November 12, 2026. Estimates for small places have wide margins of error. About our data