Hamilton County, IN

This county of 394,758 residents needs 21,293 more housing units over the next five years. Hamilton County is a CDBG-entitlement community, see how the ROAD to Housing Act could change that funding. Hamilton County is part of the Indianapolis MPO.

Housing snapshot

Population
394,758 (2026)
Households
144,225
Median household income
$134,978 (2026)
Typical home value
$472,634
Owner-occupied
72%
Five-year housing need
21,293 units

Comparison to other Indiana counties

Hamilton County: $134,978 Median income (2026 estimate)
<$54K >$105K
Hamilton County: 1.28 jobs to household ratio
<0.39 >1.63
Hamilton County: Permits since 2021 represent 16.7% of housing
<0.2% >8.2%
On this page

How affordable is this community?

The typical home in Hamilton County, IN is valued at $472,634, well above the Indiana average of $234,139. Hamilton County, IN's median household income of $134,978 comfortably exceeds what is needed to afford the typical home, making this a relatively affordable market.

This chart tracks whether housing prices are keeping pace with local incomes. The gap between what homes cost and what households can afford reveals affordability trends over time.

How is the population changing?

Hamilton County, IN has a population of roughly 365,056, growing steadily at 2.2% per year.

Population growth patterns reveal how communities are evolving. This chart shows historical population changes by age group and projects future trends based on demographic patterns.

How has employment changed over time?

Jobs by industry sector since 2012. Switch between local jobs — counted where the jobs are located — and resident jobs, counted where the workers live. On the local view the most recent year is a nowcast: it grows the latest local LODES job mix forward using recent county employment growth from QCEW and the BLS local employment series, so the newest point tracks today's economy instead of data that is roughly two years old.

How are households changing by income?

Hamilton County, IN is a growing community of roughly 144,225 households, with population increasing at 2.2% per year.

Understanding how households at different income levels are growing or declining helps identify which groups face the greatest housing pressure and where new housing is most needed.

Who lives here today?

The housing stock in Hamilton County, IN is heavily oriented toward detached single-family, which makes up 75% of units. Hamilton County, IN is a strongly owner-occupied community, with 72% of households owning their home.

Households may have different structure type preferences depending on characteristics such as household size, income, employment, presence of children, age of individuals, and lifestyle choices. Understanding the housing stock in corresponding terms helps assess how well existing units align with existing households' ideals.

What does the housing stock look like?

The mix of housing types and ownership patterns shapes a community's character. This chart breaks down housing units by structure type and whether they're owner-occupied or rented.

How much new housing supply is needed?

To keep up with growth and fill current housing shortages, Hamilton County, IN needs 21,293 new units over the next 5 years.

19,919
Units needed to keep up with expected growth
Projected total household growth from 2026 to 2031.
13.8%
Projected household growth rate
Expected increase in total households from 144,225 in 2026 to 164,144 in 2031.
1,374
Units to address shortages in existing housing stock
Production needs to address vacancy rates and other factors.
578
Replacement housing
Effective annual loss rate is 0.8 per 1,000 units.
502
Ownership vacancy adjustment
Owner-occupied vacancy is 1.0%. This is below the minimum stable target of 1.5%.
294
Rental vacancy adjustment
Rental vacancy is 6.6%. This is below the minimum stable target of 7.4%.
21,293
Total 5-year housing production need (2026-2031)
4,259
Annual production pace
Average units needed per year to meet 5-year need
14.7%
Total housing unit growth
Percent increase in housing stock over 5 years
2.9%
Annual housing unit growth
Average percent increase in housing stock per year

Build Now Act: how could CDBG funding change?

The Build Now Act (Section 213 of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act) ties a CDBG entitlement community's grant to how much housing it is building. This is a CommunityScale estimate from public ACS data, not HUD's official determination — HUD calculates from Census Master Address File block counts.

How do these communities compare to each other?