Anderson, IN — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Indiana·Anderson

Madison County · Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson · population 55,851

AffordabilityInvestors
Anderson, IN
Image: Wikipedia · Anderson, Indiana
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
74
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Anderson stands

At or near all-time high. averaging 7.6% annual growth over 5 years.

Median home $135,908
1-year +3.5%
5-yr CAGR +7.6%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population +0.5%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$136k$44k$77k$109k$141k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
40/100
Car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
22/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
77/100
Strong remote-work fit
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$1,031/mo$0$547$1,093202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent14414780100120140202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 11.0
Buy

At a 11.0 price-to-rent ratio, buying generally beats renting in Anderson on a long-enough horizon. The headline math is that one year of mortgage payments approximates 11.0 years of rent — well below the 15+ threshold where ownership starts to dominate.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
67 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
77 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
55 · w16%
Rent YoY
66 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
91 · w10%
Long thesis

Anderson has averaged 7.6% annual appreciation over five years and the trend is still live (+3.5% in the last 12 months). When a momentum trade keeps working, the simplest explanation is usually correct: more people want in.

Short thesis

Anderson's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Anderson

Anderson is a city in Madison County, Indiana, with an estimated population of 55,851. It anchors the Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson metro area. The median home value in Anderson is $135,908 as of 2026-04, up 3.5% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +7.6% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Anderson average $1,031 per month, up 3.2% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 74 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Affordable AND rising: median home $135,908 with positive recent direction — rare combination most of the country can’t offer.
●Healthy 5-year run: +7.6% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
●Quiet strength: +3.5% over the trailing year — not a melt-up, but the market is bid.
●Held the highs: currently +0.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

▼ Bear case

○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Anderson (Wikipedia)

Anderson is a city in and the county seat of Madison County, Indiana, United States. The population was 54,788 at the 2020 census. It is named after Chief William Anderson. The city is the headquarters of the Church of God and its Anderson University. Highlights of the city include the historic Paramount Theatre and the Gruenewald House.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

City facts

Nickname"Queen City of the Gas Belt"
Motto''Performance. Talent. Inspiration.''

Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Madison County right now.

NWS active alerts (IN)Indiana Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Madison County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Cities like Anderson

Marion, IN70 · RisingMichigan City, IN72 · RisingMuncie, IN72 · RisingMishawaka, IN71 · Rising

Run the numbers for Anderson

ToolCan I afford Anderson?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Anderson rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Anderson to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolAnderson cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
35° / 19°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
85° / 64°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
186
~51% of year
Annual precip
42″ rain
20″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very low
Tornado
High
Wildfire
Very low
Earthquake
Low
Flood
Moderate

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Anderson listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
72%
Humid climate
Median household income
$67,200
Indiana state median
Top industries (state-level)
Manufacturing (auto)HealthcareLogistics

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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