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

All states·Indiana·Evansville

Vanderburgh County · Evansville · population 115,395

First-time buyers
Evansville, IN
Image: Wikipedia · Evansville, Indiana
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
71
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Evansville stands

At or near all-time high. rents up 6.4% in the last year.

Median home $200,657
1-year +3.8%
5-yr CAGR +6.3%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population -0.4%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$201k$98k$135k$172k$209k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
40/100
Car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
30/100
Minimal transit
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
85/100
Excellent for remote work
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
$1,013/mo$658$868$1,078202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent136145100120140202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 16.5
Lean buy

At a 16.5 price-to-rent ratio, Evansville is in the 'depends on horizon' zone. Buy if you'll be there 5+ years and value flexibility on the home; rent if you might move, want zero maintenance friction, or expect rates to drop.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
69 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
71 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
39 · w16%
Rent YoY
85 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
72 · w10%
Long thesis

Evansville has held up across the cycle: home values at $200,657 with +6.3% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Evansville'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 Evansville

Evansville is a city in Vanderburgh County, Indiana, with an estimated population of 115,395. The median home value in Evansville is $200,657 as of 2026-04, up 3.8% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +6.3% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Evansville average $1,013 per month, up 6.4% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 71 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Affordable AND rising: median home $200,657 with positive recent direction — rare combination most of the country can’t offer.
●Healthy 5-year run: +6.3% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
●Quiet strength: +3.8% 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.
●Hot rental market: rents up 6.4% YoY — landlords have pricing power, supports new investment math.

▼ Bear case

●Flat or shrinking population: -0.4% per year. Housing demand has to come from somewhere — verify the source.
○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Evansville (Wikipedia)

Evansville is a city in Vanderburgh County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 118,414 at the 2020 census, it is the third-most populous city in Indiana, the most populous city in Southern Indiana, and the 249th-most populous city in the United States. It is the central city of the Evansville metropolitan area, a hub of commercial, medical, and cultural activity of southwestern Indiana and the Illinois–Indiana–Kentucky tri-state area, which is home to over 911,000 people. The 38th parallel north crosses the north side of the city and is marked on Interstate 69 immediately north of its junction with Indiana 62 within the city's east side.

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

City facts

MayorStephanie Terry (D)
Area47.85 sq mi
Elevation384 ft
Founded1812
Density2476.99/sq mi

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 Vanderburgh County right now.

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

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

Neighborhoods of Evansville

50 tracked · ranked by median home value
1Wheeler$295,299-0.2%
2Arcadian Acres$292,766+3.4%
3Plaza Park$270,326+5.0%
4Oakhill$264,535+4.4%
5Lincolnshire$260,504+9.2%
6Blue Grass/Pigeon$249,100+6.4%
7Downtown$240,263+0.2%
8Gum-Bayard-Park-Chandler$239,643+4.3%
9Alvord Boulevard$239,222+4.1%
10Dexter$219,327+2.9%
11Timber Park$218,748+2.9%
12South Lincoln Park$210,872+2.6%
13First Avenue West$201,499+2.7%
14Western Terrace$196,969+3.5%
15Midtown$180,044+4.0%
16University South$176,360+0.9%
17Indian Woods/Windsong$173,476+5.4%
18Country Club Manor$173,376+5.0%
19Reitz Hill$171,402+1.7%
20Lincoln-Bellemeade$168,444+3.2%
21North Country Club$164,536+3.5%
22Spring Park$160,894+0.2%
23Wesselman Park$157,540+3.9%
24Crystal Court-Conlin$154,711+1.8%

See the full neighborhood ranking →

Cities like Evansville

Mishawaka, IN71 · RisingNew Albany, IN71 · RisingColumbus, IN71 · RisingMarion, IN70 · Rising

Run the numbers for Evansville

ToolCan I afford Evansville?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Evansville rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Evansville to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolEvansville 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.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Evansville 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 sports teams

Major professional teams the Evansville area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

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.

Cities similar to Evansville

Explore other places with comparable momentum or affordability.

See all Indiana cities →    Browse best-of lists →