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

All states·Indiana·Hobart

Lake County · Chicago-Naperville-Elgin · population 29,418

First-time buyers
Hobart, IN
Image: Wikipedia · Hobart, Indiana
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
64
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Hobart stands

At or near all-time high.

Median home $242,395
1-year +0.8%
5-yr CAGR +5.6%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population -0.3%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$242k$122k$165k$209k$252k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
32/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
15/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
81/100
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 vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 15.8
Lean buy

At a 15.8 price-to-rent ratio, Hobart 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
54 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
68 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
41 · w16%
Home 10-yr CAGR
70 · w10%
Long thesis

Hobart has held up across the cycle: home values at $242,395 with +5.6% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Hobart'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 Hobart

Hobart is a city in Lake County, Indiana, with an estimated population of 29,418. It anchors the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin metro area. The median home value in Hobart is $242,395 as of 2026-04, up 0.8% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +5.6% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Hobart average $1,282 per month. The composite momentum score is 64 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Healthy 5-year run: +5.6% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
●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 Hobart (Wikipedia)

Hobart is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The population was 29,752 at the 2020 census, up from 29,059 in 2010. It has been historically primarily residential, though recent annexation has added a notable retail corridor to the city.

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

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 Lake County right now.

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

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

Neighborhoods of Hobart

13 tracked · ranked by median home value
1Ridge Pointe$315,852+2.4%
2Hillcrest$278,713-0.7%
3Lake George$276,776+2.0%
4Ainsworth$269,140+1.3%
5Hobart Marsh$265,760+1.0%
6Nob Hill$262,075+1.9%
7Creek$258,395+1.8%
810th Street$251,706+1.0%
9Cressmoor Prairie$239,291+1.0%
10Liberty$230,235-0.5%
11Mundell$204,111+1.1%
12Downtown$187,118+0.9%
13Prairie Ridge$172,248-1.0%

Cities like Hobart

Lawrence, IN66 · RisingMerrillville, IN67 · RisingHammond, IN66 · RisingPortage, IN66 · Rising

Run the numbers for Hobart

ToolCan I afford Hobart?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Hobart rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Hobart to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolHobart 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 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin 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 Hobart 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.

Cities similar to Hobart

Explore other places with comparable momentum or affordability.

See all Indiana cities →    Browse best-of lists →