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

All states·Indiana·Mishawaka

St. Joseph County · South Bend-Mishawaka · population 51,020

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

Where Mishawaka stands

At or near all-time high.

Median home $210,365
1-year +3.6%
5-yr CAGR +6.5%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population -0.0%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$210k$93k$135k$177k$219k201620182020202220242026

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
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
$1,469/mo$0$813$1,627202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent11711980100120202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 11.9
Buy

At a 11.9 price-to-rent ratio, buying generally beats renting in Mishawaka on a long-enough horizon. The headline math is that one year of mortgage payments approximates 11.9 years of rent — well below the 15+ threshold where ownership starts to dominate.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
68 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
72 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
45 · w16%
Rent YoY
72 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
79 · w10%
Long thesis

Mishawaka has held up across the cycle: home values at $210,365 with +6.5% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Mishawaka'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 Mishawaka

Mishawaka is a city in St. Joseph County, Indiana, with an estimated population of 51,020. It anchors the South Bend-Mishawaka metro area. The median home value in Mishawaka is $210,365 as of 2026-04, up 3.6% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +6.5% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Mishawaka average $1,469 per month, up 4.0% 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 $210,365 with positive recent direction — rare combination most of the country can’t offer.
●Healthy 5-year run: +6.5% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
●Quiet strength: +3.6% 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 Mishawaka (Wikipedia)

Mishawaka is a city on the St. Joseph River, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States. The population was 51,063 as of the 2020 census. Its nickname is "the Princess City". Mishawaka is a principal city of the South Bend-Mishawaka metropolitan area.

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

City facts

MayorDave Wood
Area18.25 sq mi
Elevation738 ft
Established1833
Density2853.16/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 St. Joseph County right now.

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

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

Cities like Mishawaka

Columbus, IN71 · RisingMarion, IN70 · RisingNew Albany, IN71 · RisingEvansville, IN71 · Rising

Run the numbers for Mishawaka

ToolCan I afford Mishawaka?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Mishawaka rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Mishawaka to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolMishawaka 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 Mishawaka 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 South Bend-Mishawaka 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.

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