Bloomington, IN
The numbers that matter most
What an investor checks first when sizing up a new metro — affordability ratio, rent vs income, cap rate proxy, and where the market is moving. Each metric shown vs. state and national medians for instant context.
moderate
Price to income
3.86×
The single most-cited 'is this market still cheap' check. Below 3× and you're in an affordability tailwind.
- vs Indiana
- 2.80×
- vs U.S.
- 3.43×
Benchmark
ACS median home value ÷ median HHI
comfortable
Rent to income
23.1%
What share of a typical household's income goes to rent. Below 30% means tenants can absorb modest rent increases.
- vs Indiana
- 21.8%
- vs U.S.
- 23.3%-0.2
Benchmark
(HUD FMR 2BR × 12) ÷ median HHI
tight
Cap rate proxy
3.89%
Rough first-pass yield assuming a 35% expense ratio. Not an underwriting number — a 'is this even worth modeling' filter.
- vs Indiana
- 4.86%
- vs U.S.
- 4.35%
Benchmark
(FMR 2BR × 12 × 0.65) ÷ ACS median home value
shrinking
Net migration
-0.47%
Forward-looking demand signal. Positive net migration drives rent growth and absorbs new supply.
- vs Indiana
- -0.01%
- vs U.S.
- 0.03%
Benchmark
IRS net migration ÷ population
strong
Permit pipeline
7.89
permits per 1,000 residents
Forward-supply indicator. Above ~5 means the metro is building meaningfully relative to its size; below 2 means supply is tight.
- vs Indiana
- 2.82+5.07
- vs U.S.
- 3.52+4.36
Benchmark
Census BPS permits TTM ÷ population × 1,000
very tight labor market
Unemployment
2.4%
Tighter unemployment means higher wages, more rental demand, lower vacancy.
- vs Indiana
- 2.6%-0.3
- vs U.S.
- 3.9%-1.5
Benchmark
BLS LAUS, latest month
Where prices are and where they've been
5-year price appreciation
+48.5%
homeValues.yearOverYear
+6.2%
Median home value
$242,800
The rent ladder
| Bedroom | Monthly | Annual | % of median HHI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 BR | $1,072 | $12,864 | 20.4% |
| 2 BR | $1,210 | $14,520 | 23.1% |
| 3 BR | $1,572 | $18,864 | 30.0% |
Labor market direction
Unemployment
2.4%
Median household income
$62,949
What's being built
Total TTM
1,273
+63.4% YoY
Single-family
312
2–4 unit
69
5+ unit
892
All 3 counties, ranked by population
| County | Population | Home value | Median HHI | Permits TTM | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monroe County | 140,065 | $261,700 | $63,372 | 1,154 | +67.7% |
| Greene County | 30,900 | $129,900 | $59,753 | — | — |
| Owen County | 21,361 | $162,400 | $59,586 | 119 | +21.4% |
Similar metros nationally
| Metro | Pop | Med HHI | P/I | Cap proxy | HPI 5y | Permits/1k | Unemp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ★Bloomington | 161,426 | $62,949 | 3.86× | 3.89% | +48.5% | 7.89 | 2.4% |
| Jackson, MI | 160,637 | $65,004 | — | — | +49.9% | — | 4.9% |
| Decatur, AL | 156,218 | $63,987 | — | — | +53.2% | — | 1.9% |
| Blacksburg-Christiansburg, VA | 166,304 | $64,627 | — | — | +52.3% | — | 3.5% |
| Pueblo, CO | 168,135 | $62,250 | — | — | +38.6% | — | 5.3% |
| Niles, MI | 153,938 | $63,152 | — | — | +57.4% | — | 4.8% |
Where people are moving in from
Net migration
-757
-0.47% of population
| Origin county | Tax returns |
|---|---|
| Marion County, IN | 450 |
| Monroe County, IN | 384 |
| Lawrence County, IN | 268 |
| Greene County, IN | 209 |
| Owen County, IN | 186 |
| Morgan County, IN | 164 |
Who lives in Bloomington
- Median age
- 33
- Bachelor's+
- 44.0%
- Owner-occupancy
- 58.2%
- Vacancy rate
- 10.5%
- Rent burdened (30%+)
- 52.6%
- Median household income
- $62,949
This page shows federally sourced data. A full editorial analysis with charts and investment commentary is in progress.