
Kokomo, 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.
affordable
Price to income
2.42×
The single most-cited 'is this market still cheap' check. Below 3× and you're in an affordability tailwind.
- vs Indiana
- 2.80×-0.38
- vs U.S.
- 3.43×-1.01
Benchmark
ACS median home value ÷ median HHI
comfortable
Rent to income
21.6%
What share of a typical household's income goes to rent. Below 30% means tenants can absorb modest rent increases.
- vs Indiana
- 21.8%-0.2
- vs U.S.
- 23.3%-1.7
Benchmark
(HUD FMR 2BR × 12) ÷ median HHI
deal-by-deal
Cap rate proxy
5.78%
Rough first-pass yield assuming a 35% expense ratio. Not an underwriting number — a 'is this even worth modeling' filter.
- vs Indiana
- 4.86%+0.92
- vs U.S.
- 4.35%+1.43
Benchmark
(FMR 2BR × 12 × 0.65) ÷ ACS median home value
steady
Net migration
+0.13%
Forward-looking demand signal. Positive net migration drives rent growth and absorbs new supply.
- vs Indiana
- -0.01%+0.15
- vs U.S.
- 0.03%+0.11
Benchmark
IRS net migration ÷ population
tight
Permit pipeline
1.31
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
- vs U.S.
- 3.52
Benchmark
Census BPS permits TTM ÷ population × 1,000
softening
Unemployment
4.0%
Tighter unemployment means higher wages, more rental demand, lower vacancy.
- vs Indiana
- 2.6%
- vs U.S.
- 3.9%
Benchmark
BLS LAUS, latest month
Where prices are and where they've been
5-year price appreciation
+58.4%
homeValues.yearOverYear
+5.0%
Median home value
$151,500
The rent ladder
| Bedroom | Monthly | Annual | % of median HHI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 BR | $890 | $10,680 | 17.1% |
| 2 BR | $1,123 | $13,476 | 21.6% |
| 3 BR | $1,388 | $16,656 | 26.7% |
Labor market direction
Unemployment
4.0%
Median household income
$62,496
What's being built
Total TTM
109
Single-family
107
2–4 unit
2
5+ unit
0
All 1 counties, ranked by population
| County | Population | Home value | Median HHI | Permits TTM | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Howard County | 83,452 | $151,500 | $62,496 | 109 |
Similar metros nationally
| Metro | Pop | Med HHI | P/I | Cap proxy | HPI 5y | Permits/1k | Unemp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ★Kokomo | 83,452 | $62,496 | 2.42× | 5.78% | +58.4% | 1.31 | 4.0% |
| Bloomsburg-Berwick, PA | 83,089 | $61,992 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Elmira, NY | 83,584 | $63,469 | — | — | +41.1% | — | 3.7% |
| Hinesville, GA | 82,354 | $60,329 | — | — | +67.8% | — | 3.7% |
| Great Falls, MT | 84,423 | $66,203 | — | — | +63.6% | — | 3.7% |
| Grants Pass, OR | 87,994 | $59,097 | — | — | +29.4% | — | 6.8% |
Where people are moving in from
Net migration
+112
+0.13% of population
| Origin county | Tax returns |
|---|---|
| Miami County, IN | 216 |
| Hamilton County, IN | 147 |
| Tipton County, IN | 140 |
| Marion County, IN | 136 |
| Cass County, IN | 125 |
| Grant County, IN | 85 |
Who lives in Kokomo
- Median age
- 41
- Bachelor's+
- 20.0%
- Owner-occupancy
- 71.9%
- Vacancy rate
- 11.7%
- Rent burdened (30%+)
- 44.6%
- Median household income
- $62,496
This page shows federally sourced data. A full editorial analysis with charts and investment commentary is in progress.
