Rensselaer, IN housing market
The typical Rensselaer home is worth about $254,000, up 4.3% in a year, close to the Indiana typical home. Homes typically sell in 11 days, close to asking.
Home values, sales, trends and how Rensselaer compares with the towns next door — updated as new data is published.
Rensselaer at a glance
A strong seller's market
Homes are selling faster than new ones are listed: less than two months of supply. Well-priced homes can draw several offers.
Typical home value, 2016–2026
Show as a table
| January | Rensselaer | Indiana |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $140,000 | $135,000 |
| 2018 | $143,000 | $144,000 |
| 2019 | $148,000 | $154,000 |
| 2020 | $156,000 | $164,000 |
| 2021 | $168,000 | $183,000 |
| 2022 | $189,000 | $209,000 |
| 2023 | $204,000 | $227,000 |
| 2024 | $219,000 | $237,000 |
| 2025 | $237,000 | $249,000 |
| 2026 | $246,000 | $256,000 |
| August 2026 | $254,000 | $260,000 |
5 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 5 new homes in Rensselaer in 2025: 3 single-family houses and 2 in buildings with two or more homes. That's 0.9 per 1,000 residents, slower than across Indiana (6). Over the past 10 years, Rensselaer has permitted 63 homes in all.
Homes vs. people, 2010–2020
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Rensselaer's population fell by 126 even though 75 new homes were permitted. Homes are holding fewer people: households are getting smaller, or more homes are used part of the year. Across Indiana: 1.7 new residents per new home.
Residents: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 and 2020 censuses. New homes: permits issued 2010–2019.
Show as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 2 | 2 | 0 | $555,000 |
| 2025 | 5 | 3 | 2 | $925,000 |
| 2024 | 7 | 7 | 0 | $2.2 million |
| 2023 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $1.1 million |
| 2022 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $1.3 million |
| 2021 | 10 | 10 | 0 | $2.6 million |
| 2020 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $1.2 million |
| 2019 | 6 | 4 | 2 | $1.3 million |
| 2018 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2017 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $955,000 |
| 2016 | 15 | 5 | 10 | $1 million |
| 2015 | 6 | 6 | 0 | $1.2 million |
| 2014 | 6 | 6 | 0 | $986,000 |
| 2013 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $680,000 |
| 2012 | 6 | 6 | 0 | $1.1 million |
| 2011 | 17 | 3 | 14 | $1.2 million |
| 2010 | 9 | 9 | 0 | $1.5 million |
| 2009 | 10 | 10 | 0 | $1.2 million |
| 2008 | 7 | 7 | 0 | $1 million |
| 2007 | 14 | 14 | 0 | $1.7 million |
| 2006 | 25 | 23 | 2 | $2.8 million |
| 2005 | 13 | 13 | 0 | $1.7 million |
| 2004 | 39 | 20 | 19 | $3.7 million |
| 2003 | 21 | 19 | 2 | $3 million |
| 2002 | 50 | 21 | 29 | $2.9 million |
| 2001 | 47 | 21 | 26 | $2.8 million |
| 2000 | 36 | 14 | 22 | $2 million |
How Rensselaer ranks on new homes being built →
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, through August 2026.
4.2 years of income
The typical Rensselaer home costs about 4.2 years of the town's median household income, more than across Indiana (3.6 years).
How Rensselaer ranks on affordability →
Home value ÷ ACS median household income.
Owners, rent & taxes
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,150
HUD's Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Rensselaer is $1,150 a month, utilities included: roughly what a modest, recently rented unit costs. Renters already in Rensselaer pay a median of $936, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put. A two-bedroom takes about 23% of the town's median household income.
Studio $870 · 4 bedrooms $1,520
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, FY2026 Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (47978; Gary, IN HUD Metro FMR Area), weighted by land area. A Fair Market Rent is the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, August 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, May 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Listings link to their publishers.