Rental market · Mishawaka, IN · Incorporated city

Mishawaka, IN: average rent, home values, and rental yield

East North Central · Population 51,021

DatasetCity Market Score, model balanced4,812 of 5,233 tracked U.S. markets rankedgenerated 2026-10-06Latest source releases: Zillow ZHVI/ZORI 2026-08 · Census ACS 5-yr 2024 · Census PEP 2025 · Census BPS 2025 · BLS LAUS 2025 · Redfin 2026-05 · FBI CDE 2025How this is built
C48.7
#2,154 of 4,812 ranked markets
Overall Score 48.7 · stronger than 55% of ranked markets
Confidence 100/100 · every scored factor measured directly, none imputed
Grade C: the biggest single drag is Growth, 37 of 100 at 35% of the score, which is 48% of the distance to a perfect 100. See the arithmetic

Why this market does or does not qualify

Overall City Market Score rank #2,154 of 4,812. It does not enter the Buy & Hold shortlist under the baseline screen.

Does not meet screen
Investor-entry estimate$157,183
Modeled rent$1,234/mo
20% down · base cash flow−$70/mo
25% down · rent stress to base−$110/mo to −$10/mo
Hold Coverage · 20% / 25%0.92 / 0.98
Conditional price ceiling · 25%$139,542
Required rent at entry estimate$1,390/mo
Limiting requirementDoes not pass the existing category-quality gate

Price × rent decision grid · 25% down

Change the two inputs that usually decide the deal. Green cells clear the three financial requirements before the separate quality and data gates.

Monthly cash flow / Hold Coverage10% below entry$141,465Entry estimate$157,18310% above entry$172,901
10% higher rent$1,357/mo+$180/moHC 1.25 · clears financial screen+$80/moHC 1.10 · does not clear−$10/moHC 0.98 · does not clear
Modeled rent$1,234/mo+$80/moHC 1.12 · does not clear−$10/moHC 0.98 · does not clear−$110/moHC 0.87 · does not clear
10% lower rent$1,110/mo−$10/moHC 0.98 · does not clear−$110/moHC 0.86 · does not clear−$210/moHC 0.76 · does not clear

Expense waterfall · base case

Monthly, rounded to $10. NOI excludes CapEx and debt service.

  1. Scheduled rent+$1,230/mo
  2. Vacancy allowance−$60/mo
  3. Management−$90/mo
  4. Maintenance−$60/mo
  5. Property tax−$120/mo
  6. Insurance allowance−$70/mo
  7. NOI+$830/mo
  8. CapEx reserve−$60/mo
  9. Debt service−$780/mo
  10. Cash flow−$10/mo
Base−$10/mo · HC 0.98Rent stress−$110/mo · rent −10%Insurance-expense stress−$140/mo · allowance 1.5%

Two supported strengths
Cash Flow 71/100 and Stability 44/100.

Weakest measured signal
Growth is the weakest category at 37/100.

Primary evidenced risk: property crime is the weakest measured factor (9th national percentile). Data caveat: price is Zillow Bottom-Tier ZHVI (5th–35th percentile); rent is ZORI asking rent and is not bedroom- or property-matched. Insurance is a 0.5% annual allowance, not a quote.

Scenario buy-hold-v1-2026-09-19: 7% fixed financing for 30 years; 20% and 25% down; 5% vacancy; 8% management on collected rent; 5% maintenance and 5% CapEx on scheduled rent; measured local property tax; 3% closing costs. Qualification also requires positive cash flow, Hold Coverage at least 1.10, nonnegative cash flow after 10% lower rent, and the existing quality and data gates.

Property verification checklist
  • Confirm achievable rent with bedroom-matched comps, current listings, and any existing lease.
  • Use the parcel’s actual tax bill and reassessment rules.
  • Obtain a landlord insurance quote, including wind, flood, or named-storm coverage where relevant.
  • Inspect roof, structure, mechanicals, deferred maintenance, and immediate capital needs.
  • Verify utilities, HOA, licensing, inspection, registration, and local rental rules.
  • Replace the modeled loan with a current lender quote, points, closing costs, and reserve requirements.
Mishawaka, IN
Photo: Tysto · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons · Wikipedia

Why this grade

Overall 48.7 is a weighted geometric mean of the three category scores. Because they are multiplied rather than averaged, their distances from a perfect 100 combine as an exact identity, and each category's share of that distance is the arithmetic below, not an estimate. Growth carries 48% of it, which is what makes it the binding constraint on this grade.

Cash Flow · 35% weight
70.6 / 100
17% of the shortfall
Growth · 35% weight
37 / 100
48% of the shortfall
Stability · 30% weight
43.6 / 100
35% of the shortfall

Inside Growth, the shortfall splits over the factors the model scored here, exactly, in proportion to their published weights. The largest component is job growth (weight 12 of the category's 35, 13th national percentile, 47% of the category's own shortfall); next is population growth (weight 12 of the category's 35, 52nd national percentile, 26% of the category's own shortfall).

What this is not. It is not a claim that a different value on any one factor would produce a different score or a different grade. Every factor is scored as a national percentile and the grade is a percentile cut against the other 4,812 ranked markets, so this market's position moves only relative to all of them, never on its own. All 13 factors were measured for this market, so no category is carrying a gap.

How Mishawaka ranks nationally

Each row places Mishawaka against all 4,812 ranked U.S. markets. The marker is this city; the centre tick is the national median, and the bar spans from that median to the marker, so its length is how far from the middle of the country this market sits and the side it falls on is the direction. Further right is more favorable to an investor: inverted measures (crime, vacancy, price-to-income) are already flipped so higher always means better here.

Overall Scorethe flagship rank
48.755th percentile
Cash Flowyield & affordability
7176th percentile
Growthpopulation, jobs, income
3726th percentile
Stabilitycrime, vacancy, unemployment
4434th percentile
Expense-adjusted yield4.0% net of costs
7777th percentile
Affordabilityprice-to-income 4.0×
59more affordable than 59%
Violent crime25 / 100k
38safer than 38%
Rental vacancy4.6% vacant
57tighter than 57%
Population growth0.4%/yr (capped)
5252nd percentile
Job growth-0.3%/yr (capped)
1313th percentile

What a deal looks like here

A market-level buy-box for Mishawaka, built from this market's own numbers: the investor-entry price, its rent, and local carrying costs. The market grade is a quality screen; the deal verdict below is this financing scenario only. An illustrative scenario, not a listing.

Target buy price
$157,183
Expected rent
$1,234 /mo
Rent-to-price
0.79%
Cap rate
6.4%
Cash-on-cash
-0.4% at 25% dn
NOI-based DSCR
1.06
Hold Coverage
0.98 after CapEx reserve

Does not meet screen. At 25% down, named scenarios span −$110 to −$10/mo after reserves (10% lower-rent stress to base case). This range is not a confidence interval.

Buy target = Zillow Bottom-Tier ZHVI (5th–35th percentile) $157,183; typical home value $216,127. Rent = Zillow ZORI typical asking rent. Assumptions: 25% down, 7% / 30-yr, 5% vacancy, 8% management on collected rent, 5% maintenance, 5% CapEx reserve excluded from NOI and subtracted from cash flow, 0.5% insurance, 0.90% property tax. Illustrative market-level scenario: not a listing, appraisal, recommendation, or underwriting decision. As of 2026-07-10.

Market Negotiation Leverage

Some seller leverage (24th percentile among 6,196 cities with Redfin coverage)

Equal-weight composite of three Redfin signals’ national percentiles (days on market 24, months of supply 0.8, sale-to-list 99.8%), direction-adjusted so a higher percentile always means more room for a buyer to negotiate. This is a cross-sectional snapshot against every other tracked city today, not a seasonal or historical baseline for this specific city (no multi-year time series is committed for this data). Not a prediction of what any specific seller will accept. Source: Redfin Data Center. See how this is calculated.

Measured market data

Measured observations for Mishawaka, shown as context beside the market score (none of it feeds the score), and the model weights are unchanged. These are different measurements from the Census figures in the factor table: the ACS median value is what owners report in a 5-year survey, while ZHVI is a monthly index of typical value; ACS median gross rent is what sitting tenants pay including utilities, while ZORI indexes asking rent on newly listed units. Neither corrects the other. Monthly series, revised in recent months, observed 2026-07, not live.

23 measured Zillow figurestypical value $216,965 · asking rent $1,280/mo · measured gross yield 7.08% · observed 2026-07Show table
Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI, mid tier)$216,965
ZHVI bottom tier (5th–35th pct)$157,695
ZHVI top tier (65th–95th pct)$329,426
ZHVI, single-family only$214,555
Zillow asking-rent index (ZORI)$1,280/mo
Measured gross yield (ZORI × 12 ÷ ZHVI)7.08%
Market heat index61
Median days to pending8
Share of listings with a price cut21.0%
Median sale-to-list ratio100.0%
For-sale inventory140
New listings71
Median list price$238,750
Median sale price$219,900
Measured 3-yr value growth4.32%/yr
Measured 5-yr value growth5.98%/yr
Measured 3-yr rent growth4.11%/yr
Price–rent divergence (value − rent growth)0.21%/yr
ZHVI, 1-bedroom$119,138
ZHVI, 2-bedroom$164,036
ZHVI, 3-bedroom$229,463
ZHVI, 4-bedroom$304,262
ZHVI, 5-bedroom$385,739

Source: Zillow Economic Research public research data, observation month 2026-07. Zillow is not affiliated with, and does not endorse, Compounding Estates.

Typical home value $216,127 Median rent $1,234/mo Population 51,021 Region East North Central

Price & rent history

Home value $110,163 → $216,127 (2007-08–2026-08) · Asking rent $998 → $1,234 (2022-07–2026-08)

Source: Zillow ZHVI (home value) and ZORI (asking rent) - monthly resolution for the last ~10 years (since 2016-09), quarterly before that. Home value uses the left axis, rent the right; toggle either series, change the range, hover to read any point. Gaps in the source series are left as gaps - never interpolated.

ZIP markets in Mishawaka

5 Census ZIP Codes (ZCTAs) officially overlap Mishawaka by land area · 5 data-eligible for subscores. Overlap is Census land-area share, not a population or address share. Each ZIP Code's overall Rental Investor ZIP Score, grade and canonical national rank are shown below (the two component signals, affordability and rental market, are separate percentiles). There is no city-scoped ZIP rank: city overlap isn't a ranking universe, so only the national rank is shown. These ZIP rankings sit in the ZIP universe only, never mixed with, and not directly comparable to, Mishawaka's city ranking. Vintage: the Key metric column below is Census ACS 2020–2024 (5-year), the same survey release as the figures used above for Mishawaka itself; a city and a ZIP Code are different geographies, so the same measure can still show a different number at each level.

5 of 5 overlapping ZIP Code areas, scoredgrade, overall Rental Investor ZIP Score and national rank for each, on a separate model from this page's city scoreShow table
ZIP CodeOverallgrade · natl rankTier · overlapAffordabilitysignal · natl rankRental marketsignal · natl rankKey metric
46544Mishawaka B 55#6,039 nat RankedPrimary 66#3,915 of 20,132 · top 19% 64#4,062 of 20,132 · top 20% 7.0%Survey yield
46545Mishawaka B 57#5,164 nat RankedPrimary 70#2,943 of 20,132 · top 15% 63#4,225 of 20,132 · top 21% 6.9%Survey yield
46530Granger C 52#7,649 nat Ranked8.4% overlap 63#4,793 of 20,132 · top 24% 29#17,231 of 20,132 · bottom 14% 6.1%Survey yield
46635Granger C 44#11,790 nat Ranked1.4% overlap 51#9,214 of 20,132 · top 46% 30#17,039 of 20,132 · bottom 15% 5.5%Survey yield
46561Osceola C 50#8,842 nat Ranked0.4% overlap 68#3,483 of 20,132 · top 17% 37#15,279 of 20,132 · bottom 24% 6.2%Survey yield
Open these 5 ZIP markets in the explorer →

The honest read

Mishawaka scores 49/100 overall (grade C): 71 for Cash Flow, 37 for Growth, and 44 for Stability, each a 0–100 score built from the factors in that category. The scenario above shows what a representative investor-entry purchase pencils out to at today's rates. Everything we can measure is in the table below, with its source.

Every factor, shown

The Overall score blends three category scores built from thirteen measured factors: Cash Flow (35%), Growth (35%), and Stability (30%). The table shows every factor; the tag on each percentile marks which category a scored factor feeds. Untagged factors are shown for context but not scored. Every percentile also carries the band it falls in - top 10%, top quartile, above or below the national median, bottom quartile, bottom 10% - so a bare ordinal still reads as a position; the band restates that percentile and adds nothing to it. Every value carries its source and as-of date. How the score works.

FactorValueNational percentileSource · as-ofWhat it means
Expense-adjusted yield4.0%Top quartile77th percentile · Cash FlowZillow ZORI/ZHVI · 2026-08-31Annual rent divided by price, net of a modeled vacancy, tax, capex, and management allowance: the core of the Cash Flow category and what the score is actually computed from. The unadjusted gross yield is shown elsewhere on this page.
Price to income4.0xAbove median59th percentile · Cash FlowZillow + ACS income · 2026-08-31Home price over local median income. Lower is cheaper relative to what people earn. Part of the Cash Flow category.
Population growth0.4%/yrAbove median52nd percentile · GrowthCensus PEP · Census PEP 2020→2025 (vintage 2025) + Census PEP 2015→2025 (vintages 2019+2025)Census population trend for the place, capped at 4.5%/yr before scoring (diminishing returns above that rate): the heaviest factor in the Growth category.
Job growth-0.3%/yrBottom quartile13th percentile · GrowthBLS LAUS (county) · BLS LAUS county annual 2019→2025 (pre-COVID anchor; 2025 is an 11-month average) + BLS LAUS county annual 2015→2025County employment trend, capped at 4.0%/yr before scoring (diminishing returns above that rate). A Growth-category factor.
Income growth4.7%/yrBelow median43rd percentile · GrowthCensus ACS · ACS 5-yr 2020-2024Local median-income trend. A Growth-category factor.
Rent growth3.4%/yrBelow median32nd percentile · GrowthZillow ZORI · 3yr to 2026-08-31A 40/60 blend of 3-year and 10-year rent trend (the model's own weighting). A Growth-category factor.
Home-value growth6.2%/yrTop quartile87th percentile · GrowthZillow ZHVI · 3yr + 10yr to 2026-08-31A 40/60 blend of 3-year and 10-year price trend (the model's own weighting). A small Growth-category factor.
Unemployment4.1%Above median51st percentile · StabilityBLS LAUS (county) · BLS LAUS county annual 2025 (11-month average)County unemployment rate. Lower is steadier, a Stability-category factor.
Rental vacancy4.6%Above median57th percentile · StabilityCensus ACS B25004 · ACS 5-yr 2020-2024Share of rentals empty. Lower means more pricing power. A Stability-category factor.
Property tax rate0.9%Above median55th percentile · StabilityCensus ACS B25103/B25077 · ACS 5-yr 2020-2024Median tax over median value. A direct drag on cash flow, scored in the Stability category as carrying-cost burden.
Months of supply0.8 moTop 10%98th percentile · StabilityRedfin Data Center · 2026-05-01Listings over sales pace. Under about 4 is a seller market, over 6 a buyer market. A Stability-category factor.
Days on market24 daysAbove median74th percentileRedfin Data Center · 2026-05-01How fast homes sell. Lower means more liquidity and an easier exit. Shown for context, not scored.
Sale-to-list ratio99.8%Above median61st percentileRedfin Data Center · 2026-05-01Sale price over asking. Above 100% means homes clear over ask. Shown for context, not scored.
Net domestic migration-3.9/1kBelow median26th percentileCensus PEP (county) · PEP vintage 2025Net people moving in or out of the county, per 1,000 residents. Shown for context, not scored.
Building permits8.9/1kAbove median61st percentileCensus BPS (county) · BPS 2025New-construction permits per 1,000 homes. More means more supply coming. Shown for context, not scored.
Rent burden29%Above median58th percentileCensus ACS B25071 · ACS 5-yr 2020-2024Median rent as a share of income. Higher means less headroom for increases. Shown for context, not scored.
Median year built1975Below median45th percentileCensus ACS B25035 · ACS 5-yr 2020-2024Age of the housing stock. Older stock carries more capex. Shown for context, not scored.
Max drawdown19%Above median51st percentileZillow ZHVI · 2026-08-31Worst peak-to-trough home-value decline on record. Shown for context, not scored.
Violent crime25 /100kBelow median38th percentile · StabilityFBI CDE · 2023Reported violent-crime rate, municipal police department. Scored in the Stability category; property crime is scored too but shown here as the headline safety number. City-level data cannot resolve within-neighborhood risk.

Where to go next from Mishawaka

Every link below is this market's own data taken one step further: its neighbours in the ranking, the same numbers side by side, or the same numbers in a calculator you can change.

Nearby in the Indiana rankings, and national look-alikes

  • Hartford City, INGrade C · score 49/100 · yield 10.5% · $146,463 · #2,073 nationalZillow ZHVI $66k (2009) to $146k (2026), +123%
  • Bloomington, INGrade C · score 49/100 · yield 5.9% · $315,772 · #2,126 nationalZillow ZHVI $129k (2003) to $316k (2026), +145%
  • Crawfordsville, INGrade C · score 49/100 · yield 4.7% · $231,178 · #2,170 nationalZillow ZHVI $109k (2009) to $231k (2026), +113%
  • Westville, INGrade C · score 49/100 · yield 8.8% · $368,171 · #2,176 nationalZillow ZHVI $166k (2005) to $368k (2026), +122%
  • Fort Worth, TXGrade C · score 49/100 · yield 6.6% · $295,800 · #2,155 nationalZillow ZHVI $104k (2000) to $296k (2026), +186%
  • Eden, NCGrade C · score 49/100 · yield 7.8% · $148,257 · #2,153 nationalZillow ZHVI $80k (2000) to $148k (2026), +86%
  • Mesa, AZGrade C · score 49/100 · yield 4.3% · $429,657 · #2,150 nationalZillow ZHVI $135k (2000) to $430k (2026), +217%

All Indiana cities →

Compare Mishawaka head to head

Underwrite a Mishawaka deal

  • Cap rateOpens on Mishawaka's own entry price and rent. Change either one.
  • Cash flow & DSCRMonthly cash flow and DSCR, prefilled with this market's numbers.
  • Mortgage paymentP&I on Mishawaka's entry price at the assumptions shown above.
  • All marketsCompare Mishawaka against 4,812 ranked cities.
  • Indiana ZIP CodesEvery Indiana ZIP Code area (Census ZCTAs), scored separately from the city rankings.
  • Ranked listsYield, affordability, growth, stability, price band, or whether rent covers the mortgage.

For learning, not advice. A market screen from public data - not a forecast, not underwriting, not a recommendation to buy anywhere.