In Chesterton, a typical home is worth $300,900 and typical rent is $1,274 a month. Compared with all of Porter County, the typical home value is 7% higher.
Typical home value from Zillow, September 2021 to September 2026: from $284,609 to $344,669.
Typical rent
$1,638a month
Typical rent from Zillow, March 2026 to September 2026: from $1,731 to $1,638.
From Zillow (ZHVI/ZORI), September 2026. The Census figures above are 5-year averages (2020–2024).
Chesterton is in Porter County. The FHA loan limit ($541,287 for a one-unit home), the fair market rents and the help on this page are those of all of Porter County. See the county
What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.
1
Nearby, in Westville, the typical home value is $139,300: 54% less than in Chesterton ($300,900).
2
Nearby, in Westville, the typical rent is $1,019: 20% less than in Chesterton ($1,274).
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024).
The homes here
Housing in Chesterton
What homes there are in Chesterton, what they cost, how that changed and how people live, from Census figures (2020–2024).
What homes there are
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024
Kind of home
Detached houseAttached houseBuilding of 2 to 4Apartments (5 or more)Mobile homeBoat, RV and otherUnreliable estimate
Chesterton
Porter County
Indiana
United States
Kind of home: Chesterton and its comparisons
Measure
Chesterton
Porter County
Indiana
United States
Detached house
68%
75%
73%
61%
Attached house
9%
5%
4%
6%
Building of 2 to 4
9%
5%
6%
8%
Apartments (5 or more)
Unreliable estimate
11%
13%
19%
Mobile home
Unreliable estimate
5%
4%
6%
Boat, RV and other
Unreliable estimate
Unreliable estimate
0%
0%
In Chesterton, 7 in 10 homes are single-family detached houses; in Porter County, 7.
Year built
Before 19601960–19791980–19992000–20092010 or later
Chesterton
Porter County
Indiana
United States
Year built: Chesterton and its comparisons
Measure
Chesterton
Porter County
Indiana
United States
Before 1960
23%
19%
31%
26%
1960–1979
26%
29%
24%
24%
1980–1999
19%
28%
23%
25%
2000–2009
18%
14%
12%
14%
2010 or later
14%
10%
10%
11%
What it costs here
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024
Value of owner-occupied homes
Unreliable estimate
Under $100KUnreliable
$100K–$200K18%
$200K–$300K27%
$300K–$500K43%
$500K–$750K6%
$750K–$1MUnreliable
$1M or moreUnreliable
Value of owner-occupied homes: Chesterton and its comparisons
Measure
Chesterton
Under $100K
Unreliable estimate
$100K–$200K
18%
$200K–$300K
27%
$300K–$500K
43%
$500K–$750K
6%
$750K–$1M
Unreliable estimate
$1M or more
Unreliable estimate
Monthly rent with utilities
Unreliable estimate
Under $500Unreliable
$500–$99919%
$1,000–$1,49946%
$1,500–$1,99924%
$2,000–$2,499Unreliable
$2,500–$2,999Unreliable
$3,000 or moreUnreliable
Monthly rent with utilities: Chesterton and its comparisons
Measure
Chesterton
Under $500
Unreliable
$500–$999
19%
$1,000–$1,499
46%
$1,500–$1,999
24%
$2,000–$2,499
Unreliable estimate
$2,500–$2,999
Unreliable estimate
$3,000 or more
Unreliable estimate
With a mortgage
$1,791 a month
Porter County: $1,653 a month
Without a mortgage
$635 a month
Porter County: $611 a month
Owners with a mortgage
67%
Porter County: 67%
The typical cost for an owner with a mortgage in Chesterton is $1,791 a month, more than in Porter County ($1,653); without one, $635.
How it changed
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024
Change since 2015–2019
Typical home value
Chesterton+58%
Porter County+52%
Indiana+54%
United States+53%
Typical rent
Chesterton+37%
Porter County+31%
Indiana+29%
United States+33%
Typical household income
Chesterton+23%
Porter County+24%
Indiana+28%
United States+29%
Change since 2015–2019: Chesterton and its comparisons
Measure
Chesterton
Porter County
Indiana
United States
Typical home value
+58%
+52%
+54%
+53%
Typical rent
+37%
+31%
+29%
+33%
Typical household income
+23%
+24%
+28%
+29%
From 2015–2019 to 2020–2024, the typical home value in Chesterton rose 58%; in Porter County, it rose 52%.
Rents in Chesterton rose faster than in Porter County: 37% since 2015–2019, against 31%.
Housing prices ran ahead of income in Chesterton: typical income rose 23%, against +58% for home values and +37% for rent.
How people live
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024
How people live: Chesterton and its comparisons
Measure
Chesterton
Porter County
Indiana
United States
Rental vacancy
Unreliable estimate
4.8%
5.6%
5.5%
Homeowner vacancy
Unreliable estimate
0.9%
0.8%
0.9%
More than one person per room
Unreliable estimate
1.4%
1.8%
3.4%
People per household
2.37
2.50
2.46
2.53
Drive alone
71%
81%
76%
69%
Carpool
Unreliable estimate
7%
9%
9%
Public transit
Unreliable estimate
1%
1%
3%
Walk or bike
Unreliable estimate
1%
2%
3%
Work from home
20%
10%
11%
15%
Other means
Unreliable estimate
1%
1%
2%
Typical commute
Unreliable estimate
20 to 29 minutes
20 to 29 minutes
20 to 29 minutes
Fewer people live in each home here: 2.37 on average, against 2.50 in Porter County.
Working from home is more common in Chesterton: 20%, against 10% in Porter County.
Do the math
What would you pay each month for a home in Chesterton?
A typical home is tight for the typical income
We start with a typical home in Chesterton, worth $300,900, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 33% of the typical household income in Chesterton, which is $91,060 a year. For that payment to be 28% of income, a household would need to earn about $105,882 a year.
The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Porter County.
Change the price, the down payment or the loan: the payment updates right away.
Your numbers
Local data
$
Starts at the typical home value in Chesterton. Change it to the price you have in mind.
Your score changes which loans apply and FHA's minimum down payment. Your real rate also depends on your credit.
Down payment
%
That is $10,532 (3.5% of the price). The usual minimum for this loan is 3.5%.
This week's average ± a quarter or half point.
National average as of November 5, 2026 (Freddie Mac); your rate may be different.
Adjust advanced details⌄
Estimated monthly payment
Local data
$2,471
at 7.18% · 30 years
Loan amount
$295,449
Total interest
$425,082
Paid off in
November 2056
Includes $5,081 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.
Does it fit the income?
Comfortable
up to $2,125 a month
Tight
$2,125 to $2,732 a month
Your payment · 33%
Hard
more than $2,732 a month
Compared with the typical household income in Chesterton ($91,060 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.
Monthly payment breakdown
Principal & interest
$2,001
Property tax
$211
Home insurance
$125
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)
$133
You need at least $10,532 for the down payment, plus closing costs.
This is an estimate to give you an idea, not a loan offer. Your real payment depends on your rate, your credit, and the insurance and taxes on the home you buy.
Total monthly payment $2,471; principal and interest $2,001.
The city and its county
Chesterton and Porter County
Chesterton is in Porter County, Indiana. The U.S. Census Bureau publishes its own numbers for the city: home values, rent, household income, how many households own their home and the property tax. They are American Community Survey estimates (average 2020–2024).
Chesterton
Map of Porter County, Indiana, with Chesterton marked. Around it, the neighboring counties.
Chesterton
Porter County
Other cities with a page
Chesterton's own numbers
Typical home value
$300,900
Typical monthly rent
$1,274
Typical yearly household income
$91,060
Households that own their home
75%
Effective property tax rate
0.84%
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).
Numbers for all of Porter County
FHA limit, one-unit home
$541,287
Conventional limit, one unit
$832,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$1,429
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+48%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
0.4%
HUD, FHFA and FEMA don't publish these numbers by city.
Other numbers are not published by city, only for the whole county: FHA and conventional loan limits, HUD’s fair market rents, FHFA’s price index and FEMA’s flood data. On this page, those numbers always say they are for all of Porter County.
A typical home in Chesterton is worth $300,900: 7% above the county and 38% above Indiana. With the typical household income in Chesterton ($91,060 a year), a typical home costs 3.3 times what the household earns in a year.
Years of income to pay for a typical home
The typical home value divided by the typical household income for one year. The lower it is, the less buying weighs.
Chesterton3.3 years
Porter3.2 years
Indiana3.0 years
United States4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024
How prices have changed in Porter County
According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Porter County rose 78% in the 10 years through 2025.
FHFA does not publish this index by city: these are the numbers for all of Porter County.
Yearly change in FHFA’s price index in Porter County, 2016 to 2025
2016: +2.3% +2.3% 2016
2017: +2.6% +2.6% 2017
2018: +6.2% +6.2% 2018
2019: +4.3% +4.3% 2019
2020: +3.7% +3.7% 2020
2021: +12.3% +12.3% 2021
2022: +13.7% +13.7% 2022
2023: +7.5% +7.5% 2023
2024: +3.9% +3.9% 2024
2025: +3.6% +3.6% 2025
Change in FHFA’s price index in Porter County, Indiana and the United States
Period
County
Indiana
U.S.
Last year (2025)
+3.6%
+4.3%
+2.9%
5 years (2020–2025)
+48%
+53%
+47%
10 years (2015–2025)
+78%
+95%
+85%
The index follows the price of the same homes over time (sales and appraisals with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans). It is not the average price of a home. FHFA considers its annual county indexes experimental. Source: FHFA, 2025 data
Chesterton next to Porter County, Indiana and the U.S.
Three numbers side by side. “Typical” means the median: half are above it and half below.
Typical home value
Chesterton$300,900
Porter$281,500
Indiana$218,200
United States$332,700
Typical monthly rent
Chesterton$1,274
Porter$1,219
Indiana$1,062
United States$1,413
Typical yearly household income
Chesterton$91,060
Porter$87,972
Indiana$71,957
United States$80,734
See the full table
Chesterton next to Porter County and Indiana
Measure
Chesterton
Porter County
Indiana
U.S.
Typical home value
$300,900 ▲7% above the county
$281,500
$218,200
$332,700
Typical monthly rent
$1,274 ▲5% above the county
$1,219
$1,062
$1,413
Typical yearly household income
$91,060 ▲4% above the county
$87,972
$71,957
$80,734
Households that own their home
75% ▼3 points below the county
78%
71%
65%
Typical yearly property tax
$2,528 ▲9% above the county
$2,326
$1,614
$3,119
Effective property tax rate
0.84% ▲0.01 points above the county
0.83%
0.74%
0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income
52% ▲1 points above the county
51%
48%
51%
“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Porter County. “High rent” is the Census measure: renter households that pay 30% or more of their income in rent.
Four ways to pay for a typical home in Chesterton
For a typical $300,900 home in Chesterton, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Chesterton's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.
FHA, 3.5% down$2,471a month
Least cash to close
Down payment
$10,532
Cash to close
$19,559
Rate
7.18%
Mortgage insurance
FHA MIP · $133
Conventional, 5% down$2,415a month
Down payment
$15,045
Cash to close
$24,072
Rate
7.18%
Mortgage insurance
PMI · $143
Conventional, 20% down, no PMI$1,967a month
Down payment
$60,180
Cash to close
$69,207
Rate
7.18%
Mortgage insurance
None
ITIN, 15% down (example)$2,245a month
Down payment
$45,135
Cash to close
$54,162
Rate
8.18%
Mortgage insurance
None
Four ways to pay for a typical home in Chesterton
Loan
Monthly payment
Down payment
Loan amount
Rate
Mortgage insurance
Cash to close
Minimum score
FHA, 3.5% down Least cash to close
$2,471
$10,532
$295,450
7.18%
FHA MIP · $133
$19,559
580
Conventional, 5% down
$2,415
$15,045
$285,855
7.18%
PMI · $143
$24,072
620*
Conventional, 20% down, no PMI
$1,967
$60,180
$240,720
7.18%
None
$69,207
620*
ITIN, 15% down (example)
$2,245
$45,135
$255,765
8.18%
None
$54,162
Set by the lender
The option that asks for the least cash to close is FHA, 3.5% down.
Cash to close = down payment plus 3% of the price in closing costs (example).
Minimum score: FHA requires 580 or higher for the minimum down payment (HUD Handbook 4000.1). * Fannie Mae requires 620 when a loan is underwritten by hand; its automated system has no fixed minimum.
The ITIN row is an example with a rate 1 percentage point higher: ITIN loans follow no federal rule and each lender sets its own down payment and rate. Nothing in this table promises an approval.
Typical rent in Chesterton is $1,274 a month: 5% above the county. In Chesterton, 52% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.
HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Porter County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($1,429 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $27.48 an hour working full time.
What you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income, working full time.
HUD fair market rent in Porter County (Fiscal year 2027)
Size
Fair rent a month
Hourly wage
Yearly income
Studio
$1,117
$21.48
$44,680
1 bedroom
$1,176
$22.62
$47,040
2 bedrooms
$1,429
$27.48
$57,160
3 bedrooms
$1,739
$33.44
$69,560
4 bedrooms
$1,898
$36.50
$75,920
Includes basic utilities. It isn't the lowest or highest rent: it's a reference point. Source: HUD, Fiscal year 2027
By ZIP code
Fair market rent by ZIP code in Chesterton
HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Chesterton is in ZIP code 46304.
For 2 bedrooms it is $1,500: $71 more than the fair market rent for Porter County ($1,429).
Fair market rent by ZIP code and size in Chesterton, fiscal year 2027.
ZIP code
Studio
1 bd
2 bd
3 bd
4 bd
46304
$1,170
$1,230
$1,500
$1,830
$1,990
ZIP code2 bd3 bd
46304 $1,500$1,830
1 of these ZIP codes crosses the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for Chesterton when at least 50% of its land is inside the city or it covers at least 15% of the city (Census 2020 boundaries). Source: Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD)Fiscal year 2027Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) (external site)Source: Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship fileData from 2020 dataCensus Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file (external site)
You do not have to do this alone. A HUD-approved housing counseling agency helps for free or at low cost: getting ready to buy, understanding your credit, or solving a problem with your rent.
We found no HUD-approved agencies with an office in Porter County. The nearest ones are below; many serve by phone or online.
No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for Chesterton or Porter County. The ones below are statewide in Indiana: they work in Chesterton the same as in the rest of the state.
Indiana state agency program with down payment assistance of 2.5% or 3.5% of the price, alongside a 30-year FHA or conventional mortgage.Offered by Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA).
Indiana state agency 30-year FHA or conventional mortgage for first-time buyers (or homes in designated areas), with down payment assistance as a second mortgage with no interest or payments, repaid when the first mortgage ends.Offered by Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA).
No legal help resource on our list is for Chesterton or Porter County in particular.
If you have a problem with your landlord, an eviction notice or a scam, the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) search shows the free legal aid offices that serve your area.
Short answers with the numbers for Chesterton and all of Porter County. If your case is different, a HUD-approved counseling agency can guide you for free or at low cost.
How much does a typical home cost in Chesterton?
The typical home value in Chesterton is $300,900, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Porter County it is $281,500.
How much does it cost to rent in Chesterton?
Typical rent in Chesterton is $1,274 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Porter County is $1,429.
What is the FHA loan limit in Chesterton?
Chesterton uses the FHA limit for all of Porter County (2026): $541,287 for a one-unit home and $1,041,125 for a four-unit home.
How much property tax do owners pay in Chesterton?
The typical homeowner in Chesterton pays $2,528 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 0.84% of the home’s value; in Porter County, the rate is 0.83%.
Where can I find free help to buy or rent in Chesterton?
We found no HUD-approved counseling agencies with an office in Porter County; the nearest ones are on this page. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.
