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City · 6,416 residents · Jay County, Indiana

Portland , Indiana

In Portland, a typical home is worth $96,700 and typical rent is $763 a month. Compared with all of Jay County, the typical home value is 18% lower, typical household income is 6% lower, and the share of households that own their home is 12 points lower.

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  • Typical home value

    $96,700

    18% below the county

    56% below Indiana

    • Portland
    • Jay
    • Indiana

  • Typical rent

    $763a month

    About the same as the county

    28% below Indiana

    • Portland
    • Jay
    • Indiana

  • Typical household income

    $51,513a year

    6% below the county

    28% below Indiana

    • Portland
    • Jay
    • Indiana

  • Households that own their home

    68%

    12 points below the county

    3 points below Indiana

    • Portland
    • Jay
    • Indiana

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

Market now, with Zillow data

Zillow data
Typical home value
$167,696
1.9% more than 12 months ago

From Zillow (ZHVI), September 2026. The Census figures above are 5-year averages (2020–2024).

Portland is in Jay 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 Jay County. See the county

Data updated: October 1, 2026 11 official sources

Only here

What sets Portland apart

What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.

  1. Portland has the 7th lowest typical home value of the 134 cities in Indiana with more than 5,000 people ($96,700).

  2. Portland has the 8th lowest typical rent of the 132 cities in Indiana with more than 5,000 people ($763).

  3. 68% of households in Portland own their home, against 80% in Jay County.

  4. 9% of households in Portland have no internet at home (15% in Jay County).

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024).

The homes here

Housing in Portland

What homes there are in Portland, 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

The detached house is still the most common home in Portland, but it weighs less than in Jay County: 77% against 85%.

Year built

The typical home in Portland was built in 1951, 8 years before the typical one in Jay County.

All homes, occupied or empty. A figure the Census cannot measure precisely enough here is not shown.

Census tables: B25024, B25034, B25035, B25041

What it costs here

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Value of owner-occupied homes
Monthly rent with utilities

With a mortgage

$944 a month

Jay County: $1,047 a month

Without a mortgage

$369 a month

Jay County: $414 a month

Owners with a mortgage

63%

Jay County: 60%

The typical cost for an owner with a mortgage in Portland is $944 a month, less than in Jay County ($1,047); without one, $369.

Value: what owners think their home is worth. Rent: rent plus utilities, for homes of every size. The FHA limit is the most an FHA loan (Federal Housing Administration) lends for a one-unit home; the fair market rent (FMR) is the one HUD uses for housing vouchers.

Census tables: B25075, B25063, B25088, B25081

How it changed

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024

Change since 2015–2019

Since 2015–2019, homes in Portland gained value faster than in Jay County: 36% against 29%.

Rents in Portland rose at about the same pace as in Jay County: 16% since 2015–2019, against 14%.

While home values in Portland changed +36% and rent +16%, the typical household income rose 35%.

Change between two 5-year periods that do not overlap, in each period's dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

Census tables: B25077, B25064, B19013

How people live

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

MeasurePortlandJay CountyIndianaUnited States
Rental vacancy Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate5.6%5.5%
Homeowner vacancy Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate0.8%0.9%
More than one person per room Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate1.8%3.4%
People per household 2.412.562.462.53
Drive alone 85%77%76%69%
Carpool 9%10%9%9%
Public transit Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate1%3%
Walk or bike Unreliable estimate3%2%3%
Work from home Unreliable estimate8%11%15%
Other means Unreliable estimate3%1%2%
Typical commute Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes

Households in Portland are smaller: 2.41 people on average; in Jay County, 2.56.

In Portland, 85% of workers drive alone to work; in Jay County, 77%.

Vacancy: empty homes offered for rent or for sale. Rooms: every room in the home, not only bedrooms. Commute: the minute range of the typical worker.

Census tables: B25004, B25003, B25014, B25010, B08301, B08303

Do the math

What would you pay each month for a home in Portland?

A typical home is within reach of the typical income

We start with a typical home in Portland, worth $96,700, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 18% of the typical household income in Portland, which is $51,513 a year.

The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Jay County.

Your numbers

Local data
$

Starts at the typical home value in Portland. Change it to the price you have in mind.

Loan type
Your credit score

Your score changes which loans apply and FHA's minimum down payment. Your real rate also depends on your credit.

Down payment
%

That is $3,385 (3.5% of the price). The usual minimum for this loan is 3.5%.

This week's average ± a quarter or half point.

Term

National average as of November 5, 2026 (Freddie Mac); your rate may be different.

Adjust advanced details

Estimated monthly payment

Local data

$775

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$94,948
Total interest
$136,608
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $1,633 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

  • Comfortable

    up to $1,202 a month

    Your payment · 18%

  • Tight

    $1,202 to $1,545 a month

  • Hard

    more than $1,545 a month

Compared with the typical household income in Portland ($51,513 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.

Show the result as
per month$775
Principal & interest$643
Property tax$48
Home insurance$40
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$43

You need at least $3,385 for the down payment, plus closing costs.

Next step

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.

The city and its county

Portland and Jay County

Portland is in Jay 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).

Portland's own numbers

Typical home value
$96,700
Typical monthly rent
$763
Typical yearly household income
$51,513
Households that own their home
68%
Effective property tax rate
0.6%

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).

Numbers for all of Jay County

FHA limit, one-unit home
$541,287
Conventional limit, one unit
$832,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$1,014
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+45%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
1.6%

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 Jay County.

Everything about Jay County

Buying

Buying a home in Portland

A typical home in Portland is worth $96,700: 18% below the county and 56% below Indiana. With the typical household income in Portland ($51,513 a year), a typical home costs 1.9 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.

  • Portland 1.9 years
  • Jay 2.1 years
  • Indiana 3.0 years
  • United States 4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

How prices have changed in Jay County

According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Jay County rose 85% in the 10 years through 2025.

FHFA does not publish this index by city: these are the numbers for all of Jay County.

Period County Indiana U.S.
Last year (2025) +10.4% +4.3% +2.9%
5 years (2020–2025) +45% +53% +47%
10 years (2015–2025) +85% +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

Portland next to Jay 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
  • Portland $96,700
  • Jay $117,500
  • Indiana $218,200
  • United States $332,700
Typical monthly rent
  • Portland $763
  • Jay $770
  • Indiana $1,062
  • United States $1,413
Typical yearly household income
  • Portland $51,513
  • Jay $54,969
  • Indiana $71,957
  • United States $80,734
See the full table
Portland next to Jay County and Indiana
Measure Portland Jay County Indiana U.S.
Typical home value $96,700 $117,500 $218,200 $332,700
Typical monthly rent $763 $770 $1,062 $1,413
Typical yearly household income $51,513 $54,969 $71,957 $80,734
Households that own their home 68% 80% 71% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $581 $707 $1,614 $3,119
Effective property tax rate 0.6% 0.6% 0.74% 0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income 52% 52% 48% 51%

“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Jay 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 Portland

For a typical $96,700 home in Portland, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Portland's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $775a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $3,385
    Cash to close
    $6,286
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $43

  • Conventional, 5% down $757a month

    Down payment
    $4,835
    Cash to close
    $7,736
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $46

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $613a month

    Down payment
    $19,340
    Cash to close
    $22,241
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $702a month

    Down payment
    $14,505
    Cash to close
    $17,406
    Rate
    8.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

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.

How much house can I afford? Estimate closing costs

Taxes and floods

Two costs that change from place to place

Property tax and flood insurance raise or lower what you pay each month. Here are the numbers for Portland and for Jay County.

Property tax

Effective rate in Portland

0.6%of the home’s value each year

$581 a year for the typical owner in Portland.

  • Portland 0.6%
  • Jay 0.6%
  • Indiana 0.74%

What Indiana publishes Homestead standard deduction: the amount drops each year (Indiana Department of Local Government Finance (DLGF), Form HC10)

Exemptions and deadlines in Indiana

Flood risk in Jay County

FEMA does not publish these numbers by city: they are for all of Jay County.

Homes in the high-risk zone
1.6%
163
Of those, with NFIP insurance
6.8%
County Indiana U.S.
Homes in the high-risk zone 1.6% 2.3% 3.5%
Of those, with NFIP insurance 6.8% 17% 48%

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage.

Look up your address on FEMA’s map

Renting

Renting in Portland

Typical rent in Portland is $763 a month: about the same as the county. In Portland, 52% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Jay County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($1,014 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $19.50 an hour working full time.

HUD fair market rent for all of Jay County

What you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income, working full time.

Size Fair rent a month Hourly wage Yearly income
Studio $759 $14.60 $30,360
1 bedroom $775 $14.90 $31,000
2 bedrooms $1,014 $19.50 $40,560
3 bedrooms $1,328 $25.54 $53,120
4 bedrooms $1,333 $25.63 $53,320

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 Portland

HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Portland is in ZIP code 47371.

For 2 bedrooms it is $1,010: $4 less than the fair market rent for Jay County ($1,014).

  • 47371 $1,010$1,340

1 of these ZIP codes crosses the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for Portland 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 2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Source: Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file Data from 2020 data Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file

Is your rent high for your ZIP?

Low-income apartments

Low-income apartments in Portland

HUD lists 2 buildings with rents for lower incomes in Portland. These are the largest.

  • Piedmont Apartments 778 W 7th St, Portland 47371 36 low-income homes · For families (260) 726-9973
  • Portland Place Senior Housing 430 W Lafayette St, Portland 47371 30 low-income homes · 1 bd: 14 · 2 bd: 16 · In service since 2004 · For older adults

See all 2 buildings in Jay County Source: HUD, Retrieved November 6, 2026

Free help

Help to buy or rent in Portland

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 Jay County. The nearest ones are below; many serve by phone or online.

A man leans over the armchair to help a teenage girl with her book.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in Portland

No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for Portland or Jay County. The ones below are statewide in Indiana: they work in Portland the same as in the rest of the state.

Which programs do I qualify for? All programs in Indiana

  • Next Home

    Statewide in Indiana

    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).

    Type not stated

    See the program Official page

  • First Step

    Statewide in Indiana

    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).

    Deferred

    See the program Official page

Housing counselors near Portland

The HUD-approved agencies closest to the center of Portland, in a straight line, nearest first. If one says it serves in Spanish, its card says so.

  • Pathstone Corporation - Indiana

    420 S High St Ste 101, Muncie · 27 miles away · Spanish

    • Budget and financial counseling
    • Budget and credit workshops
    • and 5 more
    (765) 286-2162

  • The Affordable Housing Corporation of Marion, Indiana

    812 S Washington St, Marion · 36 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Mortgage delinquency workshops
    • and 8 more
    (765) 662-1574

  • Transition Resources - Pendleton

    600 Corporation Dr Ste 105, Pendleton · 51 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 7 more
    (866) 844-8556

All counseling agencies in Indiana

Help in Spanish near Portland

1 of the 3 agencies on this list says it serves in Spanish.

Ask for service in Spanish

When you call, say “Spanish, please” or ask if someone speaks Spanish. If not, ask whether they offer an interpreter.

Housing authorities of Portland

HUD lists no housing authority with an office in Jay County. One in a neighboring county or the state’s may serve the area.

All housing agencies in Indiana Source: HUD

Cities

Nearby cities

The cities closest to Portland, with the typical home value.

Everything about Jay County Housing in Indiana

Neighboring counties

If Jay County is out of reach, look next door. Each number is that county's own.

Keep going

Guides for your next step

Short explanations, in plain language and with official sources, for buying or renting in Portland.

All guides
Two parents walk hand in hand with their little daughter.

Questions

Housing questions about Portland

Short answers with the numbers for Portland and all of Jay 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 Portland?

The typical home value in Portland is $96,700, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Jay County it is $117,500.

How much does it cost to rent in Portland?

Typical rent in Portland is $763 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Jay County is $1,014.

What is the FHA loan limit in Portland?

Portland uses the FHA limit for all of Jay 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 Portland?

The typical homeowner in Portland pays $581 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 0.6% of the home’s value; in Jay County, the rate is 0.6%.

Where can I find free help to buy or rent in Portland?

We found no HUD-approved counseling agencies with an office in Jay County; the nearest ones are on this page. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.

Sources: American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates (Average 2020–2024); FHA mortgage limits (HUD) (2026 data); Conforming loan limits (FHFA) (2026 data); Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file (2020 data); HUD-approved housing counseling agencies (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Public Housing Agencies (HUD) (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) (As of November 5, 2026); FHFA House Price Index (HPI) (2025 data); Homes with flood insurance (NFIP, FEMA) (As of August 3, 2026).