CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

41.63° N · 85.92° W · GEOID 1819072

Dunlap

Elkhart County, Indiana · part of the Elkhart, IN metro

IndianaDunlap, INDunlapDunlap

The short answer

Dunlap is home to 6,109 people. Median household income is $87,039 a year and median rent is $1,271 a month, 17.5% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $222,200, about 2.5x annual median household income.

The story in Dunlap is how fast things are changing. Housing became less affordable between 2019 and 2024: rent went from 12% to 17.5% of income. Also notable: Home values run 23% above what its fundamentals predict in Indiana.

81OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Strong

Dunlap scores better than 81% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 39th of 132 in Indiana.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%81
Economy 20%68
Safety 20%n/a
Amenities 15%32
Education 10%31
Commute 10%88
Growth 5%n/a

Not rated: safety, growth, for want of data (the city police department does not report a full year to the FBI). The other weights are spread over the categories rated.

Median gross rent
$1,271
7% below the median place
Median household income
$87,039
8% above the median place
Median home value
$222,200
30% below the median place
Unemployment
3.6%
26% below the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Dunlap

  • HousingOwning with a mortgage costs only about $155 a month more than the median rent, a smaller gap than in 87% of the 2,469 places under 10,000 people we track.
01

Moving to Dunlap

Elkhart County loses about 6.8 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in6,877
Moved out8,098
Net−1,221

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

St. Joseph County, IN1,9802,065−85
Cass County, MI357444−87
LaGrange County, IN385335+50
Noble County, IN149188−39

Within Indiana, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within IndianaOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$57K
Leavers$60K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Elkhart County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
8.5% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 1.3% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Elkhart County report $56,800 a year in income on average; those leaving, $60,300, so leavers earn more than newcomers.
Income you would need
$50,800 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,271 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,426 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $222,200.
Getting to work
18 minutes each way on average; 9.7% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Hidden Valley, IN matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
8.5%
48% above the median place
Net movers per 1,000 people7
-6.8
below the median place (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7
$56,829
19% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureDunlapAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year18.5%48% above
Moved from another state1County figure1.3%36% below
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure-6.8below (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$56,82919% below
Income of households moving out7County figure$60,26614% below
02

What it costs to live here

96% of homes are owner-occupied, more than in 97% of the 2,476 places under 10,000 people we track.

Dunlap17.5%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$50,840
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
17.5%
14% below the median place
Home price to income
2.5x
33% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
18%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$75,000
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Dunlap, $1,271 a month, and local prices for everything else (95.7 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Dunlap, but easier on the budget

Places that match Dunlap on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Hidden Valley, IN9113.7% vs 17.5%$32,900Compare
Reidland, KY9012.7% vs 17.5%$17,600Compare
Mount Zion, IL888.6% vs 17.5%$24,300Compare
Amherst, OH8712.0% vs 17.5%$7,400Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Dunlap.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Dunlap? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Homeownership1
95.8%
44% above the median place
Owner costs with a mortgage1
$1,426
24% below the median place
Property tax paid (median)1
$2,008
38% below the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureDunlapAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,2717% below
Rent to income117.5%14% below
Property tax rate10.9%1% below
Home price to income12.5x33% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure90.310% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,25322% below
HUD area median income4County figure$89,90016% below
Property tax paid (median)1$2,00838% below
Median home value1$222,20030% below
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure5.8%83% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure52.5%2% above
Homeownership195.8%44% above
Renters paying 30%+1County figure47.9%5% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,42624% below
Vacant homes1County figure10.2%44% above
Median year built119780% above
03

Work and pay

Counting remote workers as zero, the average worker spends about 125 hours a year commuting, less than in 82% of the 2,101 places under 10,000 people we track.

Commutes by transit1
0.0%
below the median place (median 0.8%)
Mean commute1
18 min
26% below the median place
Works from home1
9.7%
22% below the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Poverty rate8.4% −22%
Median household income$87,039 +8%
Income per person$42,791 +7%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureDunlapAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$87,0398% above
Income per person1$42,7917% above
Unemployment1County figure3.6%26% below
Average annual pay6County figure$65,7100% below
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure5.8%57% above
Jobs6County figure126,93516% below
Poverty rate18.4%22% below
Mean commute118 min26% below
Works from home19.7%22% below
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

No health insurance is 16.0%, 150% above the median place.

No health insurance1
16.0%
150% above the median place
Household size1
2.9
16% above the median place
High school or higher1
86.9%
6% below the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Bachelor's or higher23.9% −25%
Homes with broadband90.6% −2%
Born abroad12.2% +38%
Median age39.3 +1%
All 8 people measures
MeasureDunlapAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population16,1095874th largest
Median age139.31% above
Bachelor's or higher123.9%25% below
High school or higher186.9%6% below
Household size12.916% above
Born abroad112.2%38% above
No health insurance116.0%150% above
Homes with broadband190.6%2% below
05

Life in Dunlap

OpenStreetMap shows 0 grocery stores per 10,000 residents, fewer than in 84% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 132 Indiana places we track.

39 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places. Its history on Wikipedia

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents3.3 −68%
Playgrounds per 10k19.6 2.1×
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k0.0 −100%
Libraries per 10k3.3 3.8×
Named paths and bike trails6 km 2.8×
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.0 −100%

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Indiana Dunes National Park 61 miles
  • Pullman National Historical Park 87 miles
  • North Country Trail 95 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars18.0 −13%
Shops34.2 +13%
Arts, recreation and fitness2.4 −41%
Doctors' offices and clinics14.2 −30%
Child care centers1.4 −39%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Nearest National Park Service site10
61.2
99% above the median place
Child care centers per 10k8
1.4
39% below the median place
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8
2.4
41% below the median place
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureDunlapAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools12County figure58above (median 9)
Public school students12County figure33,369above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher12County figure16.04% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure18.013% below
Shops per 10k8County figure34.213% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure2.441% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure14.230% below
Child care centers per 10k8County figure1.439% below
Parks per 10k93.368% below
Playgrounds per 10k919.6109% above
Grocery stores per 10k90.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k90.0below (median 11.2)
Libraries per 10k93.3276% above
Named paths and bike trails95.5175% above
Transit stops per sq mi90.0below (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site1061.299% above
National Park Service sites within 60 miles100below (median 2)
National Register listings11County figure39200% above
06

Safety, weather and risk

Wildfire risk is 32.9, 46% below the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Dunlap. Larger places are fetched first.

Wildfire risk14
32.9
46% below the median place
January average low13
17°F
32% below the median place
Average temperature13
50°F
10% below the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureDunlapAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high13County figure83°F4% below
January average low13County figure17°F32% below
Average temperature13County figure50°F10% below
Annual precipitation13County figure38.4 in12% below
Natural hazard risk14County figure83.89% below
Hurricane risk14County figure47.133% below
Tornado risk14County figure90.711% above
Wildfire risk14County figure32.946% below
Heat wave risk14County figure72.919% below
Median air quality index15County figure430% above
Good air days15County figure61.0%11% below
08

Dunlap in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 18% of the median income in 2030, up from 18% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, Dunlap does better than 78% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 67%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,271/mo (2024)$1,660/mo$1,370 to $2,030/mo+4.6%
Median household income$87,039 (2024)$110,000$93,000 to $130,500+4.0%
Median home value$222,200 (2024)$322,000$234,000 to $444,000+6.4%

The median home would be worth 2.9 years of the median income in 2030, against 2.6 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Dunlap

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Clayton, NJ$1,246$90,274Compare
Mustang, OK$1,287$87,844Compare
Lindale, TX$1,274$83,249Compare
Lowell, IN$1,123$84,024Compare
Lowell, INLindale, TXMustang, OKClayton, NJDunlap, INDunlapClaytonMustangLindaleLowellDunlapClaytonMustangLindaleLowell

Places built like Dunlap

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how Dunlap performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Dunlap, IN17.5%3.3%/yrn/a
Delhi Hills, OH18.7%1.4%/yrn/aCompare
Boulder Hill, IL24.4%3.7%/yrn/aCompare
Frankfort Square, IL15.3%4.9%/yrn/aCompare
Whiteland, IN20.6%5.1%/yr27.3%Compare
Lakes of the Four Seasons, IN16.6%5.9%/yrn/aCompare
Hidden Valley, IN13.7%2.5%/yrn/aCompare

Common questions

Is Dunlap a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 81 out of 100, better than 81% of the places we rate and 39th of 132 in Indiana. Owning with a mortgage costs only about $155 a month more than the median rent, a smaller gap than in 87% of the 2,469 places under 10,000 people we track. On cost, space and class size it scores 98 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Dunlap expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 17.5% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $222,200.

What salary do you need to live in Dunlap?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $50,840 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Dunlap?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Clayton, NJ, Mustang, OK, Lindale, TX and Lowell, IN.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  11. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  12. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  13. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  14. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  15. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Dunlap with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Dunlap itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/dunlap-indiana

Citytistics. “Dunlap, Indiana.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/dunlap-indiana/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.