Every few weeks a chart makes the rounds showing the U.S. housing market splitting in two — the Sun Belt rolling over, the Midwest and Northeast still climbing. On October 9, housing analyst Nick Gerli published the state-by-state version of that chart: home value change since the June 2022 peak. Indiana came in at #10, up 14.8%.

I don’t take a chart’s word for it, including that one. I pulled the Zillow research files that chart is built from and ran the numbers myself, then went two levels deeper into the county and ZIP data underneath. Two things came out of it. Gerli’s national read holds up to the decimal. And the local picture below it is more useful than the headline — in one specific way nobody has mentioned.

That specific way: Indiana is not recovering from a 2022 peak. Indiana is at a peak. August 2026 is the highest reading in the entire Zillow series going back to January 2000. So when you read “up 14.8% since the 2022 peak,” the honest version is “up 14.8% and still at a new high.”

The National Picture — Every State Since June 2022

Here are the ten states that gained the most since June 2022, with the national benchmark and the state that lost the most.

Source: Zillow Home Value Index, all homes (single-family, condo and co-op), 35th–65th percentile, smoothed and seasonally adjusted. Data through August 31, 2026; files pulled October 12, 2026. National ranking first observed by Nick Gerli of Reventure App, October 9, 2026.

What Indiana’s #10 Ranking Actually Says

Connecticut gained 27.5% since June 2022. Indiana gained 14.8%. There are two ways to read that gap, and both are true.

The comparative read: Indiana gained a bit more than half what the top state did. If you already own a home here, that is a real number — the typical Indiana home is worth roughly $33,600 more than it was in June 2022.

The opening read: at $260,095, the typical Indiana home is $108,601 below the national figure and $190,778 below Connecticut’s. Indiana prices climbed steadily rather than sharply. The value story here is not “prices exploded.” It is “prices kept going and the entry point stayed reachable.”

The contrast at the other end is the part that makes the chart worth reading. Arizona is down 8.8% since June 2022 — and it actually peaked a month later than the rest of the country, in July 2022, at $462,506. The typical Arizona home has given back $44,516 of that. Several Texas metros are worse: Austin is down 26.8% from the 2022 peak. That is what happens when a market runs hard on cheap money and then rates reset to near 7%. Indiana did not run that hard, and it has not given much back.

The Part the Headline Skips — Indiana Is at a New High

“Since the June 2022 peak” is the way almost everybody frames this chart, and it quietly implies that June 2022 was the top and everything since is a partial recovery. For a handful of states, that framing is wrong in a way that matters.

The peak month is the single highest monthly reading in each state’s series from January 2000 through August 2026. For Indiana, Connecticut, Illinois and Wisconsin that month is the most recent one in the file.

Indiana home values are at their highest level on record, and that record is the most recent month in the file. That is a meaningfully different statement than “up 14.8% since the 2022 peak,” and for anyone weighing a decision, it is the more relevant one. There is no giveback to recover from here. The climb is current.

The Driver — Inventory, and Where That Story Breaks Down

The standard explanation for the Midwest and Northeast streak is scarcity: far fewer homes for sale than before the pandemic, so the ones that come up get bid up. That checks out in the states that led the list.

Source: Zillow for-sale inventory, all homes. Raw counts, not seasonally adjusted. Data through August 31, 2026; pulled October 12, 2026.

Connecticut has 60% fewer homes listed than it did in August 2019. Illinois is down 54%. That is the scarcity story, and it is real where it applies. Arizona — the state that lost the most — is carrying 5% more inventory than pre-pandemic.

Indiana, though, does not fit that template. The statewide for-sale count is 26,508, down only 6.7% from August 2019 and actually up 8.7% from a year ago. Indiana does not have a 30-to-60% inventory shortage. So the appreciation here is not simply a scarcity scramble — that matters, because it means Indiana’s gain is not resting on the same thin supply that is doing the work in Connecticut.

Inside Northwest Indiana, though, the story splits by county:

Source: Zillow for-sale inventory, all homes. Raw counts. Data through August 31, 2026.

Porter and La Porte counties are still carrying roughly 27 to 30% fewer listings than in 2019 — much closer to the Northeast pattern than to the statewide figure. Lake County is closer to normal at −15.2%, and it is the only one of the three where inventory actually fell over the past year.

County Level — the Growth Ran Where Prices Were Lowest

Here is where the local data stops echoing the national one. In Northwest Indiana, the strongest appreciation since June 2022 was not in the most expensive county. It was in the cheapest one.

Source: Zillow Home Value Index, all homes, 35th–65th percentile, smoothed and seasonally adjusted. Data through August 31, 2026. Starke County is outside the three-county core and is included for regional context.

La Porte County is up 21.4% since June 2022, roughly double Lake and Porter counties. Starke County — the smallest and lowest-priced of the four — is up 27.1%, ahead of every state on the national list except Connecticut. Both of those counties are at the affordable end.

Porter County, the most expensive of the three core counties at $332,910, has grown the least. The pattern is consistent: the further up the price ladder you go, the more the last four years look like a flat line.

ZIP Level — Town by Town

County averages hide a lot. Here is what the ZIP-level Zillow data shows across the towns most of our readers live in.

Source: Zillow Home Value Index, all homes, 35th–65th percentile, smoothed and seasonally adjusted, by ZIP code. Data through August 31, 2026; pulled October 12, 2026. Values are the typical home in each ZIP, not an average of sales.

The spread is wide. Michigan City’s typical home is up 22.7% since June 2022 and 5.1% over the past year. St. John’s is up 5.3% and 1.8%. Same region, same rate environment, four times the four-year gain.

Indiana home values are not one market. They are at least a dozen, and the ZIP you live in sets yours.

Portage deserves a straight answer, because it is the one that breaks the pattern: up 9.6% since June 2022, but only 0.4% over the past twelve months. That is effectively flat. If you own in Portage and you have been told the market is running away, your ZIP’s own data does not say that. It says your typical home value is essentially where it was a year ago, about $24,000 above where it was in mid-2022.

Three years of this trend also says something about who benefited. The ZIPs that gained most — Michigan City, Hobart, La Porte — are the lower-priced end of the market. The ZIPs that gained least — St. John, Crown Point, Valparaiso — are the top of it. The appreciation has largely been an entry-level and mid-market story.

Supply — the Number That Decides Most of It

None of the above tells you what it costs to buy or sell here right now. This does.

Local data: NIRA MLS FastStats, August 2026. National data: National Association of REALTORS®, August 2026. Three months of supply is the standard balanced-market benchmark.

Our three counties are carrying roughly 2.3 to 2.9 months of supply against 4.9 nationally. That is the environment the appreciation has been running in — not a flood of inventory, but not the extreme shortage the Northeast is working with either. It sits close to the three-month line that has historically marked a balanced market.

What This Means for Buyers and Sellers Here

The Short Version

Indiana home values are up 14.8% since June 2022 — 10th best of 51 states and D.C. — and August 2026 is the highest reading in Zillow’s series back to 2000. That is not a recovery from the 2022 peak; it is a current high. The national gain over the same window is 5.6%, and Arizona is down 8.8%.

In Northwest Indiana, La Porte County led the three core counties at +21.4%, ahead of Lake (+11.9%) and Porter (+11.4%). At the ZIP level, Michigan City is up 22.7% and Portage is up 9.6% with essentially no movement over the past year. And the whole region is carrying 2.3 to 2.9 months of supply against 4.9 nationally.

The chart is real. The local read under it is what decides anything.

Every story this week says the same thing — the national foreclosure surge is real, banks repossessed 42% more homes than a year ago, and one state got hammered. The New York Post ran it under that exact headline. The 42% is correct. I went to the source.

I pulled ATTOM’s August 2026 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report, the release behind that New York Post article, and read it against our own Northwest Indiana numbers. I built and sold a business before I did this full time, so I read reports the way an operator does — what does the number cost me, what does it pay me, and is it actually the number they say it is. On this one, three things in the underlying data change the story the headline tells. One of them is Indiana’s own ranking, which has moved in a direction almost nobody has reported.

August 2026: The Headline Numbers

Source: ATTOM, August 2026 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report, released September 17, 2026.

One Stage of Three — What Actually Moved

A foreclosure is not an event. It is a process with three stages: the default notice that starts it, the scheduled auction in the middle, and the completed foreclosure — the REO — at the end, when the lender takes the deed back. ATTOM publishes all three every month. Only one of them jumped.

Read those three rows together and the pipeline is draining, not filling. New foreclosures barely moved — they fell 3% from July and are up only 7% from a year ago. What surged is the inventory emptying out the far end of a process that started twelve to twenty-four months ago. That is the difference between more homes going bad and the same homes finishing what already started.

Three Things the National Foreclosure Surge Headline Leaves Out

1. It is one stage, not the whole process

The 42% applies to completed foreclosures only — 4,080 properties in August 2025 against 5,794 in August 2026. Total filings grew 13% over the same window. If the market were entering a genuine foreclosure wave, starts would lead and completions would follow. Here the last stage is running hot while the first stage is flat to down.

2. It is measured against a floor, not a norm

A percentage only means something next to its reference point. Set against historical volume, the 42% increase is still roughly half a normal year.

2019 and 2010 derived from ATTOM’s Year-End 2019 and 2010 U.S. Foreclosure Market Reports (143,955 and 1,050,500 REOs for the year).

August 2026 completed foreclosures are about 48% of the 2019 monthly average and about 7% of the 2010 peak. ATTOM says it plainly in the release: “overall foreclosure activity remains below pre-pandemic norms.” Rob Barber, ATTOM’s CEO, called the current picture “pockets of financial stress rather than widespread distress across the housing market.” A 42% jump from a floor is still a floor.

3. “Hit hardest” means volume, not severity

The state the headline points at is Texas — 1,835 completed foreclosures in August, more than three times California’s 589. That is a real number and Texas is genuinely the center of the REO pipeline right now. But it is a count, and counts reward big states.

Ranked by foreclosure rate, Texas sits fourth, behind South Carolina, Nevada and Florida. South Carolina had the worst rate in the country in August — one foreclosure filing for every 1,547 housing units, against a national rate of one in 3,569. Texas also runs one of the fastest foreclosure timelines in the country, which pushes its pipeline to completion sooner and inflates REO counts without saying anything about how many homeowners are actually struggling. Counting repossessions tells you where the biggest states are. Measuring the rate tells you where the pain is.

Indiana: From #1 in the Country to #6

Here is the part almost nobody has connected. Earlier this year Indiana was the worst foreclosure state in America — that was the story in February 2026, when we wrote about it here. In August, Indiana ranked sixth.

Both figures are ATTOM monthly rates for the month shown, so they compare directly. Indiana recorded 1,174 foreclosure filings against 2,976,568 housing units in August 2026.

That is a 37% improvement in Indiana’s monthly foreclosure rate in six months, while the national conversation kept describing us as ground zero. It matters because a reader in Valparaiso or Chesterton who sees “Indiana is the worst” assumes the distress is next door. It is not.

The four Indiana counties with the worst August foreclosure rates were Madison, Clinton, Grant and Huntington — Anderson, Frankfort, Marion and Huntington. Not one of them is in Northwest Indiana. Indiana’s foreclosure problem concentrates in the mid-size industrial counties in the middle of the state, and within Lake County, along the Gary–Hammond–East Chicago corridor that I do not work. Porter County logged 18 foreclosure complaints on the courthouse docket for the year through early June, against 175 in Lake County. And 42% of the distressed owners in Lake County do not live at the property — a landlord or inherited-property profile, not a family losing its home.

What It Means in Lake, Porter and LaPorte County

So what does the national foreclosure surge actually look like in our three counties? Here is August 2026 side by side with the national picture.

Local data: NIRA MLS FastStats, August 2026. National data: National Association of REALTORS®, August 2026 — 4.9 months of supply is the highest national reading in over a decade.

Months of supply, August 2026. Three months is the standard balanced-market benchmark. Orange marks the national figure for contrast; the three colored bars are our counties.

There is the number that actually matters if you own property here. The national market is carrying its highest inventory in over a decade. Our three counties are carrying roughly half that — 2.3 to 2.9 months of supply against 4.9 nationally. Median prices in all three counties were up year-to-date in August: Lake County $280,000, Porter County $359,700, LaPorte County $262,500.

That is the whole contrast. National distress is rising into a market already carrying a decade-high supply of homes for sale. Local distress is rising into a market that is still thin. A seller in trouble here is not competing against a flood of inventory the way a seller in Texas or Florida is.

The one local pipeline worth watching right now is not a bank list — it is the courthouse. Porter County’s 2026 tax sale runs online October 21 and 22, and the current list carries 398 parcels. That date is two weeks out. Tax sales are the earliest visible stage of local distress, months before anything reaches a bank’s REO column.

What This Means for Buyers and Sellers Here

The Short Version

The national foreclosure surge is real and it is smaller than it sounds. Banks repossessed 42% more homes in August 2026 than in August 2025, but that is 5,794 properties — about half the monthly average of 2019 and roughly 7% of the 2010 peak, in a report that says outright that activity remains below pre-pandemic norms. The state the headline points at leads on volume, not severity. And Indiana, which was the worst foreclosure state in the country in February, ranked sixth in August while our three counties carried less than half the national housing supply.

Read the records, not the headline on the national foreclosure surge. That is the whole job.

The LaPorte County real estate market in August 2026 shows a strong days on market signal (+57.1%), with new listings down -17.4% on the supply side. Here’s the full picture.

August 2026 Key Metrics

LaPorte County Market Analysis

LaPorte County is the easternmost county in the NIRA region, anchored by Michigan City and La Porte. All of this at a median price of $262,500 across the county.

The big story this month is days on market climbing +57.1%. Inventory sits at 261 with 2.9 months of supply, and 98 homes closed in August.

Demand is responding. Pending sales rose +3.9% to 106, showing buyers are actively engaging. Days on market increased from 28 to 44 — homes are taking longer to clear.

Prices moved modestly upward: the median climbed +11.7% to $262,500, while the average climbed +8.9% to $344,102. That alignment suggests a market moving in a consistent direction. Sellers received 94.3% of list price, down from 94.8% — the LaPorte County real estate market gives buyers leverage.

What This Means for Buyers & Sellers

Official MLS Data: LaPorte County — August 2026

The following data comes directly from the NIRA MLS FastStats report for LaPorte County, comparing August 2025 vs. August 2026.

Key takeaways: The LaPorte County real estate market is holding tight. Inventory sits at -0.4% to 261 homes, while months supply fell to 2.9. Despite tighter conditions, demand remains strong with pending sales +3.9% and days on market increasing to 44. At a $262,500 median (+11.7%), LaPorte County continues to be a competitive market.

The Porter County real estate market in August 2026 shows a strong days on market signal (+29.2%), with inventory tightening -9.2% and new listings down -23.8% on the supply side. Here’s the full picture.

August 2026 Key Metrics

Porter County Market Analysis

Porter County offers the highest median sale prices in NW Indiana, anchored by Valparaiso, Chesterton, and the Indiana Dunes communities along Lake Michigan. All of this at a median price of $359,700 across the county.

The big story this month is days on market climbing +29.2%. Inventory sits at 374 with 2.3 months of supply, and 166 homes closed in August.

Demand is responding. Pending sales fell -12.4% to 162, showing some hesitation. Days on market increased from 24 to 31 — homes are taking longer to clear.

Prices moved modestly upward: the median climbed +12.2% to $359,700, while the average climbed +22.4% to $441,424. That alignment suggests a market moving in a consistent direction. Sellers received 96.1% of list price, down from 97.3% — the Porter County real estate market gives buyers leverage.

What This Means for Buyers & Sellers

Official MLS Data: Porter County — August 2026

The following data comes directly from the NIRA MLS FastStats report for Porter County, comparing August 2025 vs. August 2026.

Key takeaways: The Porter County real estate market is holding tight. Inventory sits at -9.2% to 374 homes, while months supply fell to 2.3. Despite tighter conditions, demand is mixed with pending sales -12.4% and days on market increasing to 31. At a $359,700 median (+12.2%), Porter County continues to be a competitive market.

The Lake County real estate market is telling a different story than much of Northwest Indiana in August 2026. With inventory tightening -9.7% and new listings down -29.0%, the Lake County market is tightening — putting sellers in a stronger position. Here’s the full picture.

August 2026 Key Metrics

Lake County Market Analysis

Lake County is the most populous county in NW Indiana, with diverse communities ranging from urban Gary to affluent suburbs like Crown Point and Munster. All of this at a median price of $280,000 across the county.

The big story this month is new listings falling -29.0% (686 to 487). Sellers are holding back. Total inventory fell to 1,097, pushing months supply to 2.6. The Lake County market remains a seller market (2.6 months of supply).

Demand is responding. Pending sales fell -23.9% to 369, showing some hesitation. Notably, days on market actually decreased from 33 to 32 — a positive signal that well-priced properties in desirable Lake County neighborhoods are still moving.

Prices moved modestly upward: the median climbed +5.7% to $280,000, while the average climbed +8.1% to $318,533. That alignment suggests a market moving in a consistent direction. Sellers received 95.8% of list price, down from 96.2% — the Lake County real estate market gives buyers leverage.

What This Means for Buyers & Sellers

Official MLS Data: Lake County — August 2026

The following data comes directly from the NIRA MLS FastStats report for Lake County, comparing August 2025 vs. August 2026.

Key takeaways: The Lake County real estate market is holding tight. Inventory sits at -9.7% to 1,097 homes, while months supply fell to 2.6. Despite tighter conditions, demand is mixed with pending sales -23.9% and days on market actually decreasing to 32. At a $280,000 median (+5.7%), Lake County continues to be a competitive market.

The Lake Station real estate market in August 2026 shows a softening pending sales signal (-61.5%), with inventory tightening -28.0% and new listings down -33.3% on the supply side. Here’s the full picture.

August 2026 Key Metrics

Lake Station Market Analysis

Lake Station is one of the most affordable markets in NW Indiana, offering first-time buyers a real entry point with easy access to I-90 and Lake Michigan. All of this at a median price of $189,250 — significantly below the Lake County median of $280,000.

The big story this month is pending sales falling -61.5%. Inventory sits at 18 with 1.7 months of supply, and 8 homes closed in August.

Demand is responding. Pending sales fell -61.5% to 5, showing some hesitation. Notably, days on market actually decreased from 40 to 22 — a positive signal that well-priced properties in desirable Lake Station neighborhoods are still moving.

Prices moved downward: the median fell -4.8% to $189,250, while the average climbed +8.5% to $204,050. That divergence suggests a market moving in a consistent direction. Sellers received 96.6% of list price, up from 95.2% — the Lake Station real estate market is rewarding patient sellers.

Lake Station vs. Lake County

For the full Lake County breakdown, see our Lake County Real Estate Market Update – August 2026.

Price Comparison: Lake Station vs. NW Indiana Towns

Median sale prices for August 2026. See reports for Hobart, Valparaiso, Chesterton, Portage, Crown Point, and others.

What This Means for Buyers & Sellers

Official MLS Data: Lake Station — August 2026

The following data comes directly from the NIRA MLS FastStats report for Lake Station, comparing August 2025 vs. August 2026.

Key takeaways: The Lake Station real estate market is holding tight. Inventory sits at -28.0% to 18 homes, the largest change in the area, while months supply fell to 1.7. Despite tighter conditions, demand is mixed with pending sales -61.5% and days on market actually decreasing to 22. At a $189,250 median (-4.8%), Lake Station remains one of NW Indiana a best value.

The Portage real estate market in August 2026 shows a strong days on market signal (+50.0%), with new listings down -29.2% on the supply side. Here’s the full picture.

August 2026 Key Metrics

Portage Market Analysis

Portage sits at the heart of NW Indiana’s commercial corridor along I-94 and the Indiana Toll Road, with Lake Michigan access and a strong working-class buyer pool. All of this at a median price of $291,450 — significantly below the Porter County median of $359,700.

The big story this month is days on market climbing +50.0%. Inventory sits at 57 with 1.8 months of supply, and 30 homes closed in August.

Demand is responding. Pending sales fell -34.3% to 23, showing some hesitation. Days on market increased from 14 to 21 — homes are taking longer to clear.

Prices moved modestly upward: the median climbed +4.1% to $291,450, while the average declined -2.2% to $304,630. That divergence suggests more mid-range homes are trading hands while fewer luxury properties closed this month. Sellers received 96.4% of list price, down from 98.0% — the Portage real estate market gives buyers leverage.

Portage vs. Porter County

For the full Porter County breakdown, see our Porter County Real Estate Market Update – August 2026.

Price Comparison: Portage vs. NW Indiana Towns

Median sale prices for August 2026. See reports for Hobart, Valparaiso, Chesterton, Lake Station, Crown Point, and others.

What This Means for Buyers & Sellers

Official MLS Data: Portage — August 2026

The following data comes directly from the NIRA MLS FastStats report for Portage, comparing August 2025 vs. August 2026.

Key takeaways: The Portage real estate market is holding tight. Inventory sits at -5.0% to 57 homes, while months supply fell to 1.8. Despite tighter conditions, demand is mixed with pending sales -34.3% and days on market increasing to 21. At a $291,450 median (+4.1%), Portage remains one of NW Indiana a competitive market.

The Chesterton real estate market is telling a different story than much of Northwest Indiana in August 2026. With inventory tightening -34.0% and new listings down -52.9%, the Chesterton market is tightening — putting sellers in a stronger position. Here’s the full picture.

August 2026 Key Metrics

Chesterton Market Analysis

Chesterton blends historic small-town character with proximity to the Indiana Dunes National Park, making it a destination for buyers who want nature and community. All of this at a median price of $405,000 — above the Porter County median of $359,700.

The big story this month is new listings falling -52.9% (34 to 16). Sellers are holding back. Total inventory fell to 33, pushing months supply to 2.2. The Chesterton market remains a seller market (2.2 months of supply).

Demand is responding. Pending sales fell -25.0% to 12, showing some hesitation. Notably, days on market actually decreased from 29 to 24 — a positive signal that well-priced properties in desirable Chesterton neighborhoods are still moving.

Prices moved modestly upward: the median climbed +15.7% to $405,000, while the average climbed +28.3% to $454,193. That alignment suggests a market moving in a consistent direction. Sellers received 97.5% of list price, up from 96.6% — the Chesterton real estate market is rewarding patient sellers.

Chesterton vs. Porter County

For the full Porter County breakdown, see our Porter County Real Estate Market Update – August 2026.

Price Comparison: Chesterton vs. NW Indiana Towns

Median sale prices for August 2026. See reports for Hobart, Valparaiso, Portage, Lake Station, Crown Point, and others.

What This Means for Buyers & Sellers

Official MLS Data: Chesterton — August 2026

The following data comes directly from the NIRA MLS FastStats report for Chesterton, comparing August 2025 vs. August 2026.

Key takeaways: The Chesterton real estate market is holding tight. Inventory sits at -34.0% to 33 homes, the largest change in the area, while months supply fell to 2.2. Despite tighter conditions, demand is mixed with pending sales -25.0% and days on market actually decreasing to 24. At a $405,000 median (+15.7%), Chesterton remains one of NW Indiana a competitive market.

The Valparaiso real estate market in August 2026 shows a strong days on market signal (+81.8%), with inventory surging +8.2% on the supply side. Here’s the full picture.

August 2026 Key Metrics

Valparaiso Market Analysis

Valparaiso is the cultural and commercial hub of Porter County, anchored by Valparaiso University and a thriving downtown square that draws residents and visitors year-round. All of this at a median price of $375,000 — above the Porter County median of $359,700.

The big story this month is days on market climbing +81.8%. Inventory sits at 79 with 2.5 months of supply, and 40 homes closed in August.

Despite the inventory shift, demand remains active. Pending sales rose +9.1% to 36, showing buyers are actively engaging. Days on market increased from 22 to 40 — homes are taking longer to clear.

Prices moved modestly upward: the median climbed +18.1% to $375,000, while the average climbed +27.6% to $414,748. That alignment suggests a market moving in a consistent direction. Sellers received 95.7% of list price, down from 99.3% — the Valparaiso real estate market gives buyers leverage.

Valparaiso vs. Porter County

For the full Porter County breakdown, see our Porter County Real Estate Market Update – August 2026.

Price Comparison: Valparaiso vs. NW Indiana Towns

Median sale prices for August 2026. See reports for Hobart, Chesterton, Portage, Lake Station, Crown Point, and others.

What This Means for Buyers & Sellers

Official MLS Data: Valparaiso — August 2026

The following data comes directly from the NIRA MLS FastStats report for Valparaiso, comparing August 2025 vs. August 2026.

Key takeaways: The Valparaiso real estate market is shifting toward balance. Inventory surged +8.2% to 79 homes, while months supply rose to 2.5. Despite more choices for buyers, demand remains strong with pending sales +9.1% and days on market increasing to 40. At a $375,000 median (+18.1%), Valparaiso remains one of NW Indiana a competitive market.

The Hobart real estate market is telling a different story than much of Northwest Indiana in August 2026. With inventory surging +71.1% and new listings down -9.5%, the Hobart market is opening up. Here’s the full picture.

August 2026 Key Metrics

Hobart Market Analysis

Hobart occupies a unique position in the NW Indiana landscape. Straddling the Lake-Porter County line, it offers an appealing mix of small-town charm and urban accessibility. Lake George and Festival Park anchor the downtown, the School City of Hobart serves families well, and the Deep River waterway adds natural beauty to neighborhoods on the east side. All of this at a median price of $265,000 — significantly below the Lake County median of $280,000.

The big story this month is the inventory surge. New listings fell -9.5% (42 to 38) and total homes for sale climbed +71.1% to 77. This pushed months supply up to 2.7 from 1.4 a year ago. The Hobart real estate market is still technically a seller market (anything under 3 months favors sellers), but it’s loosening faster than other NW Indiana communities.

Despite the inventory shift, demand remains active. Pending sales fell -29.7% to 26, showing some hesitation. Days on market increased from 19 to 23 — homes are taking longer to clear.

Prices moved modestly upward: the median climbed +0.6% to $265,000, while the average climbed +0.5% to $265,729. That alignment suggests a market moving in a consistent direction. Sellers received 98.1% of list price, up from 97.1% — the Hobart real estate market is rewarding patient sellers.

Hobart vs. Lake County

For the full Lake County breakdown, see our Lake County Real Estate Market Update – August 2026.

Price Comparison: Hobart vs. NW Indiana Towns

Median sale prices for August 2026. See reports for Valparaiso, Chesterton, Portage, Lake Station, Crown Point, and others.

What This Means for Buyers & Sellers

Official MLS Data: Hobart — August 2026

The following data comes directly from the NIRA MLS FastStats report for Hobart, comparing August 2025 vs. August 2026.

Key takeaways: The Hobart real estate market is shifting toward balance. Inventory surged +71.1% to 77 homes, the largest change in the area, while months supply rose to 2.7. Despite more choices for buyers, demand is mixed with pending sales -29.7% and days on market increasing to 23. At a $265,000 median (+0.6%), Hobart remains one of NW Indiana a competitive market.