Valparaiso, IN
Census place 1878326 · pop 34,733
Hometown of popcorn pioneer Orville Redenbacher, celebrated each fall at the Valparaiso Popcorn Festival.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 36.5% · worse than most cities
38.6% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
58.0% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
14.9% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities
4.0% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities
17.6% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$69,872 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities
25 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 42 AQI · worse than most cities
44 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities
13.8% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.44 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 0.99% · worse than most cities
1.03% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 1 days · better than most cities
2 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities
91.9% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median $214,900 · better than most cities
$267,300 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities
24.5% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median +2.4% · better than most cities
+4.1% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 77/100 · better than most cities
80/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · better than most cities
$1,564/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities
8.0% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
40.6% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 964/100k · better than most cities
822 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 152/100k · better than most cities
69 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
Frequently asked
- Is Valparaiso, IN a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Valparaiso scores 53/100 — a D (Meh) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is violent crime rate and its weakest is adult obesity. Indiana overall ranks #18 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- How safe is Valparaiso, IN?
- Valparaiso reports 69 violent crimes per 100k and 822 property crimes per 100k — better than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Valparaiso, IN expensive to live in?
- Valparaiso has a median home value of $267,300 and typical rent around $1,564/mo — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Valparaiso, IN?
- Its weakest measured area is adult obesity (38.6%) — 27/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Valparaiso, IN best at?
- Its strongest measured area is violent crime rate (69/100k) — 80/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: Hometown of popcorn pioneer Orville Redenbacher, celebrated each fall at the Valparaiso Popcorn Festival.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.