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Indianapolis, IN
Profile: Balanced
Cash Flow
Emphasizes margin safety and downside protection. Best for yield-focused investors and conservative rental strategies.
Balanced
A rental-first baseline that balances cash flow, demand durability, and risk. Default profile.
Appreciation
Places more weight on demand and income growth while still requiring rental viability. Not a speculative or flip-focused lens.
47
/ 100
Avoid
Structural factors make rental investing challenging here. Strong individual deals may exist, but the market does not broadly support rental performance.Data as of: 2025-12-28
Why This Score?
- Score of 47 indicates market fundamentals don't currently support broad rental investment.
- Strongest area: Supply Risk (83/100).
- Weakest area: Employment & Income (17/100).
- Rent-to-price ratio is favorable for cash flow investors.
- Slow population growth may limit future demand.
- Low vacancy rate indicates healthy rental demand.
- Note: 6% of score based on assumed average conditions (missing data).
Score Breakdown
Cash Flow Reality
Evaluates whether rents are meaningfully supported by local incomes and prices. Thin margins increase downside risk for rental investors.
(25% weight)
Cash flow reality is weighted heavily because rental investments depend on sustainable margins, not appreciation alone.
67
View metrics used
Measures actual cash flow potential at current market prices
Typical Expense Ratio
top quartile nationally
P83
Industry Average
View raw value
38.0
as of 2025-12-28
Median Rent
bottom quartile nationally
View raw value
1150.0
as of 2025-12-28
Rent-to-Price Ratio
top quartile nationally
View raw value
0.92
as of 2025-12-28
Demand & Demographics
Measures the durability of renter demand based on population trends, household formation, and renter propensity. Strong demand supports long-term occupancy and rent stability.
(25% weight)
Demand durability is weighted to reflect its importance in sustaining occupancy rates and rent growth over time.
17
View metrics used
Measures population growth, renter demand, and household formation
Household Formation Rate
bottom quartile nationally
P17
Census Bureau
View raw value
1.5
as of 2025-12-28
5-Year Population Growth
bottom quartile nationally
View raw value
4.2
as of 2025-12-28
Renter Percentage
bottom quartile nationally
View raw value
38.5
as of 2025-12-28
Employment & Income
Assesses income levels and job stability to evaluate whether renters can reliably support market rents over time.
(20% weight)
Employment and income stability indicate whether renters can afford rents consistently, reducing default and turnover risk.
17
View metrics used
Evaluates job market strength and income levels
3-Year Job Growth
bottom quartile nationally
View raw value
3.1
as of 2025-12-28
Median Household Income
bottom quartile nationally
View raw value
52400.0
as of 2025-12-28
Unemployment Rate
bottom quartile nationally
View raw value
4.8
as of 2025-12-28
Risk Flags
Captures factors that can disrupt rental performance, such as crime, taxes, insurance pressure, and natural disaster exposure.
(15% weight)
Risk factors are weighted to penalize markets where external forces can erode returns unexpectedly.
-3 uncertainty
72
View metrics used
Identifies structural risks to profitability
Crime Index
near average
P50
assumed
When data is unavailable, we assume average conditions and treat the uncertainty itself as a risk. Missing data does not remove a factor from consideration.
Assumed average (50th percentile) - data unavailable
Insurance Cost Index
top quartile nationally
View raw value
95.0
as of 2025-12-28
Property Tax Rate
top quartile nationally
P83
State/County Assessor
View raw value
1.1
as of 2025-12-28
Supply Risk
Estimates the risk of new housing supply putting pressure on rents, particularly in fast-building markets.
(15% weight)
Supply risk is weighted to capture how new construction can erode rents and occupancy in oversupplied markets.
83
View metrics used
Assesses new construction pipeline and inventory levels
Building Permits per 1,000
top quartile nationally
View raw value
4.2
as of 2025-12-28
Data Confidence: 5.9% of this score is based on assumed average conditions Percentage of the score based on assumed or estimated data rather than directly observed values. Higher uncertainty means more of the score relies on neutral assumptions. (missing or estimated data).
Missing material metrics: crime_index. Material metrics are key indicators that significantly affect investment decisions. When these are missing, an additional uncertainty penalty is applied to the Risk Flags category. An uncertainty penalty of 3.0 points was applied to Risk Flags.
How this was calculated
Balanced Profile
This profile balances growth potential with current cash flow and risk factors.
Category Weights
Demand Demographics
25%
Employment Income
20%
Supply Risk
15%
Cashflow Reality
25%
Risk Flags
15%
Percentile Scoring
Each metric is compared to all markets of the same type (metro or ZIP) in our database. A percentile of 75 means this market outperforms 75% of comparable markets on that metric.
Missing Data
When data is unavailable, we assume average conditions (50th percentile). The factor still exists in the market; we simply lack evidence. Uncertainty about material metrics (like crime or supply) triggers a penalty in Risk Flags.
Buyable (85+)
Conditional (70-84)
Avoid (<70)
ZIP Codes in Indianapolis
Rental Ecosystem Maturity
ModerateRental investing is established but the professional ecosystem is still developing.
- ~32% of housing units are renter-occupied or investor-owned
- Property management options are available but limited
- Investor transactions (~18% of sales) are common but not dominant
This indicator provides operational context for rental investors and is not used to calculate MarketScreen's score or verdict.