INDIANA – The hourly wage needed for Hoosier renters to afford a modest home has increased much faster than Hoosier renter wages, leaving the average household with $7,696 less annually in purchasing power compared to just three years ago.
This is according to Out of Reach – Indiana 2026, co-released by Prosperity Indiana and the National Low Income Housing Coalition, which also finds that together, the median wage of all occupations in Indiana no longer pays enough to make rent for the typical Hoosier household.
Without targeted policy change to address housing affordability and economic opportunity by Indiana’s policymakers, the report’s findings reveal a deep threat to the state’s prospects for community, workforce, and economic growth.
Out of Reach, released annually, documents the gulf between wages and what people need to earn to afford their rents. The report routinely shows that affordable rental homes remain out of reach for millions of low-wage workers and their families nationwide. The report’s Housing Wage is an estimate of the hourly wage full-time workers must earn to afford a rental home at HUD’s Fair Market Rent (FMR) without spending more than 30% of their income.
The full report is accessible now on Housing4Hoosiers.org
