Photo: Nyttend · Public domainMeasured against area pay, Root Township costs less to live in than 62% of U.S. towns
It ranks #430 of 592 in Indiana for affordability. Home prices around Root Township have risen about 64% over the past 5 years.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of the Decatur, IN micro area ($65K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
The grade compares costs with what households across the Decatur-area micro earn ($65K, Census 2020–24). The typical home costs 3.0 years of area income, and 63% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $960a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 3.0 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$65K, Decatur-area income
- 18%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 63%of renters pay 30%+ of income for housing; across Indiana: 48%Census 2020–24
- 20%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
What stands out about housing in Root Township
What’s behind Root Township’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Root Township is more affordable than 62% of U.S. towns, #430 of 592 in Indiana. Rent pulls the grade down most; property tax holds it up.
Home prices up 64% in 5 years
The federal house price index for the ZIP code around Root Township rose 64% over the past 5 years, faster than across Indiana (53%). Last year prices rose 4.5%. Carrying the Census median home value forward with that index puts the typical Root Township home at roughly $248,000 today.
Carrying the Census median forward with the index puts a typical home at about $248K.
Federal Housing Finance Agency House Price Index (annual) for the ZIP codes around Root Township, weighted by land area. It tracks repeat sales of the same homes, so it shows how prices changed, not what homes cost.
A typical home costs 3.0 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Root Township’s own median, or type yours.
That covers a typical Root Township home, with $13K to spare.
A two-bedroom rents for about $960 a month here, $480 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Root Township’s typical property tax (0.70% of value a year, from the Census) and insurance of about 0.35%. Mortgage insurance, HOA fees and other debts aren’t included.
A two-bedroom rents for about $960
Renters already here pay a median of $992.
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (Fort Wayne, IN HUD Metro FMR Area): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Property tax runs below the Indiana norm
The median bill is $1,349 (Indiana: $1,614), 0.70% of a home’s value a year, against 0.74% statewide.
Census American Community Survey 2020–24: the median real-estate tax bill homeowners report, and that bill ÷ the median home value. Bills include town, school and county taxes. The Census reports bills over $10,000 only as “$10,000+”.
Root Township vs. its neighbors
Zillow publishes no value for Root Township. Preble Township and Union Township and Madison Township and Washington Township have no Zillow value, so they are in the table only.
Cost next door · one source per column
| Town | Cost | Typical home Zillow, latest | Median value Census 2020–24 | Tax rate bill ÷ value | 2-bed rent HUD 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Root Township | B | — | $194K | 0.70% | $960 |
| Washington Township | A | — | $145K | 0.82% | $960 |
| Preble Township | B+ | — | $221K | 0.64% | $970 |
| Madison Township | A | — | $207K | 0.75% | $970 |
| Union Township | – | — | $214K | 0.65% | $960 |
“—” under Zillow: Zillow publishes no value for that town, so it’s left blank rather than mixed with Census figures. “—” under Cost: not graded (too little Census data, or under 1,000 residents).
Questions about the cost of living in Root Township
Is Root Township expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Root Township costs less than 62% of U.S. towns: a B for cost of living, #430 of 592 in Indiana. The typical home costs 3.0 years of the median household income of the Decatur, IN micro area ($65K).
How much is rent in Root Township?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $960 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $992 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Root Township?
The median bill is $1,349 a year, 0.70% of the median home value (Indiana: $1,614, 0.74%), from the Census 2020–24.
Neighbors talk housing
What Root Township buyers, sellers and renters are saying.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Price trend: Federal Housing Finance Agency House Price Index. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The calculator is an estimate, not a loan offer. Regional price levels: BEA; electricity: EIA. How TownRatings grades cost of living.