Ramsay-Fox Round Barn and Farm · Photo: Nyttend · Public domainMeasured against area pay, West Township costs less to live in than 60% of U.S. towns
It ranks #443 of 592 in Indiana for affordability. Home prices around West Township have risen about 53% over the past 5 years.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of the Plymouth, IN micro area ($72K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
The grade compares costs with what households across the Plymouth-area micro earn ($72K, Census 2020–24). The typical home costs 3.6 years of area income, and 31% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $1,040a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 3.6 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$72K, Plymouth-area income
- 23%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 9%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
What’s behind West Township’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, West Township is more affordable than 60% of U.S. towns, #443 of 592 in Indiana. Rent pulls the grade down most; the share of households paying 30%+ for housing holds it up.
Home prices up 53% in 5 years
The federal house price index for the ZIP codes around West Township rose 53% over the past 5 years, about the same as across Indiana. Last year prices rose 5.4%. Carrying the Census median home value forward with that index puts the typical West Township home at roughly $307,000 today.
Carrying the Census median forward with the index puts a typical home at about $307K.
Federal Housing Finance Agency House Price Index (annual) for the ZIP codes around West Township, weighted by land area. It tracks repeat sales of the same homes, so it shows how prices changed, not what homes cost.
A year’s rent takes 23% of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to West Township’s own median, or type yours.
That’s $19K short of a typical West Township home.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,040 a month here, $750 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, West Township’s typical property tax (0.71% 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 $1,040
Renters already here pay a median of $1,369.
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (South Bend-Mishawaka, 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.
High tax bills, but a low tax rate
The median bill is $1,821 (Indiana: $1,614), because homes cost more. As a share of value it’s 0.71% 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+”.
West Township vs. its neighbors
Zillow publishes no value for West Township. Union Township and Polk Township and Center Township and Oregon 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Township | B | — | $256K | 0.71% | $1,040 |
| Polk Township | A− | — | $231K | 0.51% | $1,040 |
| Union Township | A− | — | $259K | 0.58% | $980 |
| Center Township | A | — | $175K | 0.74% | $1,040 |
| Oregon Township | A | — | $140K | 0.66% | $1,200 |
“—” under Zillow: Zillow publishes no value for that town, so it’s left blank rather than mixed with Census figures.
Questions about the cost of living in West Township
Is West Township expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, West Township costs less than 60% of U.S. towns: a B for cost of living, #443 of 592 in Indiana. The typical home costs 3.6 years of the median household income of the Plymouth, IN micro area ($72K).
How much is rent in West Township?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $1,040 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $1,369 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in West Township?
The median bill is $1,821 a year, 0.71% of the median home value (Indiana: $1,614, 0.74%), from the Census 2020–24.
Neighbors talk housing
What West 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.