Housing Hoosiers.

• Author: Rogers, Carol O.

Mansion or trailer, townhouse or ranch, most Hoosiers live in single-family homes. The decennial census taken in April 2000 provides detailed information on the physical and financial characteristics of housing in Indiana, such as the number of rooms and bedrooms, vehicles and telephones, value, and heating fuel.

Indiana's overall housing inventory is the primary focus of this article and will likely cause the reader to learn more about local areas within the state. This information is available for every county, city, town, and township in the state on STATS Indiana (www.stats.indiana.edu) in a series of 60-page profiles developed from a census file named Summary File 3.

Physical Characteristics

Single or double (we don't mean cheeseburgers), trailer or apartment? Most housing in Indiana consists of single-family homes (see Table 1 and Figure 1). Still, 25 percent of Indiana's housing is apartments or mobile homes (571,117 such units). Most apartment dwellers are found in the metro areas of the state, with mobile home living more prevalent in southern Indiana (see Figure 2).

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Utility gas heats the majority of Hoosier (65 percent) and U.S. (51 percent) homes. Electricity is a distant second choice with a 22 percent share in Indiana and 30 percent share nationwide. Hoosiers use more bottled, tank, or LP gas (9 percent) than is used nationwide (7 percent), but less fuel oil or kerosine (3 percent) than the U.S. average of 9 percent (see Figure 3).

Financial Characteristics

Most Hoosiers are homeowners--71 percent compared to 62 percent nationally.

Based on Census 2000, the median value of a home in Indiana is $94,300, compared to $119,600 for the U.S. Of course, the median home value varies widely depending on location, with median values as high as $625,000 in the Indianapolis area (Crows Nest) and $390,600 in Northern Indiana (Dune Acres) (see Table 2 and Figure 4). Home values also vary with the race of the homeowner, with Asians (reporting one race) having the highest median value at $138,300 in Indiana and $199,300 nationally (see Figure 5).

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With homes come mortgages, utilities, and taxes. In Indiana, 71 percent of specified owner occupied homes (see sidebar definition) have a mortgage. Of those mortgaged homes, average monthly owner costs are $977. The mortgage is clearly the biggest financial load, since homeowners without a mortgage have average costs of only $280 a month. Indiana has a median...