What it's like to live in Dyer
Dyer is a small city in Indiana with rent below the national average, household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, and a highly educated workforce. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Dyer deals with commute times longer than most cities, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin, and cold winters.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Highly educated workforce
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Above-average commute times
- Air quality concerns
- High rent burden for renters
- Cold winters
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Dyer compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Dyer
Based on Dyer's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,450
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $49,000 a year
- 74% of Dyer renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$64,440
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $32,220
- Homes cost 3.0× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 13% below US
$1,225/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,225 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $322,200. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $322,200 · 74% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
5.1% county unemployment
Unemployment in Lake County is 5.1%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Lake County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 93% below US
25 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 172/100k · Dyer Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 13% above US
29 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 29.4 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 12% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 82°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 18°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 2.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforceNear US average
39% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 39% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
3 public schools inside the boundary
There are 3 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 17:1, close to the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Pullman National Historical Park (15 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Dyer's strongest points are rent below the national average and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are commute times longer than most cities and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks. A year of median rent ($1,225/mo) equals 14% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and anyone prioritizing low crime. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Dyer
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