What it's like to live in Goshen
Goshen is a small city in Indiana with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, crime rates well below the national average, and commutes that run shorter than most cities. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Goshen deals with household incomes below the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, cold winters, and snowy winters.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low crime rates
- Short commutes
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Air quality concerns
- Cold winters
- Snowy winters — 45" per year
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Goshen compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Goshen
Based on Goshen's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,186
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $43,720 a year
- 47% of Goshen renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$36,980
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $18,490
- Homes cost 3.1× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 23% below US
$1,093/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,093 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $184,900. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $184,900 · 47% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.0% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.0%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 52% below US
160 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 1942/100k · Goshen Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 27% below US
19 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 18.9 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 9 in 10 workers drive to work.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 82°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 21°F and snow a regular occurrence.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
2 hospitals
There are 2 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 3.0 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 34% below US
24% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 24%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
8 public schools inside the boundary
There are 8 public schools inside the boundary and 3 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16:1, close to the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Indiana Dunes National Park (66 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Goshen's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks. A year of median rent ($1,093/mo) equals 22% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, anyone prioritizing low crime, and people who want short commutes. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Goshen
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