What it's like to live in Hammond
Hammond is a smaller city in Indiana with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, and schools with class sizes near the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Hammond deals with household incomes below the national average, crime rates above the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, and college degree attainment below the national average.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Crime above national average
- Air quality concerns
- Low college degree attainment
- High poverty rate
- Cold winters
How Hammond compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Hammond
Based on Hammond's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,268
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $45,360 a year
- 46% of Hammond renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$31,980
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $15,990
- Homes cost 2.9× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 20% below US
$1,134/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,134 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $159,900. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $159,900 · 46% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▲ 19% above US
5.1% unemployment
Unemployment here is 5.1%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 79% above US
589 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is worth weighing seriously here. Rates run above the national average, and while plenty of residents live comfortably, neighborhood selection matters a lot more than it does in a safer city.
Property crime 2483/100k · Hammond Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
26 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 25.7 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; 7% 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
Education & workforce▼ 52% below US
17% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a working-class city, and college degree rates reflect that. Trades, manufacturing, and service industries tend to dominate the local economy, which is a strength for some fields and a real constraint for others.
Schools
19 public schools inside the boundary
There are 19 public schools inside the boundary and 6 private schools. 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 (8 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Hammond'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 crime rates above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,134/mo) equals 25% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Hammond
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