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County

Spencer County

Indiana · 20,061 residents (2025 est.)

FHFA annual index 1998–2025Developmental county indexPermits through August 2026
FHFA house price index for Spencer County, 1998 to 2025, with the national index rebased to the same start and NBER recessions shadedRecession 2001Recession 2007–09Recession 202050100150200250300200020052010201520202025United States2025: 235
Spencer County (100 = first year)United States, rebased to the same startNBER recession

FHFA notes: The FHFA HPI is a broad measure of the movement of single-family house prices. The FHFA HPI is a weighted, repeat-sales index, meaning that it measures average price changes in repeat sales or refinancings on the same properties. FHFA describes its county indexes as developmental and subject to revision. The index does not give a dollar value for any home.

Spencer County, Indiana, has an FHFA house price index from 1998. Through 2025 it has risen +135.2%, from 100 to 235.

Over the ten years to 2025 the index rose +73.1% (+5.6% a year), well below Indiana at +94.5% and below the national +85.0%. The latest one-year change is +0.7%.

The strongest decade was the 2010s (+34.1%); the weakest the 2000s (+12.7%).

Builders were authorised for 86 housing units in the county in the 12 months to August 2026 (+24.6% on the previous 12 months), 4.3 units per 1,000 residents; 100% were single-family houses. Since 1995 the county has authorised 2,491 units, most in 1999.

+0.7%1 year, 2024–2025Indiana +4.3%
+41.9%5 yearsUS +47.0%
+73.1%10 years+5.6% a year annualised
+114.4%since 2000US +158.3%
86units permitted, 12 months4.3 per 1,000 residents

Same span, four levels

Change in the FHFA indexSpencer CountyMetro areaIndianaUnited States
1 year (2024–2025)+0.7%—+4.3%+2.8%
5 years (2020–2025)+41.9%—+53.4%+47.0%
10 years (2015–2025)+73.1%—+94.5%+85.0%
20 years (2005–2025)+97.1%—+98.0%+79.1%
Since 2000+114.4%—+126.2%+158.3%
Since 1998+135.2%—+141.7%+192.0%
10-year annualised+5.6%—+6.9%+6.3%
20-year annualised+3.5%—+3.5%+3.0%

All columns are FHFA annual all-transactions indexes over the same years.

Decade by decade

DecadeChangeUnited States
2000s (2000–2010)+12.7%+29.7%
2010s (2010–2020)+34.1%+35.5%
2020s so far (2020–2025)+41.9%+47.0%

FHFA reports each index with a value of 100 in its base period, the first year the area has enough transactions (1998 here). A decade's change is the index at the end of the decade divided by the index at the start, so it does not depend on the base year; the United States column covers the same years. Decades before 1998 are not shown.

Peak-to-low declines

No decline of 5% or more from a peak appears in the annual index for this area.

Building permits

Housing units authorised by building permits in Spencer County, by month over the latest five years and by year since 1995.

Housing units authorised in Spencer County by month, latest 12 months051015Sep 2025: 8 units (8 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Sep 2025Oct 2025: 8 units (8 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Oct 2025Nov 2025: 3 units (3 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Nov 2025Dec 2025: 2 units (2 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Dec 2025Jan 2026: 2 units (2 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Jan 2026Feb 2026: 3 units (3 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Feb 2026Mar 2026: 4 units (4 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Mar 2026Apr 2026: 9 units (9 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Apr 2026May 2026: 11 units (11 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)May 2026Jun 2026: 13 units (13 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Jun 2026Jul 2026: 11 units (11 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Jul 2026Aug 2026: 12 units (12 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Aug 2026

Housing units authorised in Spencer County by month, latest 12 monthssingle-family2+ unit buildings

Housing units authorised in Spencer County by month, latest 60 months051015Sep 2021: 0 units (0 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Sep 2021Oct 2021: 0 units (0 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Nov 2021: 0 units (0 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Dec 2021: 0 units (0 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Jan 2022: 3 units (3 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Feb 2022: 3 units (3 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Mar 2022: 9 units (9 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Apr 2022: 5 units (5 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)May 2022: 8 units (8 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Jun 2022: 7 units (7 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Jul 2022: 7 units (7 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Aug 2022: 5 units (5 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Sep 2022: 7 units (7 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Sep 2022Oct 2022: 5 units (5 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Nov 2022: 5 units (5 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Dec 2022: 2 units (2 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Jan 2023: 2 units (2 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Feb 2023: 3 units (3 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Mar 2023: 4 units (4 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Apr 2023: 6 units (6 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)May 2023: 9 units (9 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Jun 2023: 9 units (9 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Jul 2023: 7 units (7 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Aug 2023: 8 units (8 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Sep 2023: 9 units (9 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Sep 2023Oct 2023: 7 units (7 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Nov 2023: 4 units (4 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Dec 2023: 4 units (4 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Jan 2024: 3 units (3 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Feb 2024: 4 units (4 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Mar 2024: 7 units (7 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Apr 2024: 8 units (8 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)May 2024: 12 units (12 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Jun 2024: 7 units (7 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Jul 2024: 6 units (6 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Aug 2024: 9 units (9 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Sep 2024: 6 units (6 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Sep 2024Oct 2024: 8 units (8 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Nov 2024: 5 units (5 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Dec 2024: 3 units (3 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Jan 2025: 3 units (3 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Feb 2025: 3 units (3 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Mar 2025: 6 units (6 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Apr 2025: 6 units (6 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)May 2025: 7 units (7 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Jun 2025: 7 units (7 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Jul 2025: 7 units (7 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Aug 2025: 8 units (8 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Sep 2025: 8 units (8 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Sep 2025Oct 2025: 8 units (8 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Nov 2025: 3 units (3 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Dec 2025: 2 units (2 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Jan 2026: 2 units (2 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Feb 2026: 3 units (3 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Mar 2026: 4 units (4 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Apr 2026: 9 units (9 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)May 2026: 11 units (11 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Jun 2026: 13 units (13 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Jul 2026: 11 units (11 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)Aug 2026: 12 units (12 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)

Housing units authorised in Spencer County by month, latest 60 monthssingle-family2+ unit buildings

Housing units authorised in Spencer County by year, 1995–202501002001995: 81 units (81 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)19951996: 104 units (104 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)1997: 168 units (168 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)1998: 171 units (171 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)1999: 179 units (179 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)2000: 147 units (145 single-family, 2 in multi-unit buildings)20002001: 131 units (125 single-family, 6 in multi-unit buildings)2002: 113 units (111 single-family, 2 in multi-unit buildings)2003: 108 units (108 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)2004: 96 units (96 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)2005: 97 units (97 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)20052006: 72 units (72 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)2007: 71 units (71 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)2008: 49 units (49 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)2009: 37 units (37 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)2010: 38 units (38 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)20102011: 36 units (36 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)2012: 42 units (42 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)2013: 34 units (34 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)2014: 36 units (36 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)2015: 42 units (40 single-family, 2 in multi-unit buildings)20152016: 53 units (49 single-family, 4 in multi-unit buildings)2017: 44 units (44 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)2018: 40 units (40 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)2019: 54 units (49 single-family, 5 in multi-unit buildings)2020: 71 units (71 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)20202021: 62 units (62 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)2022: 82 units (78 single-family, 4 in multi-unit buildings)2023: 66 units (66 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)2024: 67 units (67 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)2025: 100 units (100 single-family, 0 in multi-unit buildings)2025

Housing units authorised in Spencer County by year, 1995–2025single-family2+ unit buildings

Permits, 12 months to August 2026Spencer CountyIndianaUnited States
Housing units authorised8627,6721,418,086
Units per 1,000 residents4.34.04.1
Single-family share100%73%63%
Change on previous 12 months+24.6%−7.2%−0.1%
Units authorised since 19952,491849,88043,082,761

Population is the Census Bureau's vintage 2025 estimate. Permits authorise construction; they are not completions.

ZIP codes in Spencer County

Ranked by ten-year change in the FHFA ZIP index. Where a ZIP's index ends before 2025, its spans end in that year.

ZIP1 year10 yearsSince 2000Index throughYears
47634−11.2%+72.8%—202524
47635−8.2%+57.2%+98.2%202528
47579+5.3%+40.6%—202121

Cities and permit-issuing places in Spencer County

Housing units authorised in the 12 months to August 2026; places with at least 12 units in the year, or in the year before.

PlaceUnits, 12 monthsPer 1,000 residentsSingle-family
Spencer County Unincorporated Area50—100%
Dale town2214.5100%
Santa Claus town72.7100%

Questions and answers

How much have home values in Spencer County risen over 10 years?

The FHFA index for Spencer County rose +73.1% from 2015 to 2025, about +5.6% a year. Over 20 years: +97.1%; since 2000: +114.4%.

How does Spencer County compare with Indiana and the United States?

Over the ten years to 2025: Spencer County +73.1%, Indiana +94.5%, United States +85.0%.

What happened to Spencer County prices in 2008?

The county index shows no decline of 5% or more from a 2005–2008 peak. The Indiana index fell −7.4% over 2007–2012.

How many homes are being built in Spencer County?

86 housing units were authorised by building permits in the 12 months to August 2026 (86 single-family, 0 in buildings of five or more units), or 4.3 per 1,000 residents against 4.0 for Indiana.

Where does this data come from?

The index is FHFA's annual county house price index (all-transactions, developmental), last updated March 31, 2026, with values through 2025. Permits are from the Census Bureau Building Permits Survey through August 2026; population is the Census Bureau's vintage 2025 estimate.

Provenance

Index: Federal Housing Finance Agency, annual house price index for counties (all-transactions, developmental), last updated March 31, 2026, values 1998–2025; metro, state and national comparisons from FHFA's annual indexes in the same release. Permits: Census Bureau Building Permits Survey, county and place files, through August 2026. Population: Census Bureau vintage 2025 estimates. ZIP assignment: 2020 ZCTA-to-county relationship file. Public domain throughout. Corrections · FHFA HPI datasets · Building Permits Survey.