What A Valparaiso Home’s Location Means For Valparaiso Home Buyers

Homebuyers are searching for and quickly buying homes for sale in Valparaiso IN.  It’s easy to see why.

Valparaiso, IN is a progressive city of 37,000 residents with a low crime rate, affordable home prices, great job opportunities, and outstanding.  These factors make Valparaiso one of the best places to live in Northwest Indiana.  But, people searching for homes for sale in the Valparaiso Indiana area often overlook something important.

Often overlooked is the fact the two Valparaiso zip codes of 46383 and 46385 actually cover a large geographic area.  Because of this Valparaiso homes have really diverse in the following ways:

• Availability of high-speed internet
• Schools
• Property taxes
• Municipal services are available.

This post will help people searching for houses for sale in Valparaiso, IN better understand the Valparaiso area and what they can expect when looking at homes for sale in different areas of Valparaiso.

Valparaiso Homes For Sale In Valparaiso City Limits

Valparaiso city limits expand across central Porter County, Indiana.  The Valparaiso city limits cover most of Center Township and trickle into some of the neighboring townships.

Advantages to being included in the Valparaiso city limits include having an additional layer of police protection and access to city services such as municipal garbage collection, municipal water, and sewer services.  Another great advantage of buying a home for sale in Valparaiso is the owners are guaranteed access to the Valparaiso Community Schools for their school-aged children.  Valparaiso Community School’s corporation recently received a grade ‘A’ from the Indiana Dept. of Education.

What To Know When Buying A Home In Valparaiso City Limits

• City services like snow plowing, trash removal, municipal water, and sewers are guaranteed
• High-speed cable internet is available in nearly all homes
• Students attend Valparaiso Community Schools which is large and robust (6,200+ students)
• Higher property taxes due to city services and Valparaiso Community Schools school referendum

Houses For Sale In Valparaiso IN – Center Township

Center Township is nearly entirely covered by Valparaiso city limits.  But, notice that, nearly, not totally.

Buying a home located in Center Township is different than buying a home within city limits.  Homeowners outside of the Valparaiso city limits may have access to city water and sewer services, but it is not guaranteed.  Additionally, the city has no requirement to offer those services to the homeowners.

Owners of homes in Center Township also send their children to Valparaiso Community Schools and will pay those associated rates in their property taxes.  Because of this, you may see high property tax rates when searching for homes for sale in the Valparaiso, Indiana area but that is not within the city limits.

What To Know When Buying A Home In Center Township, Valparaiso, IN

• Homeowners may have access to some city services but not all that are available to residents in the city limits.
• High-speed cable internet is likely available, but make sure to check first.
• Students attend Valparaiso Community Schools which is large and robust (6,200+ students)
• Higher property taxes due to Valparaiso Community Schools school referendum

Houses For Sale In Valparaiso IN – Washington Township

If you are searching for homes for sale in Washington Township Valparaiso Indiana you will be looking directly east of Valparaiso.  Quadwalls.com is really familiar with Washington Township.  Our founder attended Washington Township schools from kindergarten through twelfth grade.  Go, Senators!

All of the homes in Washington Township have a Valparaiso address.  There are some small areas of Washington Township covered by Valparaiso city limits offering some city services.  But, Washington Township is still largely a rural area.  Most homes in Washington Township use a private well for water and a septic system for waste disposal.

Students living in Washington Township will not attend Valparaiso Community Schools.  Instead, these students will attend Washington Township Elementary School and Washington Township Middle/High School.  

Washington Township Elementary School most recently received a grade ‘B’ from the Indiana Dept. of Education.  The school has been deemed as meeting expectations by the U.S. Dept. of Education.  Washington Township Middle/High School has received an ‘A’ grade from the state, and the school is described as meeting expectations at the federal level.

What To Know When Buying A In Washington Township, Valparaiso, IN

• Lower property taxes
• Few areas in Valparaiso city limits so unlikely to have city services
• Most homes have private wells and septic
• High-speed internet is available in many areas but not all.  Coverage is about 70% of homes
• Small school with about 900 students total in grades kindergarten through twelfth

Houses For Sale In Valparaiso IN – Morgan Township

Morgan Township is located to the south and southeast of Center Township.  Homes located in the northern half of Morgan Township have Valparaiso addresses.  Morgan Township is similar to Washington Township, but it is even more rural.

Valparaiso city limits do not cross into Morgan Township at all at this time.  Because of this people buying a home in Morgan Township should not expect to have any city services.  Homes are on private wells for water, and waste is stored using private septic systems at each home  Morgan Township children attend Morgan Township Elementary School and Morgan Township Middle/High School.

Morgan Township Elementary School has recently received an ‘A’ grade from the Indiana Dept. of Education and is described by the U.S. Dept. of Education as exceeding expectations.  The middle/high school also received an ‘A’ grade from the state and is described by the federal education department as meeting expectations.

What To Know When Buying A Home In Morgan Township, Valparaiso, IN

• Small schools with about 800 students in kindergarten through twelfth grade
• No city services are available
• All homes are on private wells and septic systems
• High-speed internet may not be available, availability is spotty
• Very low property taxes for the area

Houses For Sale In Valparaiso IN – Porter Township

Some homes in Porter Township have a Valparaiso address.  Porter Township is located south and southwest of Center Twp.  This township is relatively rural.  Valparaiso city limits do not extend into Porter Township, so there are no city services available to Porter Township homes with a Valparaiso address.

Students living in Porter Township attend Porter Township Schools. Kindergarten through third graders attends Porter Lakes Elementary School.  Porter Lakes Elementary received a grade ‘C’ from the Indiana Dept. of Education.  Fourth and fifth graders attend Boone Grove Elementary School.  This school also received a grade ‘C’ grade from the state.

Students in grades six through eight attend Boone Grove Middle School which has a ‘B’ grade from the Indiana Dept. of Education.  High school students living in Porter Township attend Boone Grove High School.  Boone Grove High School has a grade ‘A’ from the Indiana Dept. of Education and is categorized as meeting expectations by the U.S. Dept. of Education.

What To Know When Buying A Home In Porter Township, Valparaiso, IN

• Small school district with 1,533 students in grades kindergarten through twelfth
• City services are not present in Porter Township
• Nearly all homes are on private wells and septic systems
• Most Porter Twp. homes with Valparaiso addresses should have high-speed internet
• Lower property taxes

Houses For Sale In Valparaiso IN – Portage Township

On the west side of Valparaiso is Portage Township.  Homes in Portage Township may have a Valparaiso or Portage address.  Many of the Portage Twp. homes for sale with Valparaiso addresses are in a hamlet called South Haven.

The difference to know about these homes is they are not in Valparaiso city limits.  Due to this, these homes will not receive Valparaiso city services like water, sewer, trash removal, and Valparaiso police protection.  

However, parts of Portage Township have developed their own mini-municipal services.  This is most common with homes located in South Haven.  These homes have access to municipal water and sewer systems.

Kids living in Portage Township attend Portage Township Schools.  Portage Township Schools as a corporation most recently received a ‘B’ grade from the Indiana Dept. of Education.

What To Know When Buying A Home In Portage Township, Valparaiso, IN

• Some city services are available, especially if located in the South Haven area
• Many homes do have access to city sewers and municipal water
• High-speed cable internet is available in most areas.  Coverage is likely over 90% of homes.
• Students attend large school district with 7,300+ students
• Lower property taxes

Houses For Sale In Valparaiso IN – Union Township

Union Township is located directly west of Center Township.  Despite nearly all homes in this township having a Valparaiso address, Valparaiso city limits do not extend into Union Township.  Because of this Valparaiso city services are not available in Union Township.  Some areas do have access to municipal water and sewer though.  This is most common in Shorewood Forest.

Students living in Union Township attend school in the Union Township School Corporation.  There are two elementary schools.  John Simotavich Elementary School which has a ‘B’ grade and is described by the U.S. Dept. of Education as meeting expectations is one.  The other is Union Township Elementary School which has an ‘A’ grade from the state and is described as meeting expectations by the federal education department.

Union Township Middle School has an ‘A’ grade from the Indiana Dept. of Education and the U.S. Dept of Education which it has described as meeting expectations.  High school students attend Wheeler Middle School.  The high school has the same state and federal rankings as the middle school.

What To Know When Buying A Home In Union Township, Valparaiso, IN

• City services are not present
• Several subdivisions including Shorewood Forest have developed their own utilities for water and sewer
• Some homes have municipal water and some do not
• High-speed cable internet is spotty.  Likely only 60% to 70% of homes have availability
• Students attend a small school district with 1,400+ students in kindergarten through twelfth grade
• Lower property taxes

Houses For Sale In Valparaiso IN – Liberty Township

Liberty Township is the township directly north of Center Township.  Homes in about the southern half of Liberty Township have a Valparaiso address.  Valparaiso city limits do not extend into Liberty Township.  Because of this city services are not as likely.  However, there are some homes connected to public water and sewer systems, and more than one would expect for this relatively rural-suburban township.

Liberty Township is in the Duneland School Corporation.  Children in grades K-4 attend Liberty Elementary School which has an ‘A’ grade from the Indiana Dept. of Education.  Students in grades 5 and 6 attend Liberty Intermediate School which also has an ‘A’ grade.

Seventh and eighth graders attend Chesterton Middle School which has a grade ‘C’ from the Indiana Dept. of Education and is described as approaching expectations by the U.S. Dept. of Education.  High School students attend Chesterton High School which has an ‘A’ grade and is described by the U.S. Dept. of Education as meeting expectations.

What To Know When Buying A Home In Liberty Township, Valparaiso, IN

• Property tax rates in the middle for the Valparaiso area
• High-speed cable internet is likely available
• Not in city limits, but municipal water and sewer might be available
• Students attend large school district with 5,800+ students

Houses For Sale In Valparaiso IN – Jackson Township

Some Jackson Township homes have a Valparaiso address.  Valparaiso city limits do not extend to this area.  Because of this city services are not available.  Nearly all homes in Jackson Township are on private wells and septic systems.

Students attend the Duneland School Corporation.  Students in grades kindergarten through fourth grade attend Jackson Elementary School.  Fifth and sixth-grade students attend Liberty Intermediate School.  This school has an ‘A’ grade from the Indiana Dept. of Education.

Seventh and eighth-grade students attend Chesterton Middle School which has a grade ‘C’ from the Indiana Dept. of Education and is described as approaching expectations by the U.S. Dept. of Education.  High School students attend Chesterton High School which has an ‘A’ grade and is described by the U.S. Dept. of Education as meeting expectations.

Jackson Township is incredibly sought after when looking for homes for sale in the Valparaiso, Indiana area.  This area is rural.  However, it offers students the ability to attend a robust school system with many opportunities.

What To Know When Buying A Home In Jackson Township, Valparaiso, IN

• Students attend large school district with 5,800+ students
• Not in city limits so no city services
• Expect home to be on a private well and have a septic system
• High-speed internet may not be available.  Coverage is likely only 60% to 70%.  Check before buying a home.

Conclusion

Valparaiso is one of the best places to call home.  Valparaiso addresses spread far and wide across a large area of Porter County.  Schools, city services, property taxes, and the availability of high-speed internet varies so much across the Valparaiso area.  You should be searching for and pursuing the home to meet your needs.

Are you looking for a home in Valparaiso?  We can help in several ways.  You do know Quadwalls.com was actually founded in Valparaiso, IN, right?  Who better to help you find Valparaiso homes for sale than us!

We wrote an article about the Top 10 Neighborhoods With Valparaiso Homes For Sale.  Take a look at that to learn more about some Valparaiso neighborhoods.

You can ask us questions you have about Valparaiso real estate.  You can fill out any of our contact us forms and we will be happy to help you.  Also, you can search for homes for sale in Valparaiso, IN right here on our site.