Lake County, Indiana
Named for Lake Michigan and organized in 1837
County Seat: Crown Point
Largest City: Hammond (2018 population: 75,795)
Population per Square Mile: 970.76
Square Miles: 499.00
Go to county's in.gov site
| Population over Time | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Yesterday (2010) | 496,095 | 2 | 7.7% | 6,484,192 |
| Today (2018) | 484,411 | 2 | 7.2% | 6,691,878 |
| Tomorrow (2020 projection)* | 507,724 | 2 | 7.4% | 6,852,121 |
| Percent Change 2010 to Today | -2.4% | 62 | | 3.2% |
*Projection based on 2010 Census counts.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; Indiana Business Research Center
| Components of Population Change, 2017-2018 | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Net Domestic Migration | -878 | 89 | | 3,555 |
| Net International Migration | 133 | 11 | | 9,227 |
| Natural Increase (births minus deaths) | 407 | 11 | 2.1% | 19,211 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
| Population Estimates by Age, 2018 | Number | Rank in State | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| Preschool (0 to 4) | 28,751 | 2 | 5.9% | 6.3% |
| School Age (5 to 17) | 84,443 | 2 | 17.4% | 17.2% |
| College Age (18 to 24) | 41,955 | 3 | 8.7% | 9.8% |
| Young Adult (25 to 44) | 120,791 | 2 | 24.9% | 25.4% |
| Older Adult (45 to 64) | 128,367 | 2 | 26.5% | 25.6% |
| Seniors (65 and older) | 80,104 | 2 | 16.5% | 15.8% |
| Median Age | 39.3 | | | Median Age = 37.9 |
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; Indiana Business Research Center
| Population Estimates by Race and Hispanic Origin, 2018 | Number | Rank of | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| American Indian or Alaska Native Alone | 2,671 | 2 | 0.6% | 0.4% |
| Asian Alone | 8,203 | 6 | 1.7% | 2.5% |
| Black Alone | 118,686 | 2 | 24.5% | 9.8% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pac. Isl. Alone | 289 | 4 | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| White | 345,146 | 2 | 71.3% | 85.1% |
| Two or More Race Groups | 9,416 | 3 | 1.9% | 2.1% |
| Non-Hispanic | 390,507 | 2 | 80.6% | 92.9% |
| Hispanic | 93,904 | 2 | 19.4% | 7.1% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
| Household Types | Number | Rank in State | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| Households in 2017 (Includes detail not shown below) | 185,524 | 2 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Married With Children | 31,120 | 3 | 16.8% | 18.8% |
| Married Without Children | 51,224 | 2 | 27.6% | 30.0% |
| Single Parents | 21,439 | 2 | 11.6% | 9.6% |
| Living Alone | 53,324 | 2 | 28.7% | 28.3% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
| Housing | Number | Rank in State | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| Total Housing Units in 2018 (estimate) | 213,779 | 2 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Total Housing Units in 2017 (includes vacant units) | 211,379 | 2 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
Owner Occupied
(Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 128,486 | 2 | 60.8% | 61.2% |
| Median Value (2017) | $140,100 | 20 | | |
Renter Occupied
(Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 57,038 | 2 | 27.0% | 27.7% |
| Median Rent (2017) | $687 | 8 | | |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
| Education | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| School Enrollment (2018/2019 Total Reported) | 84,760 | 2 | 7.6% | 1,117,590 |
| Public | 80,110 | 2 | 7.6% | 1,054,903 |
| Adults (25+ in 2017 ACS) | 326,499 | 2 | 7.5% | 4,369,451 |
| with High School diploma or higher | 88.1% | 48 | | 88.3% |
| with B.A. or higher degree | 21.4% | 21 | | 25.3% |
Sources: Indiana Department of Education; U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
| Income and Poverty | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Per Capita Personal Income (annual) in 2017 | $43,099 | 24 | 95.5% | 45,150 |
| Median Household Income in 2017 | 54,929 | 34 | 101.5% | $54,134 |
| Poverty Rate in 2017 | 15.9% | 16 | 119.5% | 13.3% |
| Poverty Rate among Children under 18 | 23.7% | 10 | 133.1% | 17.8% |
| Welfare (TANF) Monthly Average Families in 2018 | 655 | 2 | 10.9% | 6,032 |
| Food Stamp Recipients in 2018 | 65,836 | 2 | 10.9% | 605,854 |
| Free and Reduced Fee Lunch Recipients in 2018/2019 | 45,161 | 2 | 8.8% | 514,915 |
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis; U.S. Census Bureau; Indiana Family Social Services Administration; Indiana Department of Education
| Health and Vital Statistics | Number | Rank of | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Births, 2017 | 5,610 | 2 | 6.8% | 82,170 |
| Births to Teens, 2017 | 357 | 2 | 6.9% | 5,152 |
| Deaths, 2017 | 5,190 | 2 | 7.9% | 65,602 |
Source: Indiana State Department of Health
| Labor Force, 2018 | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Total Resident Labor Force | 232,368 | 2 | 6.9% | 3,381,713 |
| Employed | 220,886 | 2 | 6.8% | 3,265,580 |
| Unemployed | 11,482 | 2 | 9.9% | 116,133 |
| Annual Unemployment Rate | 4.9 | 2 | 144.1% | 3.4 |
| August 2019 Unemployment Rate | 4.4 | 3 | 137.5% | 3.2 |
Source: STATS Indiana, using data from the Indiana Department of Workforce Development
| Employment and Earnings by Industry, 2017 | Employment | Pct Dist.
in County | Earnings ($000) | Pct Dist.
In County | Avg. Earnings Per Job |
|---|
| Total by place of work | 245,206 | 100.0% | $13,243,509 | 100.0% | $54,010 |
| Wage and Salary | 201,648 | 82.2% | $9,629,083 | 72.7% | $47,752 |
| Farm Proprietors | 342 | 0.1% | $-16,350 | -0.1% | $-47,807 |
| Nonfarm Proprietors | 43,216 | 17.6% | $1,292,146 | 9.8% | $29,900 |
| Farm | 451 | 0.2% | $-12,773 | -0.1% | $-28,322 |
| Nonfarm | 244,755 | 99.8% | $13,256,282 | 100.1% | $54,161 |
| Private | 217,874 | 88.9% | $11,847,517 | 89.5% | $54,378 |
| Accommodation, Food Serv. | 19,675 | 8.0% | $611,752 | 4.6% | $31,093 |
| Arts, Ent., Recreation | 7,284 | 3.0% | $251,282 | 1.9% | $34,498 |
| Construction | 15,726 | 6.4% | $1,153,755 | 8.7% | $73,366 |
| Health Care, Social Serv. | 37,253 | 15.2% | $2,196,123 | 16.6% | $58,952 |
| Information | 1,790 | 0.7% | $100,597 | 0.8% | $56,199 |
| Manufacturing | 24,179 | 9.9% | $2,587,536 | 19.5% | $107,016 |
| Professional, Tech. Serv. | 9,790 | 4.0% | $497,552 | 3.8% | $50,822 |
| Retail Trade | 28,564 | 11.6% | $902,658 | 6.8% | $31,601 |
| Trans., Warehousing | 11,219 | 4.6% | $699,165 | 5.3% | $62,320 |
| Wholesale Trade | Data not available due to BEA non-disclosure requirements. |
| Other Private (not above) | 53,868* | 22.0%* | $2,008,252* | 15.2%* | $37,281* |
| Government | 26,881 | 11.0% | $1,408,765 | 10.6% | $52,407 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
* These totals do not include county data that are not available due to BEA non-disclosure requirements.
| Residential Building Permits, 2018 | Units | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State | Cost ($000) | State Cost ($000) |
|---|
| Total Permits Filed | 1,287 | 100.0% | 100.0% | $316,476 | $4,879,857 |
| Single-Family | 1,236 | 96.0% | 76.4% | $310,368 | $4,269,197 |
| 2-Family | 38 | 3.0% | 2.0% | 4,047 | $49,353 |
| 3- and 4-Family | 6 | 0.5% | 0.2% | $1,260 | $6,163 |
| 5+ Family | 7 | 0.5% | 21.4% | $801 | $555,144 |
Notes: Detail cost may not sum to total due to rounding. Greene County does not currently issue building permits, so it is excluded.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Largest Cities and Towns in Lake County
| Name | Population
in 2018 | Percent of County |
|---|
| Cedar Lake | 12,743 | 2.6% |
| Crown Point | 30,059 | 6.2% |
| Dyer | 15,987 | 3.3% |
| East Chicago | 27,930 | 5.8% |
| Gary | 75,282 | 15.5% |
| Griffith | 16,057 | 3.3% |
| Hammond | 75,795 | 15.6% |
| Highland | 22,382 | 4.6% |
| Hobart | 28,040 | 5.8% |
| Lake Station | 11,869 | 2.5% |
| Lowell | 9,743 | 2.0% |
| Merrillville | 34,750 | 7.2% |
| Munster | 22,539 | 4.7% |
| New Chicago | 1,937 | 0.4% |
| St. John | 18,047 | 3.7% |
| Schererville | 28,501 | 5.9% |
| Schneider | 261 | 0.1% |
| Whiting | 4,782 | 1.0% |
| Winfield | 5,849 | 1.2% |
Hoosiers by the Numbers