Lake County, Indiana
Named for Lake Michigan and organized in 1837
County Seat: Crown Point
Largest City: Hammond (2019 population: 75,522)
Population per Square Mile: 972.93
Square Miles: 499.00
Go to county's in.gov site
| Population over Time | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Yesterday (2010) | 496,108 | 2 | 7.7% | 6,484,051 |
| Today (2019) | 485,493 | 2 | 7.2% | 6,731,010 |
| Tomorrow (2030 projection)* | 516,195 | 2 | 7.2% | 7,143,795 |
| Percent Change 2010 to Today | -2.1% | 61 | | 3.8% |
*Projection based on 2010 Census counts.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; Indiana Business Research Center
| Components of Population Change, 2018-2019 | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Net Domestic Migration | 413 | 11 | | 3,997 |
| Net International Migration | 260 | 10 | | 14,379 |
| Natural Increase (births minus deaths) | 409 | 11 | 2.2% | 18,536 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
| Population Estimates by Age, 2019 | Number | Rank in State | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| Preschool (0 to 4) | 28,522 | 2 | 5.9% | 6.2% |
| School Age (5 to 17) | 84,106 | 2 | 17.3% | 17.1% |
| College Age (18 to 24) | 42,127 | 3 | 8.7% | 9.8% |
| Young Adult (25 to 44) | 121,711 | 2 | 25.1% | 25.5% |
| Older Adult (45 to 64) | 126,832 | 2 | 26.1% | 25.2% |
| Seniors (65 and older) | 82,195 | 2 | 16.9% | 16.1% |
| Median Age | 39.4 | | | Median Age = 37.9 |
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; Indiana Business Research Center
| Population Estimates by Race and Hispanic Origin, 2019 | Number | Rank of | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| American Indian or Alaska Native Alone | 2,690 | 2 | 0.6% | 0.4% |
| Asian Alone | 8,333 | 6 | 1.7% | 2.6% |
| Black Alone | 118,555 | 2 | 24.4% | 9.9% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pac. Isl. Alone | 289 | 4 | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| White | 345,938 | 2 | 71.3% | 84.8% |
| Two or More Race Groups | 9,688 | 3 | 2.0% | 2.2% |
| Non-Hispanic | 390,239 | 2 | 80.4% | 92.7% |
| Hispanic | 95,254 | 2 | 19.6% | 7.3% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
| Household Types | Number | Rank in State | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| Households in 2019 (Includes detail not shown below) | 186,731 | 2 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Married With Children | 31,060 | 3 | 16.6% | 18.5% |
| Married Without Children | 51,008 | 2 | 27.3% | 29.7% |
| Single Parents | 21,168 | 2 | 11.3% | 9.3% |
| Living Alone | 55,416 | 2 | 29.7% | 29.0% |
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 2019 (estimate) | 214,685 | 2 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Total Housing Units in 2019 (includes vacant units) | 212,899 | 2 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
Owner Occupied
(Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 130,138 | 2 | 61.1% | 61.5% |
| Median Value (2019) | $149,500 | 23 | | |
Renter Occupied
(Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 56,593 | 2 | 26.6% | 27.5% |
| Median Rent (2019) | $723 | 9 | | |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
| Education | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| School Enrollment (2019/2020 Total Reported) | 84,018 | 2 | 7.6% | 1,111,333 |
| Public | 79,521 | 2 | 7.6% | 1,050,614 |
| Adults (25+ in 2019 ACS) | 327,862 | 2 | 7.4% | 4,430,493 |
| with High School diploma or higher | 88.7% | 44 | | 88.8% |
| with B.A. or higher degree | 22.6% | 23 | | 26.5% |
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 2019 | $46,736 | 23 | 96.0% | 48,678 |
| Median Household Income in 2019 | 57,280 | 40 | 99.4% | $57,617 |
| Poverty Rate in 2019 | 14.5% | 11 | 121.8% | 11.9% |
| Poverty Rate among Children under 18 | 20.3% | 12 | 134.4% | 15.1% |
| Welfare (TANF) Monthly Average Families in 2020 | 747 | 2 | 11.2% | 6,657 |
| Food Stamp Recipients in 2020 | 71,675 | 2 | 10.9% | 659,095 |
| Free and Reduced Fee Lunch Recipients in 2019/2020 | 42,489 | 2 | 8.4% | 507,739 |
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, 2019 | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Total Resident Labor Force | 232,451 | 2 | 6.9% | 3,382,491 |
| Employed | 221,096 | 2 | 6.8% | 3,273,070 |
| Unemployed | 11,355 | 2 | 10.4% | 109,421 |
| Annual Unemployment Rate | 4.9 | 2 | 153.1% | 3.2 |
| February 2021 Unemployment Rate | 7.4 | 2 | 157.4% | 4.7 |
Source: STATS Indiana, using data from the Indiana Department of Workforce Development
| Employment and Earnings by Industry, 2019 | Employment | Pct Dist.
in County | Earnings ($000) | Pct Dist.
In County | Avg. Earnings Per Job |
|---|
| Total by place of work | 249,849 | 100.0% | $14,155,472 | 100.0% | $56,656 |
| Wage and Salary | 203,060 | 81.3% | $10,237,806 | 72.3% | $50,418 |
| Farm Proprietors | 324 | 0.1% | $3,478 | 0.0% | $10,735 |
| Nonfarm Proprietors | 46,465 | 18.6% | $1,482,325 | 10.5% | $31,902 |
| Farm | 439 | 0.2% | $7,167 | 0.1% | $16,326 |
| Nonfarm | 249,410 | 99.8% | $14,148,305 | 99.9% | $56,727 |
| Private | 223,301 | 89.4% | $12,634,102 | 89.3% | $56,579 |
| Accommodation, Food Serv. | 20,929 | 8.4% | $825,737 | 5.8% | $39,454 |
| Arts, Ent., Recreation | 7,553 | 3.0% | $246,057 | 1.7% | $32,577 |
| Construction | 15,102 | 6.0% | $1,205,076 | 8.5% | $79,796 |
| Health Care, Social Serv. | 37,401 | 15.0% | $2,327,427 | 16.4% | $62,229 |
| Information | 1,709 | 0.7% | $95,382 | 0.7% | $55,812 |
| Manufacturing | 24,097 | 9.6% | $2,677,041 | 18.9% | $111,094 |
| Professional, Tech. Serv. | 10,252 | 4.1% | $545,415 | 3.9% | $53,201 |
| Retail Trade | 27,773 | 11.1% | $884,195 | 6.2% | $31,836 |
| Trans., Warehousing | 13,333 | 5.3% | $822,935 | 5.8% | $61,722 |
| Wholesale Trade | Data not available due to BEA non-disclosure requirements. |
| Other Private (not above) | 56,505* | 22.6%* | $2,109,256* | 14.9%* | $37,329* |
| Government | 26,109 | 10.4% | $1,514,203 | 10.7% | $57,995 |
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, 2019 | Units | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State | Cost ($000) | State Cost ($000) |
|---|
| Total Permits Filed | 1,287 | 100.0% | 100.0% | $323,131 | $4,988,366 |
| Single-Family | 1,207 | 93.8% | 73.1% | $312,213 | $4,298,385 |
| 2-Family | 42 | 3.3% | 1.6% | 4,778 | $48,202 |
| 3- and 4-Family | 6 | 0.5% | 0.7% | $1,260 | $26,551 |
| 5+ Family | 32 | 2.5% | 24.6% | $4,880 | $615,228 |
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 2019 | Percent of County |
|---|
| Cedar Lake | 13,183 | 2.7% |
| Crown Point | 30,488 | 6.3% |
| Dyer | 15,976 | 3.3% |
| East Chicago | 27,817 | 5.7% |
| Gary | 74,879 | 15.4% |
| Griffith | 16,060 | 3.3% |
| Hammond | 75,522 | 15.6% |
| Highland | 22,316 | 4.6% |
| Hobart | 27,939 | 5.8% |
| Lake Station | 11,845 | 2.4% |
| Lowell | 9,933 | 2.0% |
| Merrillville | 34,792 | 7.2% |
| Munster | 22,476 | 4.6% |
| New Chicago | 1,940 | 0.4% |
| St. John | 18,796 | 3.9% |
| Schererville | 28,527 | 5.9% |
| Schneider | 260 | 0.1% |
| Whiting | 4,765 | 1.0% |
| Winfield | 5,987 | 1.2% |
Hoosiers by the Numbers