Lake County, Indiana
Named for Lake Michigan and organized in 1837
County Seat: Crown Point
Largest City: Hammond (2017 population: 76,618)
Population per Square Mile: 973.23
Square Miles: 499.00
Go to county's in.gov site
| Population over Time | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Yesterday (2010) | 496,050 | 2 | 7.7% | 6,484,125 |
| Today (2017) | 485,640 | 2 | 7.3% | 6,660,082 |
| Tomorrow (2020 projection)* | 507,724 | 2 | 7.4% | 6,852,121 |
| Percent Change 2010 to Today | -2.1% | 62 | | 2.7% |
*Projection based on 2010 Census counts.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; Indiana Business Research Center
| Components of Population Change, 2016-2017 | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Net Domestic Migration | -2,155 | 91 | | -1,639 |
| Net International Migration | 301 | 8 | | 9,067 |
| Natural Increase (births minus deaths) | 902 | 7 | 4.6% | 19,482 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
| Population Estimates by Age, 2017 | Number | Rank in State | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| Preschool (0 to 4) | 29,631 | 2 | 6.1% | 6.3% |
| School Age (5 to 17) | 85,451 | 2 | 17.6% | 17.3% |
| College Age (18 to 24) | 42,530 | 3 | 8.8% | 9.9% |
| Young Adult (25 to 44) | 120,275 | 2 | 24.8% | 25.3% |
| Older Adult (45 to 64) | 129,587 | 2 | 26.7% | 25.9% |
| Seniors (65 and older) | 78,166 | 2 | 16.1% | 15.4% |
| Median Age | 39.1 | | | Median Age = 37.7 |
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; Indiana Business Research Center
| Population Estimates by Race and Hispanic Origin, 2017 | Number | Rank of | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| American Indian or Alaska Native Alone | 2,571 | 2 | 0.5% | 0.4% |
| Asian Alone | 7,972 | 6 | 1.6% | 2.4% |
| Black Alone | 119,389 | 2 | 24.6% | 9.7% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pac. Isl. Alone | 290 | 4 | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| White | 346,208 | 2 | 71.3% | 85.4% |
| Two or More Race Groups | 9,210 | 3 | 1.9% | 2.1% |
| Non-Hispanic | 392,816 | 2 | 80.9% | 93.0% |
| Hispanic | 92,824 | 2 | 19.1% | 7.0% |
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 2017 (estimate) | 212,728 | 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 (2017/2018 Total Reported) | 85,190 | 2 | 7.6% | 1,116,556 |
| Public | 80,479 | 2 | 7.6% | 1,053,373 |
| 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 2017/2018 | 44,742 | 2 | 8.6% | 522,888 |
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, 2016 | 5,649 | 2 | 6.8% | 83,063 |
| Births to Teens, 2016 | 388 | 2 | 7.3% | 5,294 |
| Deaths, 2016 | 4,835 | 2 | 7.6% | 63,492 |
Source: Indiana State Department of Health
| Labor Force, 2017 | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Total Resident Labor Force | 229,520 | 2 | 6.9% | 3,336,655 |
| Employed | 217,832 | 2 | 6.8% | 3,218,115 |
| Unemployed | 11,688 | 2 | 9.9% | 118,540 |
| Annual Unemployment Rate | 5.1 | 2 | 141.7% | 3.6 |
| January 2019 Unemployment Rate | 5.8 | 3 | 141.5% | 4.1 |
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, 2017 | Units | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State | Cost ($000) | State Cost ($000) |
|---|
| Total Permits Filed | 1,399 | 100.0% | 100.0% | $320,402 | $4,583,500 |
| Single-Family | 1,324 | 94.6% | 74.2% | $309,613 | $4,038,599 |
| 2-Family | 36 | 2.6% | 2.0% | 4,183 | $62,844 |
| 3- and 4-Family | 15 | 1.1% | 0.4% | $3,064 | $13,000 |
| 5+ Family | 24 | 1.7% | 23.4% | $3,541 | $469,056 |
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 2017 | Percent of County |
|---|
| Cedar Lake | 12,470 | 2.6% |
| Crown Point | 29,625 | 6.1% |
| Dyer | 15,941 | 3.3% |
| East Chicago | 28,215 | 5.8% |
| Gary | 76,008 | 15.7% |
| Griffith | 16,152 | 3.3% |
| Hammond | 76,618 | 15.8% |
| Highland | 22,585 | 4.7% |
| Hobart | 28,255 | 5.8% |
| Lake Station | 11,965 | 2.5% |
| Lowell | 9,661 | 2.0% |
| Merrillville | 34,871 | 7.2% |
| Munster | 22,717 | 4.7% |
| New Chicago | 1,959 | 0.4% |
| St. John | 17,259 | 3.6% |
| Schererville | 28,633 | 5.9% |
| Schneider | 263 | 0.1% |
| Whiting | 4,825 | 1.0% |
| Winfield | 5,684 | 1.2% |
Hoosiers by the Numbers