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% | 6,484,192 |
| Today (2019) | 485,493 | 2 | 7.2% | 6,732,219 |
| 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 2018 (Includes detail not shown below) | 185,437 | 2 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Married With Children | 30,811 | 3 | 16.6% | 18.6% |
| Married Without Children | 50,843 | 2 | 27.4% | 29.9% |
| Single Parents | 21,390 | 2 | 11.5% | 9.5% |
| Living Alone | 54,223 | 2 | 29.2% | 28.5% |
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 2018 (includes vacant units) | 212,140 | 2 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
Owner Occupied
(Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 129,102 | 2 | 60.9% | 61.3% |
| Median Value (2018) | $143,500 | 22 | | |
Renter Occupied
(Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 56,335 | 2 | 26.6% | 27.6% |
| Median Rent (2018) | $703 | 8 | | |
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 2018 ACS) | 327,083 | 2 | 7.4% | 4,399,815 |
| with High School diploma or higher | 88.1% | 55 | | 88.6% |
| with B.A. or higher degree | 22.1% | 22 | | 25.9% |
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 2018 | $45,172 | 25 | 95.8% | 47,149 |
| Median Household Income in 2018 | 55,280 | 43 | 99.2% | $55,725 |
| Poverty Rate in 2018 | 15.7% | 12 | 120.8% | 13.0% |
| Poverty Rate among Children under 18 | 24.6% | 7 | 140.6% | 17.5% |
| Welfare (TANF) Monthly Average Families in 2019 | 571 | 2 | 10.9% | 5,235 |
| Food Stamp Recipients in 2019 | 62,841 | 2 | 10.8% | 581,821 |
| 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% | 3,387,366 |
| Employed | 221,096 | 2 | 6.8% | 3,275,056 |
| Unemployed | 11,355 | 2 | 10.1% | 112,310 |
| Annual Unemployment Rate | 4.9 | 2 | 148.5% | 3.3 |
| September 2020 Unemployment Rate | 8.7 | 1 | 150.0% | 5.8 |
Source: STATS Indiana, using data from the Indiana Department of Workforce Development
| Employment and Earnings by Industry, 2018 | Employment | Pct Dist.
in County | Earnings ($000) | Pct Dist.
In County | Avg. Earnings Per Job |
|---|
| Total by place of work | 247,816 | 100.0% | $13,594,621 | 100.0% | $54,858 |
| Wage and Salary | 202,319 | 81.6% | $10,017,335 | 73.7% | $49,513 |
| Farm Proprietors | 337 | 0.1% | $-12,127 | -0.1% | $-35,985 |
| Nonfarm Proprietors | 45,160 | 18.2% | $1,257,265 | 9.2% | $27,840 |
| Farm | 468 | 0.2% | $-7,583 | -0.1% | $-16,203 |
| Nonfarm | 247,348 | 99.8% | $13,602,204 | 100.1% | $54,992 |
| Private | 220,383 | 88.9% | $12,166,892 | 89.5% | $55,208 |
| Accommodation, Food Serv. | 20,678 | 8.3% | $653,621 | 4.8% | $31,609 |
| Arts, Ent., Recreation | 7,428 | 3.0% | $247,653 | 1.8% | $33,340 |
| Construction | 15,195 | 6.1% | $1,180,142 | 8.7% | $77,666 |
| Health Care, Social Serv. | 37,279 | 15.0% | $2,240,970 | 16.5% | $60,113 |
| Information | 1,765 | 0.7% | $94,364 | 0.7% | $53,464 |
| Manufacturing | 24,018 | 9.7% | $2,704,738 | 19.9% | $112,613 |
| Professional, Tech. Serv. | 9,958 | 4.0% | $522,025 | 3.8% | $52,423 |
| Retail Trade | 28,191 | 11.4% | $838,987 | 6.2% | $29,761 |
| Trans., Warehousing | 12,622 | 5.1% | $721,846 | 5.3% | $57,190 |
| Wholesale Trade | Data not available due to BEA non-disclosure requirements. |
| Other Private (not above) | 54,778* | 22.1%* | $2,082,531* | 15.3%* | $38,018* |
| Government | 26,965 | 10.9% | $1,435,312 | 10.6% | $53,229 |
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