Porter County, Indiana
Named in 1836 for War of 1812 Commodore David Porter
County Seat: Valparaiso
Largest City: Portage (2019 population: 36,988)
Population per Square Mile: 407.43
Square Miles: 418.20
Go to county's in.gov site
| Population over Time | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Yesterday (2010) | 164,289 | 9 | 2.5% | 6,484,192 |
| Today (2019) | 170,389 | 9 | 2.5% | 6,732,219 |
| Tomorrow (2030 projection)* | 191,835 | 9 | 2.7% | 7,143,795 |
| Percent Change 2010 to Today | 3.7% | 19 | | 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 | 828 | 6 | | 3,997 |
| Net International Migration | 103 | 17 | | 14,379 |
| Natural Increase (births minus deaths) | -17 | 76 | -0.1% | 18,536 |
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) | 9,232 | 11 | 5.4% | 6.3% |
| School Age (5 to 17) | 28,192 | 10 | 16.6% | 17.2% |
| College Age (18 to 24) | 15,280 | 12 | 9.0% | 9.8% |
| Young Adult (25 to 44) | 43,017 | 10 | 25.4% | 25.4% |
| Older Adult (45 to 64) | 46,070 | 8 | 27.2% | 25.6% |
| Seniors (65 and older) | 27,803 | 8 | 16.4% | 15.8% |
| Median Age | 39.9 | | | 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 | 625 | 8 | 0.4% | 0.4% |
| Asian Alone | 2,493 | 11 | 1.5% | 2.5% |
| Black Alone | 7,188 | 15 | 4.2% | 9.8% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pac. Isl. Alone | 61 | 20 | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| White | 156,421 | 8 | 92.2% | 85.1% |
| Two or More Race Groups | 2,806 | 13 | 1.7% | 2.1% |
| Non-Hispanic | 152,188 | 10 | 89.7% | 92.9% |
| Hispanic | 17,406 | 6 | 10.3% | 7.1% |
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) | 63,969 | 9 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Married With Children | 13,711 | 8 | 21.4% | 18.6% |
| Married Without Children | 20,640 | 8 | 32.3% | 29.9% |
| Single Parents | 5,573 | 10 | 8.7% | 9.5% |
| Living Alone | 15,887 | 10 | 24.8% | 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) | 69,853 | 9 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Total Housing Units in 2018 (includes vacant units) | 68,228 | 9 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
Owner Occupied
(Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 48,269 | 8 | 70.7% | 61.3% |
| Median Value (2018) | $178,100 | 6 | | |
Renter Occupied
(Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 15,700 | 13 | 23.0% | 27.6% |
| Median Rent (2018) | $766 | 4 | | |
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) | 28,107 | 9 | 2.5% | 1,111,333 |
| Public | 27,298 | 9 | 2.6% | 1,050,614 |
| Adults (25+ in 2018 ACS) | 114,687 | 8 | 2.6% | 4,399,815 |
| with High School diploma or higher | 93.1% | 6 | | 88.6% |
| with B.A. or higher degree | 28.2% | 13 | | 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 | $53,130 | 6 | 112.7% | 47,149 |
| Median Household Income in 2018 | 69,298 | 7 | 124.4% | $55,725 |
| Poverty Rate in 2018 | 8.9% | 78 | 68.5% | 13.0% |
| Poverty Rate among Children under 18 | 11.3% | 82 | 64.6% | 17.5% |
| Welfare (TANF) Monthly Average Families in 2019 | 61 | 19 | 1.2% | 5,235 |
| Food Stamp Recipients in 2019 | 8,843 | 14 | 1.5% | 581,821 |
| Free and Reduced Fee Lunch Recipients in 2019/2020 | 9,719 | 11 | 1.9% | 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 | 1,652 | 11 | 2.0% | 82,170 |
| Births to Teens, 2017 | 63 | 16 | 1.2% | 5,152 |
| Deaths, 2017 | 1,581 | 8 | 2.4% | 65,602 |
Source: Indiana State Department of Health
| Labor Force, 2019 | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Total Resident Labor Force | 87,566 | 10 | 2.6% | 3,387,366 |
| Employed | 84,303 | 10 | 2.6% | 3,275,056 |
| Unemployed | 3,263 | 7 | 2.9% | 112,310 |
| Annual Unemployment Rate | 3.7 | 17 | 112.1% | 3.3 |
| April 2020 Unemployment Rate | 18.2 | 38 | 106.4% | 17.1 |
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 | 84,033 | 100.0% | $4,301,411 | 100.0% | $51,187 |
| Wage and Salary | 66,071 | 78.6% | $3,082,896 | 71.7% | $46,660 |
| Farm Proprietors | 394 | 0.5% | $-5,944 | -0.1% | $-15,086 |
| Nonfarm Proprietors | 17,568 | 20.9% | $524,623 | 12.2% | $29,862 |
| Farm | 504 | 0.6% | $-2,273 | -0.1% | $-4,510 |
| Nonfarm | 83,529 | 99.4% | $4,303,684 | 100.1% | $51,523 |
| Private | 75,935 | 90.4% | $3,903,057 | 90.7% | $51,400 |
| Accommodation, Food Serv. | 6,632 | 7.9% | $142,025 | 3.3% | $21,415 |
| Arts, Ent., Recreation | 1,269 | 1.5% | $15,486 | 0.4% | $12,203 |
| Construction | 6,030 | 7.2% | $453,425 | 10.5% | $75,195 |
| Health Care, Social Serv. | 9,936 | 11.8% | $571,643 | 13.3% | $57,533 |
| Information | 825 | 1.0% | $44,258 | 1.0% | $53,646 |
| Manufacturing | 10,309 | 12.3% | $949,122 | 22.1% | $92,067 |
| Professional, Tech. Serv. | 3,935 | 4.7% | $213,004 | 5.0% | $54,131 |
| Retail Trade | 9,655 | 11.5% | $291,312 | 6.8% | $30,172 |
| Trans., Warehousing | Data not available due to BEA non-disclosure requirements. |
| Wholesale Trade | 2,594 | 3.1% | $206,019 | 4.8% | $79,421 |
| Other Private (not above) | 21,001* | 25.0%* | $718,723* | 16.7%* | $34,223* |
| Government | 7,594 | 9.0% | $400,627 | 9.3% | $52,756 |
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 | 549 | 100.0% | 100.0% | $141,635 | $4,988,366 |
| Single-Family | 495 | 90.2% | 73.1% | $134,172 | $4,298,385 |
| 2-Family | 18 | 3.3% | 1.6% | 3,243 | $48,202 |
| 3- and 4-Family | 0 | 0.0% | 0.7% | $0 | $26,551 |
| 5+ Family | 36 | 6.6% | 24.6% | $4,220 | $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 Porter County
| Name | Population
in 2019 | Percent of County |
|---|
| Beverly Shores | 599 | 0.4% |
| Burns Harbor | 1,828 | 1.1% |
| Chesterton | 14,088 | 8.3% |
| Dune Acres | 182 | 0.1% |
| Hebron | 3,670 | 2.2% |
| Kouts | 1,958 | 1.1% |
| Ogden Dunes | 1,088 | 0.6% |
| Portage | 36,988 | 21.7% |
| Porter | 4,834 | 2.8% |
| Town of Pines | 691 | 0.4% |
| Valparaiso | 33,897 | 19.9% |
Hoosiers by the Numbers