Porter County, Indiana
Named in 1836 for War of 1812 Commodore David Porter
County Seat: Valparaiso
Largest City: Portage (2018 population: 36,806)
Population per Square Mile: 405.53
Square Miles: 418.20
Go to county's in.gov site
| Population over Time | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Yesterday (2010) | 164,302 | 9 | 2.5% | 6,484,192 |
| Today (2018) | 169,594 | 9 | 2.5% | 6,691,878 |
| Tomorrow (2020 projection)* | 179,751 | 10 | 2.6% | 6,852,121 |
| Percent Change 2010 to Today | 3.2% | 20 | | 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 | 915 | 5 | | 3,555 |
| Net International Migration | 64 | 16 | | 9,227 |
| Natural Increase (births minus deaths) | 85 | 30 | 0.4% | 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) | 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 2017 (Includes detail not shown below) | 63,251 | 9 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Married With Children | 13,846 | 8 | 21.9% | 18.8% |
| Married Without Children | 20,436 | 8 | 32.3% | 30.0% |
| Single Parents | 5,642 | 9 | 8.9% | 9.6% |
| Living Alone | 15,273 | 10 | 24.1% | 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) | 69,388 | 9 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Total Housing Units in 2017 (includes vacant units) | 67,777 | 9 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
Owner Occupied
(Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 47,702 | 8 | 70.4% | 61.2% |
| Median Value (2017) | $173,100 | 4 | | |
Renter Occupied
(Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 15,549 | 14 | 22.9% | 27.7% |
| Median Rent (2017) | $749 | 3 | | |
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) | 28,211 | 8 | 2.5% | 1,117,590 |
| Public | 27,377 | 8 | 2.6% | 1,054,903 |
| Adults (25+ in 2017 ACS) | 113,686 | 8 | 2.6% | 4,369,451 |
| with High School diploma or higher | 92.3% | 7 | | 88.3% |
| with B.A. or higher degree | 27.5% | 13 | | 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 | $49,586 | 7 | 109.8% | 45,150 |
| Median Household Income in 2017 | 67,525 | 7 | 124.7% | $54,134 |
| Poverty Rate in 2017 | 10.4% | 64 | 78.2% | 13.3% |
| Poverty Rate among Children under 18 | 12.4% | 78 | 69.7% | 17.8% |
| Welfare (TANF) Monthly Average Families in 2018 | 66 | 19 | 1.1% | 6,032 |
| Food Stamp Recipients in 2018 | 9,443 | 13 | 1.6% | 605,854 |
| Free and Reduced Fee Lunch Recipients in 2018/2019 | 9,989 | 11 | 1.9% | 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 | 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, 2018 | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Total Resident Labor Force | 86,770 | 10 | 2.6% | 3,381,713 |
| Employed | 83,434 | 10 | 2.6% | 3,265,580 |
| Unemployed | 3,336 | 6 | 2.9% | 116,133 |
| Annual Unemployment Rate | 3.8 | 25 | 111.8% | 3.4 |
| August 2019 Unemployment Rate | 3.6 | 17 | 112.5% | 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 | 81,152 | 100.0% | $4,078,073 | 100.0% | $50,252 |
| Wage and Salary | 64,167 | 79.1% | $2,906,480 | 71.3% | $45,296 |
| Farm Proprietors | 401 | 0.5% | $-7,323 | -0.2% | $-18,262 |
| Nonfarm Proprietors | 16,584 | 20.4% | $488,960 | 12.0% | $29,484 |
| Farm | 493 | 0.6% | $-4,432 | -0.1% | $-8,990 |
| Nonfarm | 80,659 | 99.4% | $4,082,505 | 100.1% | $50,614 |
| Private | 73,168 | 90.2% | $3,694,883 | 90.6% | $50,499 |
| Accommodation, Food Serv. | 6,481 | 8.0% | $142,756 | 3.5% | $22,027 |
| Arts, Ent., Recreation | 1,261 | 1.6% | $17,973 | 0.4% | $14,253 |
| Construction | 5,209 | 6.4% | $389,157 | 9.5% | $74,709 |
| Health Care, Social Serv. | 9,682 | 11.9% | $548,574 | 13.5% | $56,659 |
| Information | 814 | 1.0% | $46,025 | 1.1% | $56,542 |
| Manufacturing | 10,196 | 12.6% | $893,004 | 21.9% | $87,584 |
| Professional, Tech. Serv. | 3,879 | 4.8% | $208,669 | 5.1% | $53,795 |
| Retail Trade | 9,211 | 11.4% | $274,101 | 6.7% | $29,758 |
| Trans., Warehousing | Data not available due to BEA non-disclosure requirements. |
| Wholesale Trade | 2,616 | 3.2% | $202,704 | 5.0% | $77,486 |
| Other Private (not above) | 20,477* | 25.2%* | $690,538* | 16.9%* | $33,723* |
| Government | 7,491 | 9.2% | $387,622 | 9.5% | $51,745 |
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 | 578 | 100.0% | 100.0% | $154,927 | $4,879,857 |
| Single-Family | 484 | 83.7% | 76.4% | $141,499 | $4,269,197 |
| 2-Family | 18 | 3.1% | 2.0% | 2,558 | $49,353 |
| 3- and 4-Family | 0 | 0.0% | 0.2% | $0 | $6,163 |
| 5+ Family | 76 | 13.1% | 21.4% | $10,870 | $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 Porter County
| Name | Population
in 2018 | Percent of County |
|---|
| Beverly Shores | 605 | 0.4% |
| Burns Harbor | 1,804 | 1.1% |
| Chesterton | 13,833 | 8.2% |
| Dune Acres | 182 | 0.1% |
| Hebron | 3,663 | 2.2% |
| Kouts | 1,959 | 1.2% |
| Ogden Dunes | 1,092 | 0.6% |
| Portage | 36,806 | 21.7% |
| Porter | 4,825 | 2.8% |
| Town of Pines | 696 | 0.4% |
| Valparaiso | 33,729 | 19.9% |
Hoosiers by the Numbers