Porter County, Indiana
Named in 1836 for War of 1812 Commodore David Porter
County Seat: Valparaiso
Largest City: Portage (2016 population: 36,505)
Population per Square Mile: 401.22
Square Miles: 418.20
Go to county's in.gov site
| Population over Time | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Yesterday (2010) | 164,347 | 9 | 2.5% | 6,484,136 |
| Today (2016) | 167,791 | 9 | 2.5% | 6,633,053 |
| Tomorrow (2020 projection)* | 179,751 | 10 | 2.6% | 6,852,121 |
| Percent Change 2010 to Today | 2.1% | 21 | | 2.3% |
*Projection based on 2010 Census counts.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; Indiana Business Research Center
| Components of Population Change, 2015-2016 | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Net Domestic Migration | -145 | 51 | | -12,135 |
| Net International Migration | 149 | 14 | | 11,052 |
| Natural Increase (births minus deaths) | 188 | 19 | 0.8% | 22,358 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
| Population Estimates by Age, 2016 | Number | Rank in State | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| Preschool (0 to 4) | 9,295 | 11 | 5.5% | 6.4% |
| School Age (5 to 17) | 28,433 | 9 | 16.9% | 17.4% |
| College Age (18 to 24) | 15,286 | 12 | 9.1% | 10.0% |
| Young Adult (25 to 44) | 42,169 | 10 | 25.1% | 25.2% |
| Older Adult (45 to 64) | 46,663 | 8 | 27.8% | 26.1% |
| Seniors (65 and older) | 25,945 | 8 | 15.5% | 14.9% |
| Median Age | 39.7 | | | Median Age = 37.6 |
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; Indiana Business Research Center
| Population Estimates by Race and Hispanic Origin, 2016 | Number | Rank of | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| American Indian or Alaska Native Alone | 585 | 8 | 0.3% | 0.4% |
| Asian Alone | 2,449 | 12 | 1.5% | 2.2% |
| Black Alone | 6,527 | 15 | 3.9% | 9.7% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pac. Isl. Alone | 61 | 19 | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| White | 155,507 | 9 | 92.7% | 85.6% |
| Two or More Race Groups | 2,662 | 12 | 1.6% | 2.0% |
| Non-Hispanic | 151,292 | 10 | 90.2% | 93.2% |
| Hispanic | 16,499 | 6 | 9.8% | 6.8% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
| Household Types | Number | Rank in State | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| Households in 2015 (Includes detail not shown below) | 62,103 | 9 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Married With Children | 14,131 | 8 | 22.8% | 19.2% |
| Married Without Children | 19,941 | 8 | 32.1% | 30.0% |
| Single Parents | 5,583 | 9 | 9.0% | 9.8% |
| Living Alone | 14,654 | 11 | 23.6% | 28.0% |
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 2016 (estimate) | 67,871 | 9 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Total Housing Units in 2015 (includes vacant units) | 65,941 | 9 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
Owner Occupied
(Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 47,809 | 7 | 72.5% | 61.9% |
| Median Value (2015) | $165,500 | 3 | | |
Renter Occupied
(Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 14,294 | 14 | 21.7% | 27.8% |
| Median Rent (2015) | $727 | 3 | | |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
| Education | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| School Enrollment (2016/2017 Total Reported) | 28,339 | 8 | 2.6% | 1,110,866 |
| Public | 27,455 | 8 | 2.6% | 1,048,879 |
| Adults (25+ in 2015 ACS) | 112,289 | 8 | 2.6% | 4,316,273 |
| with High School diploma or higher | 91.9% | 9 | | 87.8% |
| with B.A. or higher degree | 26.4% | 13 | | 24.1% |
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 2015 | $46,501 | 7 | 110.9% | 41,940 |
| Median Household Income in 2015 | 66,070 | 7 | 130.8% | $50,510 |
| Poverty Rate in 2015 | 11.6% | 57 | 80.6% | 14.4% |
| Poverty Rate among Children under 18 | 14.8% | 72 | 72.5% | 20.4% |
| Welfare (TANF) Monthly Average Families in 2016 | 84 | 20 | 1.1% | 7,519 |
| Food Stamp Recipients in 2016 | 12,070 | 12 | 1.7% | 722,928 |
| Free and Reduced Fee Lunch Recipients in 2016/2017 | 9,577 | 9 | 1.9% | 495,330 |
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, 2015 | 1,714 | 11 | 2.0% | 84,008 |
| Births to Teens, 2015 | 66 | 20 | 1.1% | 5,876 |
| Deaths, 2015 | 1,483 | 9 | 2.4% | 62,666 |
Source: Indiana State Department of Health
| Labor Force, 2016 | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Total Resident Labor Force | 85,964 | 9 | 2.6% | 3,326,893 |
| Employed | 81,547 | 10 | 2.6% | 3,179,806 |
| Unemployed | 4,417 | 6 | 3.0% | 147,087 |
| Annual Unemployment Rate | 5.1 | 18 | 115.9% | 4.4 |
| August 2017 Unemployment Rate | 4.5 | 17 | 112.5% | 4.0 |
Source: STATS Indiana, using data from the Indiana Department of Workforce Development
| Employment and Earnings by Industry, 2015 | Employment | Pct Dist.
in County | Earnings ($000) | Pct Dist.
In County | Avg. Earnings Per Job |
|---|
| Total by place of work | 79,687 | 100.0% | $3,779,722 | 100.0% | $47,432 |
| Wage and Salary | 63,813 | 80.1% | $2,749,441 | 72.7% | $43,086 |
| Farm Proprietors | 407 | 0.5% | $-5,637 | -0.1% | $-13,850 |
| Nonfarm Proprietors | 15,467 | 19.4% | $406,204 | 10.7% | $26,263 |
| Farm | 485 | 0.6% | $-2,754 | -0.1% | $-5,678 |
| Nonfarm | 79,202 | 99.4% | $3,782,476 | 100.1% | $47,757 |
| Private | 71,782 | 90.1% | $3,411,868 | 90.3% | $47,531 |
| Accommodation, Food Serv. | 6,641 | 8.3% | $129,851 | 3.4% | $19,553 |
| Arts, Ent., Recreation | 1,210 | 1.5% | $12,717 | 0.3% | $10,510 |
| Construction | 4,897 | 6.1% | $332,414 | 8.8% | $67,881 |
| Health Care, Social Serv. | 9,362 | 11.7% | $516,194 | 13.7% | $55,137 |
| Information | 808 | 1.0% | $38,724 | 1.0% | $47,926 |
| Manufacturing | 10,203 | 12.8% | $851,262 | 22.5% | $83,433 |
| Professional, Tech. Serv. | 3,750 | 4.7% | $187,654 | 5.0% | $50,041 |
| Retail Trade | 9,193 | 11.5% | $250,599 | 6.6% | $27,260 |
| Trans., Warehousing | Data not available due to BEA non-disclosure requirements. |
| Wholesale Trade | 2,784 | 3.5% | $191,070 | 5.1% | $68,631 |
| Other Private (not above) | 19,743* | 24.8%* | $651,443* | 17.2%* | $32,996* |
| Government | 7,420 | 9.3% | $370,608 | 9.8% | $49,947 |
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, 2016 | Units | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State | Cost ($000) | State Cost ($000) |
|---|
| Total Permits Filed | 612 | 100.0% | 100.0% | $139,756 | $3,875,847 |
| Single-Family | 412 | 67.3% | 75.2% | $114,565 | $3,417,822 |
| 2-Family | 16 | 2.6% | 3.1% | 1,607 | $64,063 |
| 3- and 4-Family | 0 | 0.0% | 0.9% | $0 | $21,320 |
| 5+ Family | 184 | 30.1% | 20.9% | $23,584 | $372,642 |
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 2016 | Percent of County |
|---|
| Beverly Shores | 609 | 0.4% |
| Burns Harbor | 1,643 | 1.0% |
| Chesterton | 13,441 | 8.0% |
| Dune Acres | 185 | 0.1% |
| Hebron | 3,694 | 2.2% |
| Kouts | 1,962 | 1.2% |
| Ogden Dunes | 1,106 | 0.7% |
| Portage | 36,505 | 21.8% |
| Porter | 4,846 | 2.9% |
| Town of Pines | 700 | 0.4% |
| Valparaiso | 33,104 | 19.7% |
Hoosiers by the Numbers