Porter County, Indiana
Named in 1836 for War of 1812 Commodore David Porter
County Seat: Valparaiso
Largest City: Portage (2017 population: 36,672)
Population per Square Mile: 402.69
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% | 6,484,192 |
| Today (2017) | 168,404 | 9 | 2.5% | 6,666,818 |
| Tomorrow (2020 projection)* | 179,751 | 10 | 2.6% | 6,852,121 |
| Percent Change 2010 to Today | 2.5% | 20 | | 2.8% |
*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 | 769 | 7 | | -976 |
| Net International Migration | 120 | 16 | | 11,410 |
| Natural Increase (births minus deaths) | 88 | 35 | 0.4% | 22,545 |
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) | 9,097 | 11 | 5.4% | 6.3% |
| School Age (5 to 17) | 28,380 | 9 | 16.9% | 17.3% |
| College Age (18 to 24) | 15,361 | 12 | 9.1% | 9.9% |
| Young Adult (25 to 44) | 42,384 | 10 | 25.2% | 25.3% |
| Older Adult (45 to 64) | 46,371 | 8 | 27.5% | 25.9% |
| Seniors (65 and older) | 26,811 | 8 | 15.9% | 15.4% |
| Median Age | 39.8 | | | 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 | 639 | 8 | 0.4% | 0.4% |
| Asian Alone | 2,533 | 11 | 1.5% | 2.4% |
| Black Alone | 6,976 | 15 | 4.1% | 9.7% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pac. Isl. Alone | 61 | 19 | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| White | 155,467 | 9 | 92.3% | 85.4% |
| Two or More Race Groups | 2,728 | 12 | 1.6% | 2.1% |
| Non-Hispanic | 151,510 | 10 | 90.0% | 93.0% |
| Hispanic | 16,894 | 6 | 10.0% | 7.0% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
| Household Types | Number | Rank in State | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| Households in 2016 (Includes detail not shown below) | 62,429 | 9 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Married With Children | 14,071 | 8 | 22.5% | 19.0% |
| Married Without Children | 20,237 | 8 | 32.4% | 30.0% |
| Single Parents | 5,276 | 10 | 8.5% | 9.7% |
| Living Alone | 14,930 | 11 | 23.9% | 28.2% |
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) | 68,773 | 9 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Total Housing Units in 2016 (includes vacant units) | 67,065 | 9 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
Owner Occupied
(Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 47,915 | 7 | 71.4% | 61.0% |
| Median Value (2016) | $168,300 | 5 | | |
Renter Occupied
(Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 14,514 | 14 | 21.6% | 27.8% |
| Median Rent (2016) | $733 | 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 2016 ACS) | 113,063 | 8 | 2.6% | 4,339,687 |
| with High School diploma or higher | 91.7% | 8 | | 88.1% |
| with B.A. or higher degree | 26.1% | 14 | | 24.6% |
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 2016 | $46,965 | 8 | 109.0% | 43,097 |
| Median Household Income in 2016 | 67,302 | 5 | 128.7% | $52,289 |
| Poverty Rate in 2016 | 7.8% | 85 | 55.7% | 14.0% |
| Poverty Rate among Children under 18 | 9.9% | 85 | 51.8% | 19.1% |
| Welfare (TANF) Monthly Average Families in 2017 | 71 | 19 | 1.1% | 6,790 |
| Food Stamp Recipients in 2017 | 10,641 | 12 | 1.6% | 656,297 |
| 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, 2016 | 1,757 | 11 | 2.1% | 83,063 |
| Births to Teens, 2016 | 69 | 16 | 1.3% | 5,294 |
| Deaths, 2016 | 1,396 | 9 | 2.2% | 63,492 |
Source: Indiana State Department of Health
| Labor Force, 2017 | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Total Resident Labor Force | 85,418 | 10 | 2.6% | 3,320,409 |
| Employed | 81,948 | 10 | 2.6% | 3,203,351 |
| Unemployed | 3,470 | 6 | 3.0% | 117,058 |
| Annual Unemployment Rate | 4.1 | 15 | 117.1% | 3.5 |
| September 2018 Unemployment Rate | 3.4 | 1 | 94.4% | 3.6 |
Source: STATS Indiana, using data from the Indiana Department of Workforce Development
| Employment and Earnings by Industry, 2016 | Employment | Pct Dist.
in County | Earnings ($000) | Pct Dist.
In County | Avg. Earnings Per Job |
|---|
| Total by place of work | 80,451 | 100.0% | $3,911,060 | 100.0% | $48,614 |
| Wage and Salary | 64,354 | 80.0% | $2,803,592 | 71.7% | $43,565 |
| Farm Proprietors | 407 | 0.5% | $-446 | -0.0% | $-1,096 |
| Nonfarm Proprietors | 15,690 | 19.5% | $429,055 | 11.0% | $27,346 |
| Farm | 486 | 0.6% | $2,350 | 0.1% | $4,835 |
| Nonfarm | 79,965 | 99.4% | $3,908,710 | 99.9% | $48,880 |
| Private | 72,563 | 90.2% | $3,530,299 | 90.3% | $48,652 |
| Accommodation, Food Serv. | 6,600 | 8.2% | $138,172 | 3.5% | $20,935 |
| Arts, Ent., Recreation | 1,206 | 1.5% | $16,419 | 0.4% | $13,614 |
| Construction | 5,065 | 6.3% | $364,496 | 9.3% | $71,964 |
| Health Care, Social Serv. | 9,679 | 12.0% | $537,843 | 13.8% | $55,568 |
| Information | 807 | 1.0% | $40,447 | 1.0% | $50,120 |
| Manufacturing | 10,134 | 12.6% | $849,757 | 21.7% | $83,852 |
| Professional, Tech. Serv. | 3,833 | 4.8% | $191,132 | 4.9% | $49,865 |
| Retail Trade | 9,235 | 11.5% | $263,017 | 6.7% | $28,480 |
| Trans., Warehousing | Data not available due to BEA non-disclosure requirements. |
| Wholesale Trade | 2,765 | 3.4% | $195,763 | 5.0% | $70,800 |
| Other Private (not above) | 20,001* | 24.9%* | $676,871* | 17.3%* | $33,842* |
| Government | 7,402 | 9.2% | $378,411 | 9.7% | $51,123 |
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 | 710 | 100.0% | 100.0% | $161,034 | $4,583,500 |
| Single-Family | 515 | 72.5% | 74.2% | $138,601 | $4,038,599 |
| 2-Family | 12 | 1.7% | 2.0% | 1,390 | $62,844 |
| 3- and 4-Family | 4 | 0.6% | 0.4% | $517 | $13,000 |
| 5+ Family | 179 | 25.2% | 23.4% | $20,526 | $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 Porter County
| Name | Population
in 2017 | Percent of County |
|---|
| Beverly Shores | 605 | 0.4% |
| Burns Harbor | 1,727 | 1.0% |
| Chesterton | 13,503 | 8.0% |
| Dune Acres | 181 | 0.1% |
| Hebron | 3,671 | 2.2% |
| Kouts | 1,949 | 1.2% |
| Ogden Dunes | 1,094 | 0.6% |
| Portage | 36,672 | 21.8% |
| Porter | 4,818 | 2.9% |
| Town of Pines | 697 | 0.4% |
| Valparaiso | 33,376 | 19.8% |
Hoosiers by the Numbers