Porter County, Indiana
Named in 1836 for War of 1812 Commodore David Porter
County Seat: Valparaiso
Largest City: Portage (2020 population: 37,137)
Population per Square Mile: 408.85
Square Miles: 418.20
Go to county's in.gov site
| Population over Time | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Yesterday (2010) | 164,288 | 9 | 2.5% | 6,484,050 |
| Today (2020) | 170,980 | 10 | 2.5% | 6,785,644 |
| Tomorrow (2030 projection)* | 191,835 | 9 | 2.7% | 7,143,795 |
| Percent Change 2010 to Today | 4.1% | 19 | | 4.7% |
*Projection based on 2010 Census counts.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; Indiana Business Research Center
| Components of Population Change, 2019-2020 | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Net Domestic Migration | 488 | 10 | | 14,280 |
| Net International Migration | 31 | 30 | | 4,756 |
| Natural Increase (births minus deaths) | -142 | 89 | -20.5% | 692 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
| Population Estimates by Age, 2020 | Number | Rank in State | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| Preschool (0 to 4) | 8,993 | 11 | 5.3% | 6.1% |
| School Age (5 to 17) | 27,934 | 11 | 16.3% | 17.0% |
| College Age (18 to 24) | 15,317 | 12 | 9.0% | 9.7% |
| Young Adult (25 to 44) | 43,526 | 11 | 25.5% | 25.7% |
| Older Adult (45 to 64) | 45,306 | 7 | 26.5% | 24.9% |
| Seniors (65 and older) | 29,904 | 8 | 17.5% | 16.5% |
| Median Age | 40.4 | | | Median Age = 38.0 |
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; Indiana Business Research Center
| Population Estimates by Race and Hispanic Origin, 2020 | Number | Rank of | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| American Indian or Alaska Native Alone | 663 | 8 | 0.4% | 0.4% |
| Asian Alone | 2,526 | 13 | 1.5% | 2.7% |
| Black Alone | 7,764 | 15 | 4.5% | 10.1% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pac. Isl. Alone | 66 | 19 | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| White | 156,855 | 8 | 91.7% | 84.5% |
| Two or More Race Groups | 3,106 | 13 | 1.8% | 2.2% |
| Non-Hispanic | 152,742 | 11 | 89.3% | 92.6% |
| Hispanic | 18,238 | 6 | 10.7% | 7.4% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
| Household Types | Number | Rank in State | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| Households in 2019 (Includes detail not shown below) | 64,517 | 9 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Married With Children | 13,385 | 9 | 20.7% | 18.5% |
| Married Without Children | 20,686 | 8 | 32.1% | 29.7% |
| Single Parents | 5,661 | 8 | 8.8% | 9.3% |
| Living Alone | 16,353 | 10 | 25.3% | 29.0% |
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 2020 (estimate) | 70,359 | 9 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Total Housing Units in 2019 (includes vacant units) | 68,720 | 9 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
Owner Occupied
(Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 48,434 | 8 | 70.5% | 61.5% |
| Median Value (2019) | $185,400 | 6 | | |
Renter Occupied
(Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 16,083 | 11 | 23.4% | 27.5% |
| Median Rent (2019) | $790 | 4 | | |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
| Education | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| School Enrollment (2020/2021 Total Reported) | 27,771 | 9 | 2.5% | 1,112,460 |
| Public | 26,609 | 9 | 2.6% | 1,033,286 |
| Adults (25+ in 2019 ACS) | 115,646 | 8 | 2.6% | 4,430,493 |
| with High School diploma or higher | 93.6% | 4 | | 88.8% |
| with B.A. or higher degree | 28.4% | 15 | | 26.5% |
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 2020 | $57,654 | 7 | 111.0% | 51,926 |
| Median Household Income in 2019 | 74,064 | 7 | 128.5% | $57,617 |
| Poverty Rate in 2019 | 8.1% | 80 | 68.1% | 11.9% |
| Poverty Rate among Children under 18 | 8.5% | 85 | 56.3% | 15.1% |
| Welfare (TANF) Monthly Average Families in 2021 | 91 | 16 | 1.4% | 6,453 |
| Food Stamp Recipients in 2021 | 9,680 | 15 | 1.5% | 636,675 |
| 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, 2019 | 1,642 | 11 | 2.0% | 80,859 |
| Births to Teens, 2017 | 63 | 16 | 1.2% | 5,152 |
| Deaths, 2019 | 1,572 | 8 | 2.4% | 66,005 |
Source: Indiana State Department of Health
| Labor Force, 2020 | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Total Resident Labor Force | 83,987 | 10 | 2.5% | 3,319,010 |
| Employed | 77,220 | 11 | 2.5% | 3,082,982 |
| Unemployed | 6,767 | 7 | 2.9% | 236,028 |
| Annual Unemployment Rate | 8.1 | 10 | 114.1% | 7.1 |
| November 2021 Unemployment Rate | 2.3 | 1 | 176.9% | 1.3 |
Source: STATS Indiana, using data from the Indiana Department of Workforce Development
| Employment and Earnings by Industry, 2020 | Employment | Pct Dist.
in County | Earnings ($000) | Pct Dist.
In County | Avg. Earnings Per Job |
|---|
| Total by place of work | 79,043 | 100.0% | $4,342,077 | 100.0% | $54,933 |
| Wage and Salary | 62,293 | 78.8% | $3,061,231 | 70.5% | $49,142 |
| Farm Proprietors | 389 | 0.5% | $21,854 | 0.5% | $56,180 |
| Nonfarm Proprietors | 16,361 | 20.7% | $535,989 | 12.3% | $32,760 |
| Farm | 476 | 0.6% | $24,633 | 0.6% | $51,750 |
| Nonfarm | 78,567 | 99.4% | $4,317,444 | 99.4% | $54,952 |
| Private | 71,246 | 90.1% | $3,891,204 | 89.6% | $54,616 |
| Accommodation, Food Serv. | 6,279 | 7.9% | $139,561 | 3.2% | $22,227 |
| Arts, Ent., Recreation | 1,062 | 1.3% | $12,763 | 0.3% | $12,018 |
| Construction | 5,323 | 6.7% | $430,313 | 9.9% | $80,840 |
| Health Care, Social Serv. | 9,852 | 12.5% | $603,160 | 13.9% | $61,222 |
| Information | 795 | 1.0% | $54,373 | 1.3% | $68,394 |
| Manufacturing | 9,300 | 11.8% | $838,170 | 19.3% | $90,126 |
| Professional, Tech. Serv. | 4,002 | 5.1% | $238,132 | 5.5% | $59,503 |
| Retail Trade | 8,982 | 11.4% | $301,330 | 6.9% | $33,548 |
| Trans., Warehousing | Data not available due to BEA non-disclosure requirements. |
| Wholesale Trade | 2,422 | 3.1% | $198,895 | 4.6% | $82,120 |
| Other Private (not above) | 19,537* | 24.7%* | $758,469* | 17.5%* | $38,822* |
| Government | 7,321 | 9.3% | $426,240 | 9.8% | $58,222 |
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, 2020 | Units | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State | Cost ($000) | State Cost ($000) |
|---|
| Total Permits Filed | 580 | 100.0% | 100.0% | $163,111 | $5,872,297 |
| Single-Family | 544 | 93.8% | 76.2% | $157,343 | $5,209,930 |
| 2-Family | 24 | 4.1% | 2.5% | 3,291 | $83,895 |
| 3- and 4-Family | 0 | 0.0% | 0.8% | $0 | $25,965 |
| 5+ Family | 12 | 2.1% | 20.6% | $2,477 | $552,508 |
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 2020 | Percent of County |
|---|
| Beverly Shores | 595 | 0.3% |
| Burns Harbor | 1,922 | 1.1% |
| Chesterton | 14,232 | 8.3% |
| Dune Acres | 182 | 0.1% |
| Hebron | 3,669 | 2.1% |
| Kouts | 1,963 | 1.1% |
| Ogden Dunes | 1,083 | 0.6% |
| Portage | 37,137 | 21.7% |
| Porter | 4,840 | 2.8% |
| Town of Pines | 688 | 0.4% |
| Valparaiso | 33,944 | 19.9% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau annual population estimates
Hoosiers by the Numbers