Porter County, Indiana
Named in 1836 for War of 1812 Commodore David Porter
County Seat: Valparaiso
Largest City: Portage (2021 population: 38,192)
Population per Square Mile: 416.65
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 (2021) | 174,243 | 10 | 2.6% | 6,805,985 |
| Tomorrow (2030 projection)* | 191,835 | 9 | 2.7% | 7,143,795 |
| Percent Change 2010 to Today | 6.1% | 15 | | 5.0% |
*Projection based on 2010 Census counts.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; Indiana Business Research Center
| Components of Population Change, 2020-2021 | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Net Domestic Migration | 1,337 | 7 | | 14,280 |
| Net International Migration | 21 | 26 | | 4,756 |
| Natural Increase (births minus deaths) | -380 | 89 | -54.9% | 692 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
| Population Estimates by Age, 2021 | Number | Rank in State | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| Preschool (0 to 4) | 8,785 | 11 | 5.0% | 6.0% |
| School Age (5 to 17) | 28,862 | 9 | 16.6% | 17.3% |
| College Age (18 to 24) | 15,530 | 12 | 8.9% | 9.7% |
| Young Adult (25 to 44) | 44,561 | 11 | 25.6% | 25.7% |
| Older Adult (45 to 64) | 46,064 | 7 | 26.4% | 24.9% |
| Seniors (65 and older) | 30,441 | 8 | 17.5% | 16.4% |
| Median Age | 40.5 | | | Median Age = 38.1 |
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; Indiana Business Research Center
| Population Estimates by Race and Hispanic Origin, 2021 | Number | Rank of | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| American Indian or Alaska Native Alone | 661 | 8 | 0.4% | 0.4% |
| Asian Alone | 2,623 | 13 | 1.5% | 2.7% |
| Black Alone | 8,425 | 13 | 4.8% | 10.2% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pac. Isl. Alone | 69 | 19 | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| White | 159,209 | 7 | 91.4% | 84.2% |
| Two or More Race Groups | 3,256 | 13 | 1.9% | 2.3% |
| Non-Hispanic | 155,040 | 11 | 89.0% | 92.3% |
| Hispanic | 19,203 | 6 | 11.0% | 7.7% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
| Household Types | Number | Rank in State | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| Households in 2020 (Includes detail not shown below) | 65,153 | 9 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Married With Children | 13,732 | 9 | 21.1% | 18.3% |
| Married Without Children | 20,597 | 8 | 31.6% | 29.8% |
| Single Parents | 5,535 | 11 | 8.5% | 9.3% |
| Living Alone | 17,044 | 10 | 26.2% | 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 2021 (estimate) | 72,138 | 9 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Total Housing Units in 2020 (includes vacant units) | 69,271 | 9 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
Owner Occupied
(Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 48,788 | 8 | 70.4% | 62.3% |
| Median Value (2020) | $193,500 | 6 | | |
Renter Occupied
(Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 16,365 | 11 | 23.6% | 27.4% |
| Median Rent (2020) | $815 | 6 | | |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
| Education | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| School Enrollment (2021/2022 Total Reported) | 28,060 | 9 | 2.5% | 1,120,155 |
| Public | 26,626 | 9 | 2.6% | 1,036,519 |
| Adults (25+ in 2020 ACS) | 116,954 | 8 | 2.6% | 4,466,180 |
| with High School diploma or higher | 93.5% | 5 | | 89.3% |
| with B.A. or higher degree | 28.6% | 15 | | 27.2% |
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 2021 | $61,250 | 6 | 108.4% | 56,497 |
| Median Household Income in 2020 | 78,732 | 5 | 129.5% | $60,794 |
| Poverty Rate in 2020 | 8.6% | 73 | 74.1% | 11.6% |
| Poverty Rate among Children under 18 | 9.9% | 80 | 66.4% | 14.9% |
| 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 2021/2022 | 9,450 | 10 | 2.0% | 481,568 |
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, 2021 | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Total Resident Labor Force | 83,182 | 11 | 2.5% | 3,321,548 |
| Employed | 79,974 | 11 | 2.5% | 3,203,166 |
| Unemployed | 3,208 | 7 | 2.7% | 118,382 |
| Annual Unemployment Rate | 3.9 | 13 | 108.3% | 3.6 |
| October 2022 Unemployment Rate | 3.0 | 20 | 107.1% | 2.8 |
Source: STATS Indiana, using data from the Indiana Department of Workforce Development
| Employment and Earnings by Industry, 2021 | Employment | Pct Dist.
in County | Earnings ($000) | Pct Dist.
In County | Avg. Earnings Per Job |
|---|
| Total by place of work | 82,464 | 100.0% | $4,719,403 | 100.0% | $57,230 |
| Wage and Salary | 63,717 | 77.3% | $3,404,088 | 72.1% | $53,425 |
| Farm Proprietors | 387 | 0.5% | $21,274 | 0.5% | $54,972 |
| Nonfarm Proprietors | 18,360 | 22.3% | $536,902 | 11.4% | $29,243 |
| Farm | 468 | 0.6% | $23,859 | 0.5% | $50,981 |
| Nonfarm | 81,996 | 99.4% | $4,695,544 | 99.5% | $57,266 |
| Private | 74,786 | 90.7% | $4,259,210 | 90.2% | $56,952 |
| Accommodation, Food Serv. | 6,874 | 8.3% | $179,233 | 3.8% | $26,074 |
| Arts, Ent., Recreation | 1,140 | 1.4% | $15,777 | 0.3% | $13,839 |
| Construction | 5,788 | 7.0% | $499,734 | 10.6% | $86,340 |
| Health Care, Social Serv. | 9,858 | 12.0% | $641,963 | 13.6% | $65,121 |
| Information | 925 | 1.1% | $60,762 | 1.3% | $65,689 |
| Manufacturing | 9,543 | 11.6% | $936,880 | 19.9% | $98,175 |
| Professional, Tech. Serv. | 4,118 | 5.0% | $258,218 | 5.5% | $62,705 |
| Retail Trade | 9,176 | 11.1% | $324,416 | 6.9% | $35,355 |
| Trans., Warehousing | Data not available due to BEA non-disclosure requirements. |
| Wholesale Trade | 2,455 | 3.0% | $205,177 | 4.3% | $83,575 |
| Other Private (not above) | 20,681* | 25.1%* | $836,619* | 17.7%* | $40,454* |
| Government | 7,210 | 8.7% | $436,334 | 9.2% | $60,518 |
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, 2021 | Units | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State | Cost ($000) | State Cost ($000) |
|---|
| Total Permits Filed | 653 | 100.0% | 100.0% | $206,126 | $7,583,249 |
| Single-Family | 635 | 97.2% | 74.4% | $201,761 | $6,692,956 |
| 2-Family | 18 | 2.8% | 2.4% | 4,366 | $117,031 |
| 3- and 4-Family | 0 | 0.0% | 0.4% | $0 | $30,324 |
| 5+ Family | 0 | 0.0% | 22.7% | $0 | $742,937 |
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 2021 | Percent of County |
|---|
| Beverly Shores | 601 | 0.3% |
| Burns Harbor | 2,125 | 1.2% |
| Chesterton | 14,375 | 8.2% |
| Dune Acres | 235 | 0.1% |
| Hebron | 3,750 | 2.2% |
| Kouts | 2,045 | 1.2% |
| Ogden Dunes | 1,169 | 0.7% |
| Portage | 38,192 | 21.9% |
| Porter | 5,234 | 3.0% |
| Town of Pines | 595 | 0.3% |
| Valparaiso | 34,428 | 19.8% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau annual population estimates
Hoosiers by the Numbers