Porter County, Indiana
Named in 1836 for War of 1812 Commodore David Porter
County Seat: Valparaiso
Largest City: Portage (2024 population: 38,576)
Population per Square Mile: 420.52
Square Miles: 418.20
Go to county's in.gov site
| Population over Time | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Yesterday (2020) | 173,215 | 10 | 2.7% | 6,484,050 |
| Today (2024) | 175,860 | 10 | 2.5% | 6,934,754 |
| Tomorrow (2030 projection)* | 178,658 | 11 | 2.5% | 7,013,509 |
| Percent Change 2020 to Today | 1.5% | 17 | | 2.2% |
*Projection based on 2020 Census population estimates.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; Indiana Business Research Center
| Components of Population Change, 2023-2024 | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Net Domestic Migration | 549 | 12 | | 12,197 |
| Net International Migration | 206 | 17 | | 17,852 |
| Natural Increase (births minus deaths) | -183 | 86 | -2.1% | 8,561 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
| Population Estimates by Age, 2024 | Number | Rank in State | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| Preschool (0 to 4) | 8,543 | 11 | 4.9% | 5.9% |
| School Age (5 to 17) | 28,014 | 11 | 15.9% | 17.0% |
| College Age (18 to 24) | 15,257 | 13 | 8.7% | 9.7% |
| Young Adult (25 to 44) | 44,810 | 11 | 25.5% | 25.9% |
| Older Adult (45 to 64) | 45,081 | 8 | 25.6% | 23.9% |
| Seniors (65 and older) | 34,155 | 7 | 19.4% | 17.5% |
| Median Age | 41.5 | | | Median Age = 38.3 |
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; Indiana Business Research Center
| Population Estimates by Race and Hispanic Origin, 2024 | Number | Rank of | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| American Indian or Alaska Native Alone | 738 | 9 | 0.4% | 0.5% |
| Asian Alone | 2,796 | 12 | 1.6% | 3.1% |
| Black Alone | 9,295 | 13 | 5.3% | 10.6% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pac. Isl. Alone | 80 | 18 | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| White | 159,465 | 7 | 90.7% | 83.2% |
| Two or More Race Groups | 3,486 | 13 | 2.0% | 2.5% |
| Non-Hispanic | 154,273 | 11 | 87.7% | 90.9% |
| Hispanic | 21,587 | 7 | 12.3% | 9.1% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
| Household Types | Number | Rank in State | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| Households in 2024 (Includes detail not shown below) | 68,639 | 9 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Married With Children | 13,751 | 9 | 20.0% | 17.9% |
| Married Without Children | 23,104 | 7 | 33.7% | 29.3% |
| Single Parents | 5,333 | 10 | 7.8% | 8.8% |
| Living Alone | 18,658 | 10 | 27.2% | 29.6% |
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 2024 (estimate) | 73,707 | 9 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Total Housing Units in 2024 (includes vacant units) | 72,662 | 9 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
Owner Occupied
(Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 53,352 | 6 | 73.4% | 64.4% |
| Median Value (2024) | $281,500 | 6 | | |
Renter Occupied
(Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 15,287 | 14 | 21.0% | 26.9% |
| Median Rent (2024) | $1,050 | 5 | | |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
| Education | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| School Enrollment (2024/2025 Total Reported) | 27,166 | 10 | 2.4% | 1,132,621 |
| Public | 25,365 | 9 | 2.5% | 1,033,552 |
| Adults (25+ in 2024 ACS) | 122,392 | 9 | 2.7% | 4,596,004 |
| with High School diploma or higher | 94% | 7 | | 90.4% |
| with B.A. or higher degree | 31.1% | 14 | | 29.5% |
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 2023 | $66,906 | 6 | 109.2% | 61,243 |
| Median Household Income in 2024 | 88,795 | 7 | 123.4% | $71,958 |
| Poverty Rate in 2024 | 8.5% | 79 | 70.2% | 12.1% |
| Poverty Rate among Children under 18 | 9.8% | 82 | 62.0% | 15.8% |
| Welfare (TANF) Monthly Average Families in 2025 | 40 | 23 | 0.8% | 4,863 |
| Food Stamp Recipients in 2025 | 8,692 | 15 | 1.5% | 578,293 |
| Free and Reduced Fee Lunch Recipients in 2024/2025 | 8,639 | 13 | 1.8% | 488,145 |
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, 2021 | 1,670 | 11 | 2.1% | 79,946 |
| Births to Teens, 2021 | 48 | 21 | 1.2% | 3,845 |
| Deaths, 2019 | 1,572 | 8 | 2.4% | 66,005 |
Source: Indiana State Department of Health
| Labor Force, 2024 | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Total Resident Labor Force | 87,969 | 11 | 2.5% | 3,455,992 |
| Employed | 84,034 | 11 | 2.5% | 3,310,992 |
| Unemployed | 3,935 | 7 | 2.7% | 145,000 |
| Annual Unemployment Rate | 4.5 | 18 | 107.1% | 4.2 |
| December 2025 Unemployment Rate | 2.9 | 19 | 107.4% | 2.7 |
Source: STATS Indiana, using data from the Indiana Department of Workforce Development
| Employment and Earnings by Industry, 2023 | Employment | Pct Dist.
in County | Earnings ($000) | Pct Dist.
In County | Avg. Earnings Per Job |
|---|
| Total by place of work | 87,895 | 100.0% | $5,482,800 | 100.0% | $62,379 |
| Wage and Salary | 66,968 | 76.2% | $3,971,148 | 72.4% | $59,299 |
| Farm Proprietors | 382 | 0.4% | $18,761 | 0.3% | $49,113 |
| Nonfarm Proprietors | 20,545 | 23.4% | $635,787 | 11.6% | $30,946 |
| Farm | 455 | 0.5% | $23,108 | 0.4% | $50,787 |
| Nonfarm | 87,440 | 99.5% | $5,459,692 | 99.6% | $62,439 |
| Private | 80,160 | 91.2% | $4,986,077 | 90.9% | $62,202 |
| Accommodation, Food Serv. | 7,381 | 8.4% | $204,724 | 3.7% | $27,737 |
| Arts, Ent., Recreation | 1,157 | 1.3% | $20,967 | 0.4% | $18,122 |
| Construction | 6,388 | 7.3% | $588,987 | 10.7% | $92,202 |
| Health Care, Social Serv. | 9,870 | 11.2% | $721,308 | 13.2% | $73,081 |
| Information | 1,129 | 1.3% | $67,867 | 1.2% | $60,112 |
| Manufacturing | 9,816 | 11.2% | $1,041,475 | 19.0% | $106,100 |
| Professional, Tech. Serv. | 4,522 | 5.1% | $386,345 | 7.0% | $85,437 |
| Retail Trade | 9,312 | 10.6% | $343,548 | 6.3% | $36,893 |
| Trans., Warehousing | 4,895 | 5.6% | $324,284 | 5.9% | $66,248 |
| Wholesale Trade | Data not available due to BEA non-disclosure requirements. |
| Other Private (not above) | 22,392* | 25.5%* | $1,021,465* | 18.6%* | $45,617* |
| Government | 7,280 | 8.3% | $473,615 | 8.6% | $65,057 |
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, 2024 | Units | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State | Cost ($000) | State Cost ($000) |
|---|
| Total Permits Filed | 556 | 100.0% | 100.0% | $204,137 | $8,133,071 |
| Single-Family | 556 | 100.0% | 75.4% | $204,137 | $6,951,719 |
| 2-Family | 0 | 0.0% | 1.9% | 0 | $100,498 |
| 3- and 4-Family | 0 | 0.0% | 0.8% | $0 | $45,624 |
| 5+ Family | 0 | 0.0% | 21.9% | $0 | $1,035,231 |
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 2024 | Percent of County |
|---|
| Beverly Shores | 602 | 0.3% |
| Burns Harbor | 2,147 | 1.2% |
| Chesterton | 14,655 | 8.3% |
| Dune Acres | 231 | 0.1% |
| Hebron | 3,746 | 2.1% |
| Kouts | 2,058 | 1.2% |
| Ogden Dunes | 1,172 | 0.7% |
| Portage | 38,576 | 21.9% |
| Porter | 5,190 | 3.0% |
| Town of Pines | 592 | 0.3% |
| Valparaiso | 35,065 | 19.9% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau annual population estimates
Hoosiers by the Numbers