The Town FilesCedar Lake, Indiana
Town in Lake County · population 14,106 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $282,000
- Household income
- $83,381
- Jan low / Jul high
- 15° / 84°
- Snow a year
- 27 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 48
- Median age
- 40.2
Cedar Lake is a town of 14,106 people in Lake County, Indiana. The median home is worth $282,000, above the typical Indiana town ($150,400). It ranks better for first-time buyers than 90% of Indiana towns, more of a college town than 88% of Indiana towns, better transit than 83% of Indiana towns.
How Cedar Lake ranks
Percentile among Indiana towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Indiana towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Cedar Lake is worth $282,000, above the typical Indiana town ($150,400). Homes cost about 3.4 times the median household income of $83,381, which is more affordable than 10% of Indiana towns. Median rent is $1,350 a month. 85.2% of households own their home.
| Housing | Cedar Lake | Typical Indiana town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $282,000 | $150,400 |
| Median rent | $1,350 | $888 |
| Median household income | $83,381 | $61,953 |
| Home value ÷ income | 3.4× | 2.5× |
| Homeownership | 85.2% | 73.4% |
| Median year built | 1997 | 1966 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 2.5% | — |
Who lives in Cedar Lake
| People | Cedar Lake | Typical Indiana town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 40.2 | 38.9 |
| Age 65 and over | 15.7% | 17.1% |
| Under 18 | 23.7% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 27.4% | 17.4% |
| Below the poverty line | 3.5% | 11.6% |
| Veterans | 5.7% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 2.5% | — |
| Work from home | 7.0% | 6.2% |
| Average commute | 31.7 min | 24.7 min |
| Homes with broadband | 91.7% | 89.2% |
Weather in Cedar Lake
July highs average 83.5°F and January lows 15.0°F. About 39.9 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 26.6 inches of snow (typical Indiana town: 21.1 in). Expect about 16 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 136 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
48 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Cedar Lake since 1950, compared with 23 for the typical Indiana town. 9 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on June 20, 1974 about 6.1 miles from the town center. The most recent was on June 11, 2026.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 47 times; the largest was 2.50 inches on June 28, 2012.
Severe weather in Lake County since 1996
Lake County has been included in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| August 25, 2026 | Flood | DR-4933: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| August 15, 2026 | Flood | EM-3651: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| January 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | EM-3641: Severe Winter Storm |
| April 15, 2023 | Severe Storm | DR-4704: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes |
| April 3, 2020 | Biological | DR-4515: Covid-19 Pandemic |
Jobs and pay in Lake County
Lake County had 191,633 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $61,200 a year. Unemployment was 5% in 2023; in Cedar Lake itself the ACS puts it at 5.5%.
Public schools in Cedar Lake
6 public schools with 3,270 students, about 16.8 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hanover Central High School | 9-12 | 817 | 16.7 |
| Hanover Central Middle School | 6-8 | 668 | 15.9 |
| Red Cedars Elementary | 3-5 | 642 | 17.8 |
| Douglas MacArthur Elem School | PK-5 | 473 | 17.5 |
| Jane Ball Elementary School | PK-2 | 348 | 17.4 |
| Lincoln Elementary School | K-2 | 322 | 15.3 |
Towns near Cedar Lake
- St. John, IN5.0 mi · 20,303 people · home $406,300
- Crown Point, IN5.5 mi · 33,899 people · home $294,800
- Lowell, IN5.8 mi · 10,680 people · home $248,000
- Schererville, IN7.8 mi · 29,646 people · home $314,900
- Beecher, IL9.2 mi · 4,713 people · home $269,500
- Dyer, IN9.3 mi · 16,517 people · home $322,200
- Merrillville, IN9.4 mi · 36,444 people · home $211,400
- Winfield, IN9.7 mi · 7,181 people · home $409,500
Cedar Lake questions
Is Cedar Lake, Indiana a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Cedar Lake scores better for retirees than 49% of Indiana towns and quieter than 33%. 15.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 40.2).
How much does a house cost in Cedar Lake?
The median owner-occupied home in Cedar Lake is valued at $282,000 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $83,381, so homes cost about 3.4 times income. Median rent is $1,350 a month.
What is the weather like in Cedar Lake?
July highs average 83.5°F and January lows 15.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 39.9 inches of precipitation a year and 26.6 inches of snow.
Does Cedar Lake get tornadoes?
48 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Cedar Lake since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on June 20, 1974. The typical Indiana town has had 23.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)