The Town Files

Lake County, Indiana

500,379 people. The median home is worth $230,600 (typical Indiana town: $150,400) and the median household earns $71,493.

Towns in Lake County

Towns in Lake County

TownPeopleMedian homeIncomeMedian age
Hammond77,879$159,900$55,50436.0
Gary69,093$94,700$38,73136.5
Merrillville36,444$211,400$67,58742.4
Crown Point33,899$294,800$101,68639.8
Hobart29,752$215,200$75,16039.5
Schererville29,646$314,900$89,46644.9
East Chicago26,370$105,400$42,12536.5
Highland23,984$233,300$78,06244.6
Munster23,894$334,300$110,18745.0
St. John20,303$406,300$131,46742.3
Griffith16,528$210,100$76,63637.5
Dyer16,517$322,200$107,15947.1
Cedar Lake14,106$282,000$83,38140.2
Lake Station13,235$137,400$59,59133.5
Lowell10,680$248,000$84,02439.2
Winfield7,181$409,500$135,87037.6
Lakes of the Four Seasons7,091$337,300$121,75041.6
Whiting4,559$198,900$71,70833.5

People and housing

Lake CountyTypical Indiana town
Median home value$230,600$150,400
Median rent$1,131$888
Median household income$71,493$61,953
Median age39.738.9
Bachelor's degree or higher25.8%17.4%
Below the poverty line14.3%11.6%

Jobs and pay

191,633 jobs in 2024, average pay $61,200 a year.

Largest industries in Lake CountyHealth care & social assistan…33,182 jobs · $62,062Retail22,724 jobs · $36,314Manufacturing22,497 jobs · $107,985Hotels & restaurants20,825 jobs · $24,050Construction11,594 jobs · $86,002Transportation & warehousing9,299 jobs · $62,463
BLS QCEW 2024.
Unemployment rate in Lake County0%2%4%6%8%10%12%2000200420082012201620202023 5%
BLS LAUS via USDA ERS, annual averages.

Storms since 1996

NOAA recorded 799 storm events in Lake County from 1996 to 2026, with 11 deaths.

Storm events in Lake County by type since 1996Hail121Flood57Tornado35High Wind38Lightning13Heavy Rain11Heavy Snow17Flash Flood41Winter Storm31Winter Weather23
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.

Federal disaster declarations

Lake County has been included in 24 FEMA declarations since 1953.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
August 25, 2026FloodDR-4933: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding
August 15, 2026FloodEM-3651: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding
January 24, 2026Winter StormEM-3641: Severe Winter Storm
April 15, 2023Severe StormDR-4704: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes
April 3, 2020BiologicalDR-4515: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3456: Covid-19
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024; BLS QCEW and LAUS; NOAA Storm Events; FEMA OpenFEMA (not endorsed by FEMA).