Lake County, IN

County

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2024 Population

500,379

US Senator

Todd Young

Republican Party

US Senator

Jim Banks

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

39.7

0.253% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

14.3%

2.19% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$71,493

3.64% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$230,600

7.41% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

228,465

0.596% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Lake County, IN reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

96.9% of the residents in Lake County, IN are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Lake County, IN are Purdue University Northwest (1,685 degrees awarded in 2023), Indiana University-Northwest (685 degrees), and Tricoci University of Beauty Culture-Highland (234 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Lake County, IN was $230,600, and the homeownership rate was 71.7%.

Most people in Lake County, IN drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 28.5 minutes. The average car ownership in Lake County, IN was 2 cars per household.

Lake County, IN borders Cook County, IL, Kankakee County, IL, Will County, IL, Jasper County, IN, Newton County, IN, and Porter County, IN.

Photo by Adam Moss

United States Indiana Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI

Population & Diversity

Lake County, IN is home to a population of 500k people, from which 96.9% are citizens. As of 2024, 7.29% of Lake County, IN residents were born outside of the country (36.5k people).

In 2024, there were 2.26 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (257k people) in Lake County, IN than any other race or ethnicity. There were 114k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 40.8k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

96.9%

2024 Citizenship

96.9%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 96.9% of Lake County, IN residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Lake County, IN was 96.9%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Lake County, IN compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Lake County, IN

White (Non-Hispanic)
257k ± 878
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
114k ± 1.15k
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
40.8k ± 2.19k

20.9%

Hispanic Population

105k people

20.9% of the people in Lake County, IN are hispanic (105k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Lake County, IN as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Indiana.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
108,287 ± 8,015 people
India
34,966 ± 4,579 people
China
17,771 ± 3,269 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Indiana was Mexico, the natal country of 108,287 Indiana residents, followed by India with 34,966 and China with 17,771.

Foreign-Born Population

7.29%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

36.5k people

7.18%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

35.8k people

As of 2024, 7.29% of Lake County, IN residents (36.5k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Lake County, IN was 7.18%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Lake County, IN compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
8,048 ± 655
Gulf War (2001-)
4,396 ± 669
Gulf War (1990s)
3,163 ± 508

Lake County, IN has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.83 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Lake County, IN.

Economy

The economy of Lake County, IN employs 228k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Lake County, IN were Health Care & Social Assistance (35,560 people), Manufacturing (33,245 people), and Retail Trade (25,454 people), and the highest paying industries were Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($101,647), Utilities ($84,854), and Construction ($67,446).

Employment

Occupations

228k

2024 Value

± 4,080

0.596%

1 Year growth

± 2.51%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Lake County, IN grew at a rate of 0.596%, from 227k employees to 228k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Lake County, IN, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (27,470 people), Management Occupations (22,491 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (19,645 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Lake County, IN.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Indiana.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Indiana (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

228k

2024 Value

± 4,080

0.596%

1 Year growth

± 2.51%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Lake County, IN grew at a rate of 0.596%, from 227k employees to 228k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Lake County, IN, are Health Care & Social Assistance (35,560 people), Manufacturing (33,245 people), and Retail Trade (25,454 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Lake County, IN, though some of these residents may live in Lake County, IN and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$58,774

Median earning men ± $2,169

$39,004

Median earning women ± $1,247

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($91,571), Public Administration ($77,881), and Wholesale Trade ($72,026).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Manufacturing ($51,772), Wholesale Trade ($50,864), and Public Administration ($48,775).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Indiana.

Y-Axis

2.48%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 3.21M people employed in Indiana. This represents a 2.48% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 15.4%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Indiana.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

722
Other Services (except Public Administration)
629
Retail Trade
604
Health Care and Social Assistance

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$2.08M
Manufacturing
$1.94M
Health Care and Social Assistance
$898k
Construction

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Indiana went to Donald J. Trump with 58.8% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (39.8%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1%).

Todd Young and Jim Banks are the senators currently representing the state of Indiana. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Indiana is currently represented by 9 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Lake County, IN. Showing the available data for Indiana.

2024 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (58.8%)
Republican Party
Kamala Harris (39.8%)
Democratic Party
Robert Kennedy (1%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Indiana went to Donald J. Trump with 58.8% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (39.8%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Indiana for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Indiana

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Indiana.

Todd Young

Senator from Indiana

Assumed office on January 3, 2017

Jim Banks

Senator from Indiana

Assumed office on January 3, 2025

Todd Young and Jim Banks are the senators currently representing Indiana.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Indiana over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Education

In 2023, universities in Lake County, IN awarded 3,039 degrees. The student population of Lake County, IN in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 5,358 male students and 7,775 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Lake County, IN are White (1,513 and 52%), Hispanic or Latino (678 and 23.3%), Black or African American (464 and 16%), and Asian (86 and 2.96%).

The largest universities in Lake County, IN by number of degrees awarded are Purdue University Northwest (1,685 and 55.4%), Indiana University-Northwest (685 and 22.5%), and Tricoci University of Beauty Culture-Highland (234 and 7.7%).

The most popular majors in Lake County, IN are Other Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research, & Clinical Nursing (353 and 11.6%), Registered Nursing (309 and 10.2%), and Aesthetician & Skin Care Specialist (183 and 6.02%).

The median tuition costs in Lake County, IN are $21,500 for private four year colleges, and $7,376 and $17,750 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Lake County, IN, the percentage of applicants admitted was 72.5%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 24.9%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 13,133 (40.8% men and 59.2% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 13,133 students enrolled in Lake County, IN, 40.8% men and 59.2% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 6,221 records, of which 57.9% were women and 42.1% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Other Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research, & Clinical Nursing
353 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
215 degrees awarded
General Psychology
104 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Lake County, IN was Other Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research, & Clinical Nursing with 353 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Lake County, IN according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Purdue University Northwest
1,685 degrees awarded
Indiana University-Northwest
685 degrees awarded
Tricoci University of Beauty Culture-Highland
234 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Purdue University Northwest with 1,685 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 964 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Lake County, IN, which is 0.465 times less than the 2,075 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 1,513 degrees mean that there were 2.23 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 678 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($21,500) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,150) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($2,070) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Lake County, IN was $230,600 in 2024, which is 0.693 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $214,700 to $230,600, a 7.41% increase. The homeownership rate in Lake County, IN is 71.7%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Lake County, IN have an average commute time of 28.5 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Lake County, IN is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 14.5% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Lake County, IN. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 2.84%.

Housing

Property

$230,600

Median Property Value 2024

±$2,947

$139,856

Median Property Taxes

±$2,911

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Lake County, IN the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Lake County, IN compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

71.7%

Homeownership

2024

63%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 71.7% of the housing units in Lake County, IN were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 70.9%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Lake County, IN compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$71,493

Median Household Income

± $1,419

195k

Number of Households

± 3,710

In 2024, the median household income of the 195k households in Lake County, IN grew to $71,493 from the previous year's value of $68,985.

The following chart displays the households in Lake County, IN distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Lake County, IN is from Indiana.

0.445

2023 Wage GINI in Indiana

0.448

2022 Wage GINI in Indiana

In 2023, the income inequality in Indiana was 0.445 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.529% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Indiana was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Indiana in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Indiana across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (79.6%)
Worked At Home (8.24%)
Carpooled (7.96%)

In 2024, 79.6% of workers in Lake County, IN drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (8.24%) and those who carpooled to work (7.96%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

28.5 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Lake County, IN have a longer commute time (28.5 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.94% of the workforce in Lake County, IN have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Lake County, IN compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Lake County, IN distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Lake County, IN have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 14.5% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Lake County, IN. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 2.84%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

14.3% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Lake County, IN (70.6k out of 494k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Males 6 - 11.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Lake County, IN is Black, followed by White and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 20% of the children was living in poverty in Lake County, IN. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 11.3%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 395 in Lake County, IN. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 4.08 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

93.4% of the population of Lake County, IN has health coverage, with 48.8% on employee plans, 20.1% on Medicaid, 14.4% on Medicare, 9.44% on non-group plans, and 0.73% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Lake County, IN see 1,971 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,971 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1576 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 434 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.6% were men and 51.4% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,971 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Lake County, IN

Primary care physicians in Lake County, IN see an average of 1,971 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,971 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Lake County, IN in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 24.5% under 18 years, 19.4% between 18 and 34 years, 38.5% between 35 and 64 years, and 17.6% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.6% were men and 51.4% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

6.6%

Uninsured

48.8%

Employer Coverage

20.1%

Medicaid

14.4%

Medicare

9.44%

Non-Group

0.73%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Lake County, IN declined by 2.61% from 6.78% to 6.6%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Lake County, IN changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 67.7 in Lake County, IN.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Lake County, IN.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 38.1% in Lake County, IN.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Lake County, IN.