Merrillville, IN

Census Place

Add Comparison

2024 Population

36,476

US Senator

Todd Young

Republican Party

US Senator

Jim Banks

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

42.4

2.66% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

12.6%

7.98% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$67,587

4.32% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$211,400

8.97% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

17,168

0.947% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Merrillville, 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.

97.6% of the residents in Merrillville, IN are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Merrillville, IN are Denmark College (84 degrees awarded in 2024) and Paul Mitchell the School-Merrillville (43 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Merrillville, IN was $211,400, and the homeownership rate was 70.5%.

Most people in Merrillville, IN drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 32.1 minutes. The average car ownership in Merrillville, IN was 2 cars per household.

United States Indiana Lake County, IN Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI Lake County (Northeast)--Gary City & Griffith Town PUMA, IN Lake County (Central) PUMA, IN Lake County (South) PUMA, IN Porter County PUMA, IN

Population & Diversity

Merrillville, IN is home to a population of 36.5k people, from which 97.6% are citizens. As of 2024, 6.29% of Merrillville, IN residents were born outside of the country (2.3k people).

In 2024, there were 1.38 times more Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents (16.8k people) in Merrillville, IN than any other race or ethnicity. There were 12.2k White (Non-Hispanic) and 2.66k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

97.6%

2024 Citizenship

97.1%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 97.6% of Merrillville, IN residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Merrillville, IN was 97.1%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Merrillville, IN

Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
16.8k ± 1.08k
White (Non-Hispanic)
12.2k ± 1.25k
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
2.66k ± 694

15.6%

Hispanic Population

5.69k people

15.6% of the people in Merrillville, IN are hispanic (5.69k people).

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

Global Diversity

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

Most Common Origin

Mexico
111,417 ± 8,128 people
India
37,388 ± 4,734 people
Nigeria
18,164 ± 3,304 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Indiana was Mexico, the natal country of 111,417 Indiana residents, followed by India with 37,388 and Nigeria with 18,164.

Foreign-Born Population

6.29%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

2.3k people

6.73%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

2.45k people

As of 2024, 6.29% of Merrillville, IN residents (2.3k 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 Merrillville, IN was 6.73%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
581 ± 303
Vietnam
464 ± 349
Gulf War (1990s)
269 ± 126

Merrillville, IN has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.25 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Health

93.5% of the population of Merrillville, IN has health coverage, with 46.5% on employee plans, 20% on Medicaid, 16.1% on Medicare, 10.2% on non-group plans, and 0.743% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Indiana see 1,524 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,524 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1681 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 474 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.8% were men and 52.2% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 21.8% under 18 years, 20.3% between 18 and 34 years, 38.1% between 35 and 64 years, and 19.8% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.8% were men and 52.2% were women.

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

Uninsured People

6.53%

Uninsured

46.5%

Employer Coverage

20%

Medicaid

16.1%

Medicare

10.2%

Non-Group

0.743%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Merrillville, IN grew by 23.7% from 5.28% to 6.53%.

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

Economy

The economy of Merrillville, IN employs 17.2k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Merrillville, IN were Health Care & Social Assistance (2,795 people), Manufacturing (2,458 people), and Retail Trade (1,781 people), and the highest paying industries were Wholesale Trade ($81,548), Transportation & Warehousing ($81,375), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($80,571).

Employment

Occupations

17.2k

2024 Value

± 1,281

0.947%

1 Year growth

± 10.7%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Merrillville, IN grew at a rate of 0.947%, from 17k employees to 17.2k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Merrillville, IN, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (2,363 people), Production Occupations (1,589 people), and Management Occupations (1,157 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Merrillville, 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

17.2k

2024 Value

± 1,281

0.947%

1 Year growth

± 10.7%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Merrillville, IN grew at a rate of 0.947%, from 17k employees to 17.2k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Merrillville, IN, are Health Care & Social Assistance (2,795 people), Manufacturing (2,458 people), and Retail Trade (1,781 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Merrillville, IN, though some of these residents may live in Merrillville, IN and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$51,260

Median earning men ± $6,455

$44,046

Median earning women ± $3,738

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($84,629), Wholesale Trade ($82,262), and Manufacturing ($75,169).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($69,776), Public Administration ($63,674), and Construction ($63,207).

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.

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 Merrillville, 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 2024, universities in Merrillville, IN awarded 127 degrees. The student population of Merrillville, IN in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 110 male students and 172 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Merrillville, IN are Black or African American (45 and 35.4%), White (38 and 29.9%), Hispanic or Latino (25 and 19.7%), and Unknown (16 and 12.6%).

The largest universities in Merrillville, IN by number of degrees awarded are Denmark College (84 and 66.1%) and Paul Mitchell the School-Merrillville (43 and 33.9%).

The most popular majors in Merrillville, IN are Barbering (67 and 52.8%), General Cosmetology (50 and 39.4%), and Medical Assistant (7 and 5.51%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2024 there were 282 students enrolled in Merrillville, IN, 39% men and 61% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 111 records, of which 82% were women and 18% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Barbering
67 degrees awarded
General Cosmetology
50 degrees awarded
Medical Assistant
7 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for 1 to 2 Year Postsecondary Certificate recipients in Merrillville, IN was Barbering with 67 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a 1 to 2 Year Postsecondary Certificate from schools in Merrillville, IN according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Denmark College
84 degrees awarded
Paul Mitchell the School-Merrillville
43 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Denmark College with 84 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2024, 46 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Merrillville, IN, which is 0.568 times less than the 81 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was Black or African American students. These 45 degrees mean that there were 1.18 times more degrees awarded to Black or African American students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, White, with 38 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.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Merrillville, IN was $211,400 in 2024, which is 0.635 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $194,000 to $211,400, a 8.97% increase. The homeownership rate in Merrillville, IN is 70.5%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Merrillville, IN have an average commute time of 32.1 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Merrillville, IN is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$211,400

Median Property Value 2024

±$7,522

$10,917

Median Property Taxes

±$1,078

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 Merrillville, IN the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

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

Rent vs Own

70.5%

Homeownership

2024

63.9%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 70.5% of the housing units in Merrillville, IN were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 68.5%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Merrillville, 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.

$67,587

Median Household Income

± $7,864

15.5k

Number of Households

± 1,240

In 2024, the median household income of the 15.5k households in Merrillville, IN grew to $67,587 from the previous year's value of $64,791.

The following chart displays the households in Merrillville, 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 Merrillville, IN is from Indiana.

0.442

2024 Wage GINI in Indiana

0.445

2023 Wage GINI in Indiana

In 2024, the income inequality in Indiana was 0.442 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.807% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Indiana was lower than than the national average of 0.474. 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 (82.2%)
Worked At Home (7.26%)
Carpooled (4.89%)

In 2024, 82.2% of workers in Merrillville, IN drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (7.26%) and those who carpooled to work (4.89%).

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

32.1 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Merrillville, IN have a longer commute time (32.1 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 6.48% of the workforce in Merrillville, IN have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

12.6% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Merrillville, IN (4.5k out of 35.8k 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 75+, followed by Males 6 - 11 and then Males 65 - 74.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Merrillville, IN is Black, followed by White and Two Or More.

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.