Porter County, Indiana
Named in 1836 for War of 1812 Commodore David Porter
County Seat: Valparaiso
Largest City: Portage (2023 population: 38,513)
Population per Square Mile: 419.26
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 (2023) | 175,335 | 10 | 2.6% | 6,862,199 |
| Tomorrow (2030 projection)* | 182,536 | 10 | 2.6% | 7,014,880 |
| Percent Change 2020 to Today | 1.2% | 15 | | 1.1% |
*Projection based on 2015 Census population estimates.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; Indiana Business Research Center
| Components of Population Change, 2022-2023 | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Net Domestic Migration | 347 | 14 | | 4,599 |
| Net International Migration | 182 | 14 | | 17,869 |
| Natural Increase (births minus deaths) | -36 | 45 | -0.5% | 7,508 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
| Population Estimates by Age, 2023 | Number | Rank in State | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| Preschool (0 to 4) | 8,804 | 11 | 5.0% | 5.9% |
| School Age (5 to 17) | 28,227 | 10 | 16.1% | 17.2% |
| College Age (18 to 24) | 15,196 | 12 | 8.7% | 9.6% |
| Young Adult (25 to 44) | 44,780 | 11 | 25.5% | 25.8% |
| Older Adult (45 to 64) | 45,227 | 8 | 25.8% | 24.2% |
| Seniors (65 and older) | 33,101 | 7 | 18.9% | 17.2% |
| Median Age | 41.2 | | | Median Age = 38.2 |
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; Indiana Business Research Center
| Population Estimates by Race and Hispanic Origin, 2023 | Number | Rank of | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| American Indian or Alaska Native Alone | 709 | 8 | 0.4% | 0.5% |
| Asian Alone | 2,700 | 12 | 1.5% | 2.9% |
| Black Alone | 9,045 | 13 | 5.2% | 10.4% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pac. Isl. Alone | 79 | 18 | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| White | 159,371 | 7 | 90.9% | 83.7% |
| Two or More Race Groups | 3,431 | 13 | 2.0% | 2.5% |
| Non-Hispanic | 154,331 | 11 | 88.0% | 91.2% |
| Hispanic | 21,004 | 7 | 12.0% | 8.8% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
| Household Types | Number | Rank in State | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| Households in 2022 (Includes detail not shown below) | 67,945 | 9 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Married With Children | 14,115 | 8 | 20.8% | 18.1% |
| Married Without Children | 22,148 | 7 | 32.6% | 29.6% |
| Single Parents | 5,359 | 9 | 7.9% | 9.0% |
| Living Alone | 18,085 | 10 | 26.6% | 29.4% |
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 2023 (estimate) | 73,137 | 9 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Total Housing Units in 2022 (includes vacant units) | 71,572 | 9 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
Owner Occupied
(Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 52,320 | 6 | 73.1% | 63.5% |
| Median Value (2022) | $242,300 | 4 | | |
Renter Occupied
(Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 15,625 | 13 | 21.8% | 27.1% |
| Median Rent (2022) | $921 | 6 | | |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
| Education | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| School Enrollment (2022/2023 Total Reported) | 27,943 | 9 | 2.5% | 1,124,094 |
| Public | 26,384 | 9 | 2.5% | 1,035,718 |
| Adults (25+ in 2022 ACS) | 120,140 | 8 | 2.7% | 4,532,091 |
| with High School diploma or higher | 93.9% | 5 | | 90% |
| with B.A. or higher degree | 29.9% | 14 | | 28.2% |
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 2022 | $63,557 | 6 | 109.0% | 58,323 |
| Median Household Income in 2022 | 84,352 | 6 | 126.3% | $66,768 |
| Poverty Rate in 2022 | 8.9% | 83 | 71.2% | 12.5% |
| Poverty Rate among Children under 18 | 10.3% | 82 | 66.9% | 15.4% |
| Welfare (TANF) Monthly Average Families in 2022 | 42 | 19 | 1.1% | 3,933 |
| Food Stamp Recipients in 2022 | 9,148 | 15 | 1.5% | 611,203 |
| Free and Reduced Fee Lunch Recipients in 2022/2023 | 10,112 | 13 | 2.0% | 511,735 |
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, 2023 | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Total Resident Labor Force | 86,290 | 11 | 2.5% | 3,401,387 |
| Employed | 83,108 | 11 | 2.5% | 3,288,017 |
| Unemployed | 3,182 | 7 | 2.8% | 113,370 |
| Annual Unemployment Rate | 3.7 | 17 | 112.1% | 3.3 |
| May 2024 Unemployment Rate | 4.2 | 22 | 107.7% | 3.9 |
Source: STATS Indiana, using data from the Indiana Department of Workforce Development
| Employment and Earnings by Industry, 2022 | Employment | Pct Dist.
in County | Earnings ($000) | Pct Dist.
In County | Avg. Earnings Per Job |
|---|
| Total by place of work | 87,895 | 100.0% | $5,198,302 | 100.0% | $59,142 |
| Wage and Salary | 66,968 | 76.2% | $3,797,857 | 73.1% | $56,712 |
| Farm Proprietors | 382 | 0.4% | $19,888 | 0.4% | $52,063 |
| Nonfarm Proprietors | 20,545 | 23.4% | $589,261 | 11.3% | $28,681 |
| Farm | 455 | 0.5% | $22,932 | 0.4% | $50,400 |
| Nonfarm | 87,440 | 99.5% | $5,175,370 | 99.6% | $59,188 |
| Private | 80,160 | 91.2% | $4,721,629 | 90.8% | $58,903 |
| Accommodation, Food Serv. | 7,381 | 8.4% | $205,046 | 3.9% | $27,780 |
| Arts, Ent., Recreation | 1,157 | 1.3% | $17,811 | 0.3% | $15,394 |
| Construction | 6,388 | 7.3% | $581,066 | 11.2% | $90,962 |
| Health Care, Social Serv. | 9,870 | 11.2% | $672,415 | 12.9% | $68,127 |
| Information | 1,129 | 1.3% | $62,468 | 1.2% | $55,330 |
| Manufacturing | 9,816 | 11.2% | $1,011,102 | 19.5% | $103,006 |
| Professional, Tech. Serv. | 4,522 | 5.1% | $300,515 | 5.8% | $66,456 |
| Retail Trade | 9,312 | 10.6% | $339,365 | 6.5% | $36,444 |
| Trans., Warehousing | 4,895 | 5.6% | $300,409 | 5.8% | $61,371 |
| Wholesale Trade | Data not available due to BEA non-disclosure requirements. |
| Other Private (not above) | 22,392* | 25.5%* | $919,361* | 17.7%* | $41,058* |
| Government | 7,280 | 8.3% | $453,741 | 8.7% | $62,327 |
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, 2023 | Units | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State | Cost ($000) | State Cost ($000) |
|---|
| Total Permits Filed | 627 | 100.0% | 100.0% | $212,619 | $7,695,489 |
| Single-Family | 479 | 76.4% | 63.0% | $186,397 | $5,961,199 |
| 2-Family | 18 | 2.9% | 2.0% | 6,078 | $99,053 |
| 3- and 4-Family | 3 | 0.5% | 0.9% | $728 | $40,460 |
| 5+ Family | 127 | 20.3% | 34.2% | $19,415 | $1,594,777 |
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 2023 | Percent of County |
|---|
| Beverly Shores | 603 | 0.3% |
| Burns Harbor | 2,142 | 1.2% |
| Chesterton | 14,657 | 8.4% |
| Dune Acres | 234 | 0.1% |
| Hebron | 3,735 | 2.1% |
| Kouts | 2,054 | 1.2% |
| Ogden Dunes | 1,173 | 0.7% |
| Portage | 38,513 | 22.0% |
| Porter | 5,204 | 3.0% |
| Town of Pines | 594 | 0.3% |
| Valparaiso | 34,627 | 19.7% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau annual population estimates
Hoosiers by the Numbers