CITY · 1990 CENSUS

East Chicago

Indiana · 33,892 residents · 14.1 sq mi

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East Chicago is home to 33,892 people in Indiana. Owners hold 45% of the housing stock. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 7% of adults. 25.6% of locals live below the federal poverty line. The typical home is worth $41,800. That trails the Indiana median by roughly 33%.

At a glance

Lower income

below the US median

US median: $30,130

Younger

median age 30.8

US median: 33.0

Less educated

7% hold a bachelor's degree

US average: 20%

More affordable

home values down 22%, inflation adjusted

US median home: $93,722

Section 01

Population & growth

Total population

33,892

+5%vs 2000

vs 32,414 in 2000

1990 – 2025

Median age

30.8

Unchangedvs 2000

vs 30.8 in 2000

US average: 33.0

Land area

14.1 sq mi

Population, 1990 – 2024

202426K

Age distribution, 1990

Under 57.5%(2,526)

US avg: 7.3%

5 to 98.6%(2,926)

US avg: 7.3%

10 to 149.6%(3,247)

US avg: 6.9%

15 to 198.4%(2,846)

US avg: 7.1%

20 to 246.8%(2,316)

US avg: 7.5%

25 to 3415.6%(5,299)

US avg: 17.5%

35 to 4412.3%(4,168)

US avg: 15.1%

45 to 548.5%(2,894)

US avg: 10.2%

55 to 649.8%(3,338)

US avg: 8.5%

65 to 748.3%(2,818)

US avg: 7.3%

75 to 843.7%(1,265)

US avg: 4%

85 and over0.7%(249)

US avg: 1.2%

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE

Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income

$19,391

−4%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $26,538 in 2000

US average: $30,130

1990 – 2024

Per capita income

$9,090

−33%vs 2000

vs $13,517 in 2000

US average: $14,340

Poverty rate

25.6%

+1.2 ptsvs 2000

vs 24.4% in 2000

US average: 13.2%

Section 03

Housing

Median home value

$41,800

−22%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $70,400 in 2000

US average: $93,722

1990 – 2024

Median gross rent

$286

−8%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $409 in 2000

US average: $450

Owner-occupied

45.4%

+0.8 ptsvs 2000

vs 44.6% in 2000

54.6% rent

Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000

White, non-Hispanic12.1%(3,922)

Black35.2%(11,405)

Hispanic / Latino51.6%(16,728)

Asian0.2%(52)

Other0%

1990

White, non-Hispanic38.2%(12,936)

Black33.6%(11,395)

Hispanic / Latino46.9%(15,889)

Asian0.1%(33)

Other28.1%(9,528)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin

Mexican43.2%(11,240)

Puerto Rican5.8%(1,497)

Central American3.6%(936)

South American2.2%(574)

Honduran2.1%(546)

Venezuelan1.3%(328)

Salvadoran0.8%(205)

Colombian0.7%(188)

Guatemalan0.6%(149)

Peruvian0.2%(58)

Cuban0.2%(48)

Nicaraguan0.1%(30)

+ 3 more hispanic origin groups with data

Dominican0.1%(26)

Panamanian0%(6)

Spaniard0%(5)

Asian origin

Filipino0.3%(66)

Japanese0%(1)

Ancestry

Polish1.8%(478)

German1.2%(325)

American0.9%(230)

Irish0.7%(172)

Subsaharan African0.6%(161)

Italian0.5%(130)

Russian0.5%(123)

West Indian0.4%(99)

Croatian0.4%(95)

English0.4%(93)

French0.3%(84)

Swedish0.2%(50)

+ 16 more ancestry groups with data

Scottish0.2%(47)

Scotch-Irish0.2%(40)

Jamaican0.1%(39)

Slovak0.1%(32)

Arab0.1%(31)

Serbian0.1%(31)

Romanian0.1%(29)

Portuguese0.1%(27)

Hungarian0.1%(24)

Ghanaian0.1%(21)

Dutch0.1%(20)

Guyanese0.1%(15)

Greek0.1%(14)

Haitian0.1%(14)

Nigerian0%(11)

Lithuanian0%(6)

RANKED:Largest Mexican population · Largest Puerto Rican population · Largest Central American population · Largest South American population · Largest Honduran population

Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher

6.6%

−0.4 ptsvs 2000

vs 7.1% in 2000

US average: 20.3%

High school or higher

57.7%

−2.8 ptsvs 2000

vs 60.6% in 2000

US average: 75.2%

Graduate degree

2.5%

+0.6 ptsvs 2000

vs 1.8% in 2000

US average: 7.1%

Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute

16.6 min

+6%vs 2000

vs 15.6 min in 2000

US average: 21.9

Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)

Men 15+

Never married54.1%(5,469)

Married31.6%(3,196)

Widowed3.5%(357)

Divorced10.8%(1,088)

Women 15+

Never married46.8%(4,984)

Married30.9%(3,295)

Widowed9.4%(998)

Divorced12.9%(1,374)

SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024

Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured

11.9%

−9.0 ptssince 2013

from 20.9% in 2013

US average: 8.4%

Employer-based

36.1%

−4.9 ptssince 2020

from 41.0% in 2020

US average: 54.8%

Direct-purchase

8.8%

Unchangedsince 2020

from 8.8% in 2020

US average: 13.8%

Medicare

16.5%

−1.2 ptssince 2020

from 17.7% in 2020

US average: 18.4%

Medicaid

43.2%

+4.8 ptssince 2020

from 38.4% in 2020

US average: 20.9%

VA health care

1.5%

−0.1 ptssince 2020

from 1.6% in 2020

US average: 2.2%

Any private

43.0%

−5.7 ptssince 2020

from 48.7% in 2020

US average: 67.1%

Any public

54.4%

+2.7 ptssince 2020

from 51.7% in 2020

US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024

Gulf War (2001 or later)9.7%(61)

US avg: 26.4%

Gulf War (1990s)19.5%(122)

US avg: 24.3%

Vietnam era40.1%(251)

US avg: 33.1%

Korean War11.5%(72)

US avg: 4.5%

World War II2.9%(18)

US avg: 1%

Share of the 626 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE

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