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COUNTY

Lake County

Indiana · 504,612 residents (2025 est.) · 498.89 sq mi
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Notable rankings
#148Largest by populationof 3,144504,612
The short version

Lake County has lower-than-average household income, with a median household income of $71,493. Population has held roughly steady since 2000. Median home value has more than doubled since 2000, reaching $230,600. It sits in the top 10% of US counties for household income.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 39.7
US median: 38.9
Less educated
26% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 31%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
500,379
+3%since 2000
from 484,564 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
1,003 / sq mi
+2%since 2009
from 985 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
39.7
+11%since 2000
from 35.9 in 2000
US average: 38.9

PEP 2025 EST:504,612 residents (Census Bureau Vintage 2025, released March 2026)

Population, 1990 – 2024
473K481K488K495K503K1990201020202024Lake County
2024500K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.7%(28,629)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.5%(32,289)
US avg: 6%
10 to 146.7%(33,353)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196.7%(33,485)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246%(29,779)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3412.3%(61,342)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4413%(64,813)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5412.3%(61,718)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6413.1%(65,529)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7410.8%(53,997)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 845.1%(25,600)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2%(9,845)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$71,493
−6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $41,829 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$37,284
+90%since 2000
from $19,639 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
47.8%
+18.8 ptssince 2009
from 28.9% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
14.3%
+2.1 ptssince 2000
from 12.2% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.456
+6%since 2010
from 0.430 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade14.6%
US avg: 9.9%
Information11.1%
US avg: 10.8%
Finance & insurance8%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical7.2%
US avg: 5.1%
Wholesale trade7.2%
US avg: 6.9%
Other services4.9%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration3.3%
US avg: 4.8%
Transportation & warehousing2%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.2%
US avg: 1.9%
Education & health services0.8%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.4%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.3%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$230,600
+31%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $96,300 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,131
+14%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $544 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
71.7%
+2.7 ptssince 2000
from 69.0% in 2000
28.3% rent
Vacancy rate
10.3%
−1.5 ptssince 2009
from 11.8% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Owner cost-burdened
20.1%
−9.2 ptssince 2009
from 29.3% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
46.5%
−1.3 ptssince 2009
from 47.8% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
3.2
+20%since 2009
from 2.7 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index: median home value divided by median household income. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
49
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
RELATED:See current rent listings in Lake County on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic60.6%(293,457)
Black25%(121,372)
Hispanic / Latino12.2%(59,128)
Asian0.8%(3,862)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic51.4%(257,039)
Black22.7%(113,808)
Hispanic / Latino20.9%(104,584)
Asian1.6%(7,887)
Other3.4%(17,061)
Diversity Score
80
+9%since 2009
from 73 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
52
−6%since 2020
from 55 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican16%(79,841)
Puerto Rican3%(14,775)
Central American0.5%(2,659)
South American0.4%(2,234)
Spaniard0.3%(1,396)
Honduran0.2%(926)
Guatemalan0.2%(807)
Colombian0.1%(728)
Cuban0.1%(581)
Venezuelan0.1%(526)
Dominican0.1%(479)
Salvadoran0.1%(451)
+ 8 more hispanic origin groups with data
Peruvian0.1%(345)
Ecuadorian0%(240)
Nicaraguan0%(181)
Chilean0%(148)
Argentine0%(110)
Uruguayan0%(98)
Asian origin
Asian Indian0.5%(2,296)
Filipino0.3%(1,666)
Chinese0.3%(1,615)
Vietnamese0.2%(793)
Korean0.1%(442)
Pakistani0.1%(335)
Burmese0.1%(253)
Japanese0%(135)
Thai0%(100)
Taiwanese0%(68)
+ 1 more asian origin group with data
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0%(98)
Samoan0%(63)
Ancestry
German13.3%(66,616)
Irish9.8%(49,122)
Polish9%(45,043)
English5.6%(28,191)
Italian4.6%(23,031)
Dutch3.1%(15,301)
American2.5%(12,285)
Slovak1.3%(6,497)
Swedish1.2%(6,224)
Scottish1.1%(5,292)
Greek1%(5,234)
Croatian1%(5,149)
+ 50 more ancestry groups with data
French1%(5,063)
Hungarian1%(4,819)
Serbian0.8%(4,093)
Arab0.6%(3,108)
Lithuanian0.5%(2,437)
Norwegian0.4%(2,109)
Macedonian0.4%(1,878)
Russian0.4%(1,867)
Czech0.3%(1,726)
West Indian0.3%(1,669)
Scotch-Irish0.3%(1,551)
Romanian0.3%(1,499)
Ukrainian0.3%(1,369)
Nigerian0.2%(1,240)
Welsh0.2%(1,098)
Canadian0.2%(1,004)
Jamaican0.2%(877)
British0.2%(835)
Danish0.2%(767)
Austrian0.1%(720)
Jordanian0.1%(680)
Belgian0.1%(568)
Swiss0.1%(519)
Palestinian0.1%(434)
Haitian0.1%(307)
Lebanese0.1%(297)
Bulgarian0.1%(286)
Portuguese0.1%(268)
Ghanaian0%(217)
Turkish0%(212)
Slovene0%(194)
Armenian0%(191)
Australian0%(164)
Finnish0%(153)
Moroccan0%(135)
Syrian0%(96)
Guyanese0%(90)
Ethiopian0%(89)
Israeli0%(85)
Brazilian0%(80)
Egyptian0%(79)
Kenyan0%(60)
Latvian0%(28)
Iranian0%(25)
Somali0%(19)
RANKED:Largest Mexican population · Largest German population · Largest Irish population · Largest Polish population · Largest English population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
25.8%
+9.6 ptssince 2000
from 16.2% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
90.2%
+9.5 ptssince 2000
from 80.7% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
8.5%
+3.0 ptssince 2000
from 5.5% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
28.5 min
+50%since 2000
from 19.0 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
79.6%
−3.9 ptssince 2009
from 83.5% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
8.0%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 8.4% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
1.4%
−1.9 ptssince 2009
from 3.3% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
8.2%
+6.3 ptssince 2009
from 2.0% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
1.2%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 1.9% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.2%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
7.2%
−1.7 ptssince 2009
from 8.9% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
6.1%
−4.2 ptssince 2011
from 10.3% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
61.1%
−1.8 ptssince 2011
from 62.9% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Self-employed
11.7%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 11.5% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
34.2%
−25.8 ptssince 2009
from 60.1% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.7%
+0.6 ptssince 2009
from 48.1% in 2009
Female
51.3%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 51.9% in 2009
Foreign born
7.3%
+0.9 ptssince 2009
from 6.4% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
5.8%
−41.3 ptssince 2009
from 47.1% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
13.6%
−0.1 ptssince 2012
from 13.7% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
6.6%
−78.7 ptssince 2013
from 85.3% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
89.7%
+15.1 ptssince 2017
from 74.6% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
English only at home
84.9%
−0.6 ptssince 2016
from 85.5% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
10.9%
+0.6 ptssince 2016
from 10.3% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married38.4%(74,991)
Married48.3%(94,339)
Widowed3.6%(7,057)
Divorced9.7%(18,941)
Women 15+
Never married33.3%(70,218)
Married44.4%(93,666)
Widowed10.1%(21,217)
Divorced12.2%(25,679)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Drill deeper

Places similar to Lake County

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Pop 485,146
Summit County
Pop 538,376
Osceola County
Pop 481,718
Hampden County
Pop 464,338
Places similar to Lake County
Head to head

Compare Lake County to nearby counties

LAKE COUNTY VS
Porter County
Income$87,972+23%
Home value$281,500+22%
Population176,049−65%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
LAKE COUNTY VS
Will County
Income$109,984+54%
Home value$319,600+39%
Population712,253+41%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
LAKE COUNTY VS
Cook County
Income$83,498+17%
Home value$324,500+41%
Population5,194,625+929%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
LAKE COUNTY VS
LaPorte County
Income$71,055−1%
Home value$195,500−15%
Population111,294−78%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Lake County, Indiana?

Lake County, Indiana has about 500,379 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Lake County, Indiana?

The typical household in Lake County, Indiana earns about $71,493 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Lake County, Indiana expensive?

In Lake County, Indiana, the median home is worth about $230,600, and the typical rent is about $1,131 a month.

How educated are people in Lake County, Indiana?

About 25.8% of adults age 25 and over in Lake County, Indiana hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Lake County, Indiana?

About 14.3% of people in Lake County, Indiana live below the federal poverty line.

Has Lake County, Indiana grown since 1990?

Yes, Lake County, Indiana has grown since 1990. The population has added about 24,785 residents, a change of about 5 percent over that period.

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Explore from here

132 census tracts (top 20 by population)
Census Tract 429.01Census Tract 434.01Census Tract 434.03Census Tract 432.03Census Tract 433.02Census Tract 426.02Census Tract 431.04Census Tract 429.04Census Tract 425.01Census Tract 420Census Tract 421Census Tract 426.07Census Tract 418Census Tract 409Census Tract 422Census Tract 427.02Census Tract 433.01Census Tract 424.01Census Tract 404.03Census Tract 404.01
27 ZIP codes
ZIP 46307ZIP 46410ZIP 46342ZIP 46312ZIP 46375ZIP 46321ZIP 46322ZIP 46311ZIP 46323ZIP 46324ZIP 46356ZIP 46373ZIP 46319ZIP 46303ZIP 46408ZIP 46404ZIP 46320ZIP 46405ZIP 46394ZIP 46403ZIP 46327ZIP 46406ZIP 46407ZIP 46409ZIP 46402ZIP 46376ZIP 46377
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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

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