Lake County, Indiana

in Crown Point, Indiana |access-date = June 1, 2014 |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140602195843/http://www.cpcourthouse.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2&Itemid=3 |archive-date = June 2, 2014 Gary (total area) municipalities |access-date = October 11, 2016 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140608205959/https://www.lakecountyin.org/portal/media-type/html/group/voters/page/default.psml/js_pane/P-13b9cba7c46-107f1 |archive-date = June 8, 2014 |access-date = June 16, 2014 |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120730012603/http://www.stats.indiana.edu/uspr/a/us_profile_frame.html |archive-date = July 30, 2012

Griffith-Merrillville

Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal Kankakee River Lake Michigan

Adam Benjamin Metro Center Gary/Chicago Airport – Miller

Gary Public Transportation Broadway Metro Express

• Second most-populous county in Indiana

Lake County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. In 2020, its population was 498,700,{{cite web |access-date=June 12, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607083504/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/18/18089.html |archive-date=June 7, 2011 It includes Marktown, Clayton Mark's planned worker community in East Chicago.

History

Early settlement

Originally inhabited by the Potawatomi, Lake County was established by European Americans on February 16, 1837. From 1836 to 1837 it was part of Porter County. The original county seat was Liverpool, but in 1840 Lake Court House, later renamed as Crown Point, was chosen.

Lake County's population grew slowly before the 1850s. Construction of railroads to link Chicago to the rest of the country stimulated rapid development, and tens of thousands of settlers and immigrants bought land in the region. Small-scale industrialization began, but was primarily relegated to the northern coast of the county, where it could take advantage of the railroads along the coast and shipping on the Great Lakes. The 1900 Census gives a population of 37,892 residents.

Industrialization and immigration

Inland Steel Company established a plant in East Chicago in 1903 and U.S. Steel founded one in Gary in 1906; with industrial jobs the demand for labor associated with industrial jobs, the county's population exploded. Immigrants poured into the area from all over Central and Eastern Europe (there was also a smaller Mexican immigrant community). In addition, both black and white migrants came from many regions of the United States, particularly Appalachia and the South. Mostly rural blacks went north in the Great Migration, seeking both industrial jobs and escape from Jim Crow violence and disenfranchisement in the South.

By 1930, Lake County's population surpassed 260,000, with first- and second-generation Americans constituting a majority of the population. The second wave of the Ku Klux Klan gained a large following here in the 1920s, as it did for a time in the rest of Indiana. The KKK organized against the numerous European immigrants, who were mostly Catholic. While the steel industry reigned supreme, other industries also found the county to be an ideal location for cheap land and well-developed transportation networks, such as automobiles, oil, chemicals, consumer goods, food processing, and construction supply companies.

The Great Depression was devastating to Lake County, as it was to other areas with economies based on heavy industry. The Depression, combined with industrial strife, changing demographics, and unionization, caused a realignment of politics in Lake County. It became a stronghold of the Democratic Party; Lake County has supported the Democratic nominee for president in every election since 1932 (exceptions occurred in 1956 and 1972). Indiana's 1st congressional district has elected Democratic candidates in every election since 1930.

World War II restored prosperity, as industry revived to support the war effort. Good economic times continued into the 1970s. During this period, unions helped industrial workers gain middle-class wages. In addition to attracting refugees and immigrants from Europe, black Americans and Mexicans migrated here in the postwar period in even higher numbers than in the 1910-1930 period. As minority populations exploded in such industrial cities as East Chicago and Gary, racial tensions surfaced again. Following construction of state and federal highways, development of cheaper land provided newer housing to middle-class people who could afford it. Both whites and established black families moved out of the aging industrial cities.

Recent history

Lake County's population peaked at 546,000 in 1970. Severe industrial decline took place during the 1973-1991 period, brought on by foreign competition, new management philosophies that called for major workforce reductions, and productivity gains from technology. The decline was particularly intense in the steel industry: steel employment exceeded 60,000 in the 1960s, and declined progressively to just 18,000 by 2015. Lake County's population declined 13% to bottom out at 475,000 in 1990.

The industrial decline of the 1980s cast a long shadow over Lake County: the county did not regain the level of employment it had in 1980 until 1996, after which the employment level roughly flatlined. The county's economic output peaked in 1978, and has not since recovered, remaining 15-20% below the peak after adjusting for inflation. As prosperity declined, so did the immigration that powered the county's explosive population growth before 1950: per the 2000 census, only 5.3% of Lake County's residents were foreign-born, compared to over 11% for the United States as a whole.

The population recovered somewhat during the 1990s and 2000s, as the local economy adjusted. Suburban growth has also been driven by commuter populations of workers who are employed in Chicago and commute via expressways or the South Shore Line. In 2007, it was estimated that 44,000 workers commuted from Lake County, Indiana, to Chicago for work. The decline of industrial cities and growth of suburbs has been so sharp, that by 1990 a majority of the county's population lived outside of the four traditional industrial cities. Lake County still continues to struggle with urban decline and poverty, suburban sprawl and traffic jams, and a stagnating population.

Geography

According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 626.56 sqmi, of which 498.96 sqmi (or 79.63%) is land and 127.60 sqmi (or 20.37%) is water. It is the second-largest county in total area in Indiana, but has the largest water area of all 92 counties.

The northern and southern portions of the county (north of U.S. 30 and south of Lowell) are mainly low and flat, except for a few sand ridges and dunes and were both once very marshy and had to be drained. The lowest point, at 585 ft, is along the Lake Michigan shoreline.

The central part of the county is higher and hillier. As you travel south from the low and relatively flat lake plain in the northern part of the county, the land gradually rises in elevation until the peak of the Valparaiso Moraine. The highest point, at 801 ft, is in northeastern Winfield Township near 109th Street and North Lakeshore Drive in Lakes of the Four Seasons. From here the land descends south into the Kankakee Outwash Plain until the Kankakee River is reached.

The geographic center of Lake County is approximately 200 ft northwest of Burr Street and West 113th Avenue in Center Township .

Adjacent counties

• Cook County, Illinois (northwest)
• Will County, Illinois (west)
• Kankakee County, Illinois (southwest)
• Porter County (east)
• Jasper County (southeast)
• Newton County (south)

National protected area

• Indiana Dunes National Park – also in LaPorte and Porter counties

Transit

• East Chicago Transit
• Gary Public Transportation Corporation (Broadway Metro Express)

Airports

• Gary/Chicago International Airport
• Griffith-Merrillville Airport

Major highways

Interstate 65 in Lake County is called the Casimir Pulaski Memorial Highway. Interstate 80/94/US 6 is the Frank Borman Expressway from the Illinois state line east to the Indiana Toll Road interchange in the eastern portion of the county. Interstate 94 has been referred to as the Chicago-Detroit Industrial Freeway. US 6 is part of the Grand Army of the Republic Highway. Broadway (Indiana 53) is also the Carolyn Mosby Memorial Highway. Indiana 51 is known for its entire length as the Adam Benjamin Memorial Highway. US 30 is part of the historic Lincoln Highway. US 12 from Gary eastward is part of Dunes Highway. Cline Avenue (Indiana 912) from US 12 north and westward is known as the Highway Construction Workers Memorial Highway.

Railroads

• Amtrak
• Canadian National Railway
• Chicago, Fort Wayne and Eastern Railroad
• Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad
• CSX Transportation
• Gary Railway
• Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad
• Norfolk Southern Railway
• South Shore Line

Municipalities

The municipalities in Lake County, and their populations as of the 2020 Census, are:

Cities

• Crown Point – 33,899
• East Chicago – 26,370
• Gary – 69,093
• Hammond – 77,879
• Hobart – 29,752
• Lake Station – 13,235
• Whiting – 4,559

Towns

• Cedar Lake – 14,106
• Dyer – 16,517
• Griffith – 16,528
• Highland – 23,984
• Lowell – 10,680
• Merrillville – 36,444
• Munster – 23,894
• New Chicago – 1,999
• Schererville – 29,646
• Schneider – 269
• St. John – 20,303
• Winfield – 7,181

Census-designated places

• Lake Dalecarlia – 1,332
• Lakes of the Four Seasons – 3,936 (7,091 including portion in Porter County)
• Leroy
• Ross
• Shelby – 453

Unincorporated communities

• Ainsworth
• Belshaw
• Brunswick
• Creston
• Deep River
• Deer Creek
• Klaasville
• Kreitzburg
• Leroy
• Liverpool
• New Elliott
• Orchard Grove
• Palmer
• Range Line
• Ross
• Southeast Grove

Townships

The 11 townships of Lake County, with their populations as of the 2020 Census, are:

• Calumet – 91,970
• Cedar Creek – 12,725
• Center – 38,630
• Eagle Creek – 1,719
• Hanover – 18,214
• Hobart – 40,652
• North – 156,686
• Ross – 48,529
• St. John – 68,972
• West Creek – 7,676
• Winfield – 12,927

Economy

Despite the decline of heavy industry, manufacturing was still the largest employment sector in Lake County in 2010 with over 45,000 workers employed, followed closely by healthcare and social assistance at 44,000 workers, public administration at 40,000 workers, retail trade at 37,000 workers, accommodation and food services at 25,000 workers, and construction at 15,000 workers.

Lake County's GDP in 2010 was measured at nearly $25 billion. Manufacturing was also the largest sector of the economy in economic terms, contributing over $5.8 billion to the county's GDP in 2010. It was followed by healthcare and social assistance at $2.6 billion, public administration at $2.5 billion, and retail trade at $1.9 billion. While Lake County's average income was approximately 24% higher than the national average in 1978, in 2010 Lake County had fallen significantly behind the United States as a whole, with average income being approximately 12.9% lower. The national average surpassed Lake County sometime around 1986.

Businesses with the largest number of employees in the county are:

• Americall Group, Inc. – Hobart
• Ameristar Casino – East Chicago
• BP Whiting Refinery – Whiting
• Canadian National Railway – Whiting
• Cargill – Hammond
• Cleveland-Cliffs Indiana Harbor Works – East Chicago
• Community Hospital – Munster
• Franciscan Alliance, Inc. – locations throughout the region
• Franciscan Health Hammond – Hammond (closed)
• Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana – Gary
• Horseshoe Casino – Hammond
• Majestic Star Casino – Gary (closed)
• Methodist Hospitals Northlake Campus – Merrillville
• NiSource – Merrillville
• Radisson Hotel at Star Plaza – Merrillville (closed)
• St. Catherine Hospital – East Chicago
• St. Mary Medical Center – Hobart
• Times Media Company – Munster
• Unilever – Whiting
• U.S. Steel Gary Works – Gary

Education

Public school districts

The administration of public schools in Lake County is divided among 16 corporations and governing bodies, more than any other Indiana county.

• Crown Point Community School Corporation – Center and Winfield townships
• Gary Community School Corporation – City of Gary
• Griffith Public Schools – Town of Griffith
• Hanover Community School Corporation – Hanover Township
• Lake Central School Corporation – St. John Township
• Lake Ridge Schools Corporation – unincorporated Calumet Township
• Lake Station Community Schools – City of Lake Station
• Merrillville Community School Corporation – Ross Township
• River Forest Community School Corporation – Town of New Chicago and some portions of adjacent communities
• School City of East Chicago – City of East Chicago
• School City of Hammond – City of Hammond
• School City of Hobart – City of Hobart within Hobart Township
• School City of Whiting – City of Whiting
• School Town of Highland – Town of Highland
• School Town of Munster – Town of Munster
• Tri-Creek School Corporation – Cedar Creek, Eagle Creek and West Creek townships

Private schools

Elementary and secondary schools operated by the Diocese of Gary:

• Andrean High School, Merrillville (9–12)
• Aquinas School at St. Andrew's, Merrillville (PK–8)
• Bishop Noll Institute, Hammond (9–12)
• Our Lady of Grace, Highland (PK–8)
• St. Casimir, Hammond (PK–8)
• St. John Bosco, Hammond (PK–8)
• St. John the Baptist, Whiting (PK–8)
• St. John the Evangelist, St. John (PK–8)
• St. Mary, Crown Point (PK–8)
• St. Mary, Griffith (PK–8)
• St. Michael, Schererville (PK–8)
• St. Stanislaus, East Chicago (PK–8)
• St. Thomas More, Munster (PK–8)

Other parochial and private schools:

• St. Paul's Lutheran School, Munster (PK–8)
• Trinity Lutheran School, Crown Point (PK–8)
• Trinity Lutheran School, Hobart (PK–8)

Colleges and universities

• Calumet College of St. Joseph
• Hyles–Anderson College
• Indiana University Northwest
• Ivy Tech Community College
• Purdue University Northwest{{cite news |access-date = March 5, 2016 |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160307111933/http://www.nwitimes.com/news/education/purdue-university-northwest-now-officially-exists/article_19e1f453-cc88-5336-928b-0e695d53a63a.html |archive-date = March 7, 2016
• University of Phoenix
• Indiana Wesleyan University

Public libraries

The county is served by seven different public library systems:

• Crown Point Community Library has its main location with a branch in Winfield.
• East Chicago Public Library has its main location and the Robart A. Pastrick branch.
• Gary Public Library has its main location, the Gary Public Library and Cultural Center, and the Kennedy and Woodson branches.
• Hammond Public Library
• Lake County Public Library has its main location in Merrillville as well as Cedar Lake, Dyer-Schererville, Griffith-Calumet Township, Highland, Hobart, Lake Station-New Chicago, Munster and St. John branches.
• Lowell Public Library has its main location with branches in Schneider and Shelby.
• Whiting Public Library

Hospitals

• Community Hospital, Munster – 454 beds
• Franciscan Health Crown Point, Crown Point – 203 beds (Level III Trauma Center)
• Franciscan Health Dyer, Dyer – 223 beds{{cite web |access-date = September 11, 2016 |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160920214419/https://www.franciscanhealth.org/news-and-events/news/franciscan-health-new-name-leading-hospital-system |archive-date = September 20, 2016
• Franciscan Health Munster, Munster – 63 beds
• Methodist Hospitals – 536 beds
  • Northlake Campus, Gary
  • Southlake Campus, Merrillville
• NW Indiana ER and Hospital, Hammond – 6 beds
• St. Catherine Hospital, East Chicago – 216 beds
• St. Mary Medical Center, Hobart – 215 beds
• UChicago Medicine Crown Point, Crown Point – 8 beds (opening April 2024)

Media

The Times, based in Munster, is the largest daily newspaper in Lake County and Northwest Indiana and the second largest in the state. Lake County is also served by the Post-Tribune, a daily newspaper based in Merrillville.

Lakeshore Public Television operates WYIN-TV Gary on channel 56 and is the local PBS station in the Chicago television market.

These eight broadcast radio stations serve Lake County and are part of the Chicago market:

• WJOB (1230 AM) – Hammond
• WWCA (1270 AM) – Gary
• WLTH (1370 AM) – Gary
• WLPR (89.1 FM) – Lowell
• WRTW (90.5 FM) – Crown Point
• WPWX (92.3 FM) – Hammond
• WXRD (103.9 FM) – Crown Point
• WZVN (107.1 FM) – Lowell

Climate and weather

|Jan record high F = 66 |Feb record high F = 73 |Mar record high F = 85 |Apr record high F = 91 |May record high F = 95 |Jun record high F = 104 |Jul record high F = 101 |Aug record high F = 104 |Sep record high F = 98 |Oct record high F = 92 |Nov record high F = 77 |Dec record high F = 70 |Jan record low F = −28 |Feb record low F = −23 |Mar record low F = −9 |Apr record low F = 7 |May record low F = 26 |Jun record low F = 33 |Jul record low F = 41 |Aug record low F = 38 |Sep record low F = 28 |Oct record low F = 18 |Nov record low F = 2 |Dec record low F = −29

In recent years, average temperatures in Lowell have ranged from a low of 14.4 °F in January to a high of 83.8 °F in July, although a record low of -29 °F was recorded in December 1989 and a record high of 104 °F was recorded in June 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.75 in in February to 4.69 in in June. Temperatures at or below 0 °F occur on average 11 days annually and exceed 90 °F degrees on 14 days. In winter, lake-effect snow increases snowfall totals compared to the areas to the west. In spring and early summer, the immediate shoreline areas sometimes experience lake-breeze that can drop temperatures by several degrees compared to areas further inland. In summer, thunderstorms are common, occurring an average 40–50 days every year, and on about 13 days, these thunderstorms produce severe winds.

Government

The county government is a constitutional body, and is granted specific powers by the Constitution of Indiana, and by the Indiana Code.

County Council: The county council is the legislative branch of the county government and controls all the spending and revenue collection in the county. Representatives are elected from county districts. The council members serve four-year terms. They are responsible for setting salaries, the annual budget, and special spending. The council also has limited authority to impose local taxes, in the form of an income and property tax that is subject to state level approval, excise taxes, and service taxes.

Board of Commissioners: The executive body of the county is made of a board of commissioners. The commissioners are elected county-wide, in staggered terms, and each serves a four-year term. One of the commissioners, typically the most senior, serves as president. The commissioners are charged with executing the acts legislated by the council, collecting revenue, and managing the day-to-day functions of the county government.

Court: The county maintains a small claims court that can handle some civil cases. The judge on the court is elected to a term of four years and must be a member of the Indiana Bar Association. The judge is assisted by a constable who is also elected to a four-year term. In some cases, court decisions can be appealed to the state level circuit court.

County Officials: The county has several other elected offices, including sheriff, coroner, auditor, treasurer, recorder, surveyor, and circuit court clerk Each of these elected officers serves a term of four years and oversees a different part of county government. Members elected to county government positions are required to declare party affiliations and to be residents of the county.

County elected officials

Board of Commissioners:

• Kyle W. Allen, Sr. (D, 1st)†
• Jerry J. Tippy (R, 2nd)
• Michael C. Repay (D, 3rd)

County Council:

• David Hamm (D, 1st)
• Ronald Brewer (D, 2nd)
• Charlie Brown (D, 3rd)
• Pete Lindemulder (R, 4th)
• Christine Cid (D, 5th)
• Ted F. Bilski (D, 6th)†
• Randy Niemeyer (R, 7th) Elected Officials:
• Assessor: LaTonya Spearman (D)
• Auditor: Peggy Katona (D)
• Clerk: Michael Brown (D)
• Coroner: David Pastrick (D)
• Prosecutor: Bernard A. Carter (D)
• Recorder: Gina Pimentel (D)
• Sheriff: Oscar Martinez, Jr. (D){{cite news |access-date = September 16, 2017 |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170916220400/http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/new-lake-county-sheriff-martinez-credited-experience-hammond-support-for/article_366f5e4e-b62a-5d34-a059-ca23457ed395.html |archive-date = September 16, 2017
• Surveyor: Bill Emerson, Jr. (D)
• Treasurer: John Petalas (D)

† President

Politics

While the state of Indiana is strongly Republican, having voted Republican in every election since 1964 (except in 2008), Lake County has long been a Democratic stronghold due to being part of the Chicago metropolitan area. It has given pluralities or majorities to Democrats in every presidential election since 1932 with the exceptions of 1956 and 1972. Like the rest of the Rust Belt, however, Lake County has recently trended Republican, with Donald Trump scoring the highest percentage of the vote since 1972 in the 2024 presidential election.

Lake is part of Indiana's 1st congressional district, which is held by Democrat Frank J. Mrvan. In the State Senate, Lake is part of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 6th districts, which are held by three Democrats and one Republican. In the Indiana House of Representatives, Lake is part of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 11th, 12th, 14th, 15th and 19th districts, which are held by four Democrats and four Republicans.

2008 presidential primary

In the 2008 Democratic presidential primary on May 6, 2008, Lake County was one of the last counties to report results. Lake County had reported no results at 11 p.m. ET, and at midnight ET, only 28% of Lake County's vote had been reported. A large number of absentee ballots and a record turnout delayed the tallies, and polls closed an hour later than much of the state because Lake County is in the Central Time Zone. Early returns showed Senator Barack Obama leading by a potentially lead-changing margin, leaving the race between Senator Hillary Clinton and Obama "too close to call" until final tallies were reported.

Crime

The NWI Times reported that over 800 registered sex offenders live in Lake and Porter Counties of Indiana in 2021.

Culture and contemporary life

Entertainment and the arts

• Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra, concerts held at Living Hope Church – Merrillville
• Theatre at the Center, located at the Center for Visual and Performing Arts – Munster

Major attractions

• Ameristar Casino – East Chicago
• Horseshoe Casino – Hammond
• Majestic Star Casino – Gary
• Majestic Star Casino II – Gary
• Pierogi Fest – Whiting
• Southlake Mall – Hobart
• Three Floyds Brewing – Munster

Professional sports teams

• Gary SouthShore RailCats, an American Association professional baseball team, play their games at U.S. Steel Yard in Gary.

Recreation

;List of parks and recreational facilities – Lake County Parks and Recreation

• Bellaboo's Play and Discovery Center – Lake Station
• Buckley Homestead – Lowell
• Cedar Creek Family Golf Center – Cedar Lake
• Deep River County Park – Hobart
• Deep River Waterpark – Crown Point
• Gibson Woods Nature Preserve – Hammond
• Grand Kankakee Marsh – Hebron
• Lake Etta – Gary
• Lemon Lake – Crown Point
• Oak Ridge Prairie & Oak Savannah Trail – Griffith
• Stoney Run County Park – Hebron
• Three Rivers County Park – Lake Station
• Turkey Creek Golf Course – Merrillville
• Whihala Beach – Whiting

;List of recreational facilities – Indiana Dunes National Park

• Calumet Prairie State Nature Preserve – Lake Station
• Hobart Prairie Grove – Hobart
• Hoosier Prairie State Nature Preserve – Griffith
• Paul H. Douglas Center for Environmental Education – Gary

Demographics

1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2019 | align-fn = center

Racial and ethnic composition

Racial / Ethnic Profile of places in Lake County, Indiana (2020 census)

|}

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 498,700. The median age was 39.5 years. 23.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 16.9% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 93.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 90.3 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 55.2% White, 24.9% Black or African American, 0.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5% Asian,

95.5% of residents lived in urban areas, while 4.5% lived in rural areas.

There were 195,090 households in the county, of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 42.0% were married-couple households, 19.6% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 31.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 29.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 214,775 housing units, of which 9.2% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 69.1% were owner-occupied and 30.9% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 8.0%.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 496,005 people, 188,157 households, and 127,647 families residing in the county.{{cite web |access-date=July 10, 2015 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213025910/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0500000US18089 |archive-date=February 13, 2020 |url-status=dead |access-date=July 10, 2015 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212203256/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTPH1.CY10/0500000US18089 |archive-date=February 12, 2020 |url-status=dead |access-date=July 10, 2015 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200214003649/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0400000US18%7C0500000US18089 |archive-date=February 14, 2020 |url-status=dead

Of the 188,157 households, 34.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.7% were married couples living together, 17.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 32.2% were non-families, and 27.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.19. The median age was 37.4 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $58,931. Males had a median income of $50,137 versus $33,264 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,142. About 12.2% of families and 16.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.3% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over.{{cite web |access-date=July 10, 2015 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200214003601/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0400000US18%7C0500000US18089 |archive-date=February 14, 2020 |url-status=dead

Bibliography

• {{cite book
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Notes

References

References

1. William Frederick Howat. (1915). "A Standard History of Lake County, Indiana, and the Calumet Region, Volume 1". Lewis Publishing Company.
2. Timothy Horton Ball (1873). ''Lake County, Indiana, from 1834 to 1872''. Chicago: J.W. Goodspeed. p. 5.
3. {{Cite GNIS. 450495. Lake County
4. (2013). "Palmer Quadrangle – Indiana – Lake Co.". [[United States Geological Survey]].
5. (2013). "Whiting Quadrangle – Indiana – Lake Co.". [[United States Geological Survey]].
6. "Find a County". National Association of Counties.
7. "South Shore Journal - the Historical Roots of the Nature Conservancy in the Northwest Indiana/Chicagoland Region: From Science to Preservation".
8. "South Shore Journal - Marktown: Clayton Mark's Planned Worker Community in Northwest Indiana".
9. From 1832 to 1836 the area that was to become Lake County was part of [[La Porte County]].Kenneth J. Schoon (2003). ''Calumet Beginnings: Ancient Shorelines and Settlements at the South End of Lake Michigan''. Indiana: Indiana University Press. pps. 20-23.
10. De Witt Clinton Goodrich & Charles Richard Tuttle. (1875). "An Illustrated History of the State of Indiana". R. S. Peale & Co..
11. William Frederick Howat. (1915). "A Standard History of Lake County, Indiana, and the Calumet Region, Volume 1". Lewis Publishing Company.
12. "Lake County, IN". Chicago History Museum.
13. "Northwest Indiana Regional Analysis: Demographics, Economy, Entrepreneurship and Innovation". Cleveland State University.
14. "Largest Employers in Lake County, Indiana". Lake County Economic Alliance.
15. "2020 Census - School District Reference Map: Lake County, IN". [[U.S. Census Bureau]].
16. "Page Not Found: STATS Indiana".
17. "Crown Point Community Library".
18. "East Chicago Public Library".
19. "Gary Public Library".
20. "Hammond Public Library".
21. "Lake County Public Library".
22. "Lowell Public Library".
23. "Whiting Public Library".
24. "Hospital Facility Directory for Lake County". Indiana Department of Health.
25. "Trauma Centers in Indiana". Indiana Department of Health.
26. (February 26, 2024). "UChicago Medicine's new Crown Point multispecialty care facility opens April 29".
27. "NCDC: U.S. Climate Normals". [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]].
28. "Average annual snowfall for the Midwest region".
29. (March 1, 2001). "Lake Michigan Lake Breezes: Climatology, Local Forcing, and Synoptic Environment". Journal of Applied Meteorology.
30. Service, National Weather. "NWS JetStream - Thunderstorms".
31. "Archived copy".
32. Indiana Code. "Title 36, Article 2, Section 3". IN.gov.
33. Indiana Code. "Title 2, Article 10, Section 2". IN.gov.
34. "US Congressman Pete Visclosky". US Congress.
35. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".
36. (May 6, 2008). "Awaiting one county". CNN.
37. (June 2016)
38. "Clinton's Indiana win keeps Democratic race alive - CNN.com".
39. "GALLERY: Registered sex offenders in Valparaiso".
40. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau.
41. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau.
42. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library.
43. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau.
44. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000". United States Census Bureau.
45. "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Lake County, Indiana".
46. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Lake County, Indiana". [[United States Census Bureau]].
47. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Lake County, Indiana". [[United States Census Bureau]].
48. "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – United States by State and Territory".
49. "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: Dec Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Indiana". [[United States Census Bureau]].
50. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Crown Point city, Indiana".
51. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – East Chicago city, Indiana".
52. "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Gary city, Indiana".
53. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Hammond city, Indiana".
54. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Hobart city, Indiana".
55. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Lake Station city, Indiana".
56. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Whiting city, Indiana".
57. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Cedar Lake town, Indiana".
58. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Dyer town, Indiana".
59. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Griffith town, Indiana".
60. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Highland town, Indiana".
61. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Lowell town, Indiana".
62. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Merrillville town, Indiana". [[United States Census Bureau]].
63. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Munster town, Indiana".
64. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – New Chicago town, Indiana".
65. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Schererville town, Indiana".
66. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Schneider town, Indiana".
67. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – St. John town, Indiana".
68. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Winfield town, Indiana".
69. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Lake Dalecarlia CDP, Indiana".
70. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Lakes of the Four Seasons CDP, Indiana".
71. partly in [[Porter County, Indiana. Porter County]]
72. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Shelby CDP, Indiana".
73. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)".
74. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)".
75. (2023). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)".
76. U.S. Census Bureau. 2008-2012 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table DP03, Selected Economic Characteristics. [https://www.census.gov U.S. Census website] . Retrieved June 14, 2014.
77. U.S. Census Bureau. 2008-2012 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table DP04, Selected Housing Characteristics. [https://www.census.gov U.S. Census website] . Retrieved June 14, 2014.