East Chicago

Population: 26,158
Median household income: $41,071
Median home value: $92,400

Located in Lake County, Indiana, East Chicago is a community with a population of 26,158. The median household income of $41,071 is below the Lake County median ($68,985).

From 2019 to 2023, East Chicago's population declined 7.2% from 28,201 to 26,158, while its median home value rose 24.0% from $74,500 to $92,400.

75.7% of workers drive to work alone. 42.8% of homes are single-family detached houses.

Demographics

ACS 2019–2023

Population: 26,158
Median age: 36.5 yrs
Median household income: $41,071
Median home value: $92,400
Median gross rent: $820
Housing units: 12,429
Homeownership rate: 44.1%
Bachelor's degree or higher: 9.9%
Unemployment rate: 7.9%

Trends

ACS 5-year · 2019–2023

Population

28,20126,158

Median household income

$32,839$41,071

Median home value

$74,500$92,400

Median gross rent

$686$820

Year	Population	Median household income	Median home value	Median gross rent
2019	28,201	$32,839	$74,500	$686
2020	28,044	$35,396	$73,100	$658
2021	26,502	$37,807	$76,200	$710
2022	26,363	$39,434	$84,900	$779
2023	26,158	$41,071	$92,400	$820

Each year is a US Census Bureau ACS 5-year estimate ending that year.

Age distribution

Under 56.1%

5 to 1719.7%

18 to 249.2%

25 to 3412.4%

35 to 4413.7%

45 to 5412.9%

55 to 6411.1%

65 to 748.6%

75 and over6.2%

	Count	Share
Under 5	1,589	6.1%
5 to 17	5,159	19.7%
18 to 24	2,405	9.2%
25 to 34	3,256	12.4%
35 to 44	3,576	13.7%
45 to 54	3,380	12.9%
55 to 64	2,914	11.1%
65 to 74	2,255	8.6%
75 and over	1,624	6.2%

Race & ethnicity

	Count	Share
White (non-Hispanic)	1,716	6.6%
Black or African American	9,531	36.4%
American Indian & Alaska Native	0	0.0%
Asian	31	0.1%
Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Some other race	31	0.1%
Two or more races	79	0.3%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	14,770	56.5%

Educational attainment (age 25+)

No high school diploma26.3%

High school graduate39.7%

Some college or associate's24.1%

Bachelor's degree6.5%

Graduate or professional degree3.4%

	Count	Share
No high school diploma	4,470	26.3%
High school graduate	6,747	39.7%
Some college or associate's	4,102	24.1%
Bachelor's degree	1,104	6.5%
Graduate or professional degree	582	3.4%

Commute to work

Mean travel time to work: 22 min

Drove alone75.7%

Carpooled16.3%

Public transit0.8%

Walked2.2%

Bicycle0.6%

Worked from home3.9%

Other means0.5%

How workers get to work

	Count	Share
Drove alone	7,752	75.7%
Carpooled	1,667	16.3%
Public transit	87	0.8%
Walked	223	2.2%
Bicycle	60	0.6%
Worked from home	399	3.9%
Other means	56	0.5%

Travel time

	Count	Share
Under 15 min	3,843	39.0%
15 to 29 min	2,843	28.9%
30 to 44 min	1,674	17.0%
45 to 59 min	894	9.1%
60+ min	591	6.0%

Households

Average household size: 2.61
Poverty rate: 27.0% (7,030 of 26,002)

	Count	Share
Family households	5,677	56.8%
Nonfamily households	4,310	43.2%

Housing

Median year structure built: 1942

Occupancy

	Count	Share
Occupied	9,987	80.4%
Vacant	2,442	19.6%

Tenure (of occupied units)

	Count	Share
Owner-occupied	4,403	44.1%
Renter-occupied	5,584	55.9%

1-unit, detached42.8%

1-unit, attached7.4%

2 to 4 units26.4%

5 to 19 units16.3%

20 or more units6.9%

Mobile home & other0.3%

Units in structure

	Count	Share
1-unit, detached	5,317	42.8%
1-unit, attached	919	7.4%
2 to 4 units	3,280	26.4%
5 to 19 units	2,021	16.3%
20 or more units	855	6.9%
Mobile home & other	37	0.3%

Geography

Place GEOID: 1819486
Type (LSAD): 25
Land area: 14 sq mi
Water area: 0.69 sq mi
Center point: 41.6481, -87.4529