Demographic Trends  1990-2000

From 1990 to 2000, northwestern Indiana experienced positive demographic and economic changes. Growth in the region reversed the negative trends of the decade from 1980 and 1990 which were primarily due to the rapid restructuring of the region’s steel industry. Population in the three county region increased from 711,592 in 1990 to 741,468 or 1.9 percent in 2000. By county from 1990 to 2000, Lake increased 1.9 percent to 484,564.  Porter increased 13.9 percent to 146,798, and LaPorte increased to 110,106 or 2.8 percent. Of the 29,876 person increase, 30 percent was in Lake , 60 percent was in Porter and the remaining 10 percent was in LaPorte County.

Throughout northwestern Indiana the in-migration trends, prevalent even during the difficult 1980-1990 decade, continued from 1990-2000. There were 61,791 persons who moved into northwestern Indiana from a different state from 1995 to 2000. Of the persons who moved in from another state, 41,457 or 67 percent settled in Lake County , 13,434 or 22 percent in Porter County and 6,900 or 11 percent in LaPorte County . A substantial increase occurred from 1990 to 2000 in the number of foreign born persons living the region who entered the United States during the decade. In 1990, there were 3,383 foreign born region residents who entered the United States from 1985 to 1990. By 2000, the number of foreign born persons living in the region who entered the United States since 1995 totaled 9,772, an increase of 188 percent from 1990.

New residents to the region and those relocating within the area occupied many of the 40,566 housing units constructed in northwest Indiana from 1990 to 2000. During the decade there were 20,781 housing units constructed in Lake , 13,426 in Porter and 6,359 in LaPorte. The three county region had 298,229 housing units in 2000 with 277,332 or 93 percent of the total units occupied. In 2000, there were 125,249 owner occupied units in Lake , 41,894 in Porter, and 30,861 in LaPorte. Renter occupied units totaled 56,384 in Lake , 12,755 in Porter, and 10,189 in LaPorte. The median value of owner occupied units in 2000 in Lake county was $97,500, $127,000 in Porter, and $93,500 in LaPorte. For renter occupied units the median rent in 2000 was $544 in Lake , $625 in Porter, and $495 in LaPorte.     

During the 1990 to 2000 decade the region experienced the continued aging of the population. The median age of the population in 2000 was 35.9 in Lake , 36.3 in Porter, and 37.1 in LaPorte, all higher than the median age which ranged from 32.7 to 34.2 in 1990. In 2000, the age composition of the region’s population was very similar to 1990, with persons under 18 accounting for 26 percent of the population, those 18 to 64 comprising 61 percent and persons 65 and over accounting for 13 percent of the total. While all three counties experienced aging from 1990 to 2000, the changes were not as dramatic as the changes from 1980 when the median age was 28 and the proportion of the total population under 18 was 31 percent and persons over 65, 8 percent.  

Changes from 1990 to 2000 are primarily the result of less out-migration, continued in-migration and the aging of the “baby boom” generation whose significant impact on the 65 and over cohort is yet to come. By 2020, it is projected that 1 in 6 persons in the region will be elderly. From 1990 to 2000 annual births in the three county region decreased from 10,701 to 10,307 and annual deaths increased from 6,235 to 7,066. Lake and LaPorte counties each experienced 6 percent decline in total births from 1990 to 2000. In Porter county, which had the largest population growth from 1990 to 2000, total births increased 12.7 percent over the period. All three counties experienced increases in total deaths from 1990 to 2000 with an increase of 11.7 percent in Lake , 13.3 percent in LaPorte and 21.1 percent in Porter. The continuation of these vital trends will diminish the effect of natural increase and migration will be most significant component of population change.     

In 2000, the population of northwest Indiana was 29.6 percent minority, those persons other than White Non-Hispanics. The minority population of the region varied from 39.4 percent in Lake , 15.2 percent in LaPorte, to 7.8 percent in Porter. Examining the population by race, the region was 75.3 percent White; 18.2 Black or African American; 1.1 percent Asian, American Indian, Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian, or Other Pacific Islander; 3.7 percent Other; and 1.7 percent Two or more races. 

The multirace category of two or more was first tabulated in Census 2000. Persons of Hispanic origin, who may be of any race, accounted for 9.4 percent of the population. For the two largest minority groups, Blacks or African American and Hispanics, the region exhibits geographic concentrations. Blacks or African Americans comprised 25.3 percent of the population of Lake , 10.1 percent of the LaPorte population and .9 percent of the population in Porter. As in 1990, over 90 percent of the Black or African American population of northwest Indiana lived in Lake County , 8.2 percent in LaPorte County , and .1 percent in Porter County . Hispanics represented 12.2 percent of the population of Lake , 4.8 percent of Porter, and 3.1 percent of the LaPorte population. It is significant to note that in 1990 more than half of all Hispanics in Indiana lived in northwest Indiana . This proportion dropped to one-third by 2000 despite the 1990 to 2000 growth of the region’s Hispanic population to 69,609 or 39 percent. The Hispanic population, which was concentrated over 90 percent in Lake county in 1990, had dispersed throughout the region by 2000 with 84.9 percent in Lake , 10.2 percent in Porter, and 4.9 percent in LaPorte.

Income data in 2000 for northwestern Indiana showed recovery from the  severe economic conditions of the 1980’s. In contrast to 1990 when region incomes adjusted for inflation were lower than 1980, incomes in 2000 were significantly higher than 1990 incomes adjusted for inflation.  Median household income in 2000 was $41,829 in Lake county, $41,430 in LaPorte, and $53,100 in Porter. Median family income in 2000 was $50,131 in Lake county, $49,872 in LaPorte, and $61,880 in Porter. After 1990, steadily improving economic conditions, very low inflation, expanding employment opportunities, population growth and welfare reform contributed to income growth in the region. In 2000, there were 70,875 persons below poverty in northwest Indiana . By county, 12.2 percent of persons were below poverty in Lake , 5.9 percent in Porter, and 8.7 percent in LaPorte. From 1990 to 2000, persons below poverty in the region dropped 14.2 percent or 11,743 persons from the 82,618 persons below poverty in 1990.

In 2000, the regional labor force, those workers residing in northwest Indiana , totaled 361,012. Unemployment, which climbed as high as 15.3 in 1983, declined to 6.3 in 2000. During the 1990 to 2000 decade northwest Indiana appears to have recovered from a severe and prolonged period of economic recession with a better integrated economy having a potentially more sustainable and diverse base. The devastating impact that the enormous loss of employment in the goods producing sector had on the regional economy in the period from 1980 to 1990, was replaced by economic growth in new and expanding sectors from 1990 to 2000. Region residents with occupations in production and related fields totaled 105,318 in 2000, a decline of 8.2 percent or 9,424 workers since 1990. Workers with occupations in the sales and clerical fields increased 3.8 percent from 1990, reaching 89,077 workers in 2000. Region residents in professional and service occupations exhibited the largest increases from 1990 to 2000. Persons in the region with service occupations increased 10,108 or 23.7 percent from 1990 to 2000 reaching 52,638 in 2000. Professional, executive and managerial occupations exhibited the largest growth for region residents totaling 90,753 workers in 2000, an increase of 22,631 or 33.2 percent from 1990 to 2000.

Resident workers by industrial sector also exhibited significant changes from 1990 to 2000, primarily with declines in the manufacturing sector and growth in the trade, entertainment and service sectors. From 1990 to 2000 region residents working in the manufacturing sector declined by 11,474 workers or 14.3 percent to 69,045 workers in 2000. In 1990, 25.8 percent of residents worked in the manufacturing sector and this declined to 20.5 percent by 2000. In the trade and entertainment sectors, which includes the five riverboat casinos opened since 1997, residents with employment in these sectors increased 15.8 percent or 10,988 from 1990 to 2000, reaching 80,214 workers in 2000. Region residents with jobs in service sector industries, including business, professional, health, personal, social and educational services, grew to 107,232 in 2000, an increase of 15.5 percent or 14,351 workers since 1990. By 2000, 23.8 percent of region residents worked in the trade and entertainment sectors and 31.8 percent worked in service sector industries. The number of workers in the remaining industrial sectors showed few changes from 1990 to 2000. The finance, insurance and real estate sector accounted for 5.1 percent or 17,119 resident workers; transportation, communication and utilities increased slightly to 8.2 percent or 27,787 workers; the public administration sector remained constant at 3.5 percent of workers; and construction showed a slight increase to 6.9 percent or 23,489 the region’s employed. 

The demographic and economic changes experienced in northwestern Indiana from 1990 to 2000 have resulted changes in the journey to work for region residents. Journey to work data released from Census 2000 on worker trips show an increase in travel time to work for residents of all three counties. Mean travel time rose from 23.8 minutes in 1990 to 27.1 minutes in 2000 for Lake county residents; from 23.5 minutes in 1990 to 25.9 minutes in 2000 for Porter county workers; and from 19.5 minutes in 1990 to 22.0 minutes in 2000 for workers residing in LaPorte county. By mode, in 2000, 82.2 percent of workers living in the region drove alone compared to 79.9 percent in 1990. Workers who carpooled were 12.0 percent in 1990 and 10.3 percent in 2000. Public transportation to work was used by 2.8 percent of workers in 1990 and 2.4 percent in 2000. Workers who walked or worked at home increased to 5.0 percent or 16,730 workers in 2000, from 1.7 percent or 5,310 workers in 1990.     

Additional Information Websites

The following websites offer additional information regarding demographic and economic data. Additional demographic and economic data website links can be found on the NIRPC related links page. Click here to proceed to the related links page or scroll down and click on the arrow at the bottom of this page.