East Chicago, Indiana Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
East Chicago, IN Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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F
Health Well below average
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F
Income Well below average
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F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | East Chicago | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 24,991 | 6,845,048 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 1688.5 | 188.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -1.18% | 0.47% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 37.3 | 35.9 | 37.3 |
| Households | 9,500 | 2,713,821 | 130,235,071 |
Population in East Chicago declined by 12.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 24,991 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in East Chicago is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 23.0% of residents. That is 0.8 points above Indiana as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 5,757 23.0% +0.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 5,372 21.5% +0.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 4,803 19.2% -0.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,159 12.6% -4.1 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Indiana, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.9% of the people living in East Chicago and men 48.1%.
- Women 51.9% Indiana 50.4%
- Men 48.1% Indiana 49.6%
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100% of everyone living in East Chicago
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Economy
East Chicago has a the economy index of F, which means it scores poorly in the economy.
| Metric | East Chicago | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $42,351 | $71,967 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.21% | 4.54% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 7.7% | 4.3% | 5.2% |
The median household income in East Chicago is about 41% lower than in Indiana.
Housing
| Metric | East Chicago | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $96,152 | $142,738 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $853 | $1,062 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 43.4% | 70.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in East Chicago is about 9.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $853 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in East Chicago spend about 37 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 152 hours, about 6.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | East Chicago | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.3 | 21.1 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 36.5 | 42.2 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 152 | 176 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,718 | $5,455 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 4.3% | 10.7% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,508 | 8,333 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,898 | 1,308 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in East Chicago is 18 minutes, shorter than the 21 minutes in Indiana.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
East Chicago has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | East Chicago | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 10.3% | 26.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.54 | 2.45 | 2.53 |
Health
East Chicago has a health index of F, which means it scores poorly in health.
| Metric | East Chicago | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 73.8 | 77.4 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 32.3% | 17.1% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 26.7% | 22.4% | 19.0% |
East Chicago, IN Compared With Nearby Cities
East Chicago, IN is the 3rd largest of the 4 cities compared here, 24,991 residents against a local median of 34,245. Where East Chicago, IN breaks from the cities next to it is median household income, sitting 26% below the local median of $57,106 at $42,351. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 18.3 min against a local median of 22.3 min, 18% below it. The picture is mixed rather than uniform: commute runs ahead of the neighbourhood while median household income runs behind it, so East Chicago, IN is trading one against the other rather than simply out-performing what surrounds it. The cities themselves spread $22,436 on median household income, so East Chicago, IN sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. East Chicago, IN has the 4th highest median household income of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Chicago, IN | 24,991 | $42,351 #4/4 | $96,152 #3/4 | 18.3 min #1/4 |
| Hammond, IN | 76,072 | $56,237 | $61,008 | 22.3 min |
| Highland, IN | 23,705 | $78,673 | $211,315 | 20.9 min |
| Calumet City, IL | 34,245 | $57,106 | $113,588 | 31.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about East Chicago, Indiana.
What is the population of East Chicago, Indiana?
About 24,991 people live in East Chicago, Indiana, in 9,500 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 37.3, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is East Chicago, Indiana?
Averaged over its land area, East Chicago, Indiana has 1,689 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 20 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is East Chicago, Indiana an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 2.3 times the median household income ($96,152 against $42,351), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $853 a month takes about 24% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in East Chicago, Indiana?
Unemployment in East Chicago, Indiana is 7.7%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
How educated are people in East Chicago, Indiana?
10.3% of adults in East Chicago, Indiana hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 10), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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