Merrillville, Indiana Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Merrillville, 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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B
Health Around average
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C
Income Below average
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Merrillville | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 39,705 | 6,845,048 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 1193.5 | 188.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.37% | 0.47% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.8 | 35.9 | 37.3 |
| Households | 16,655 | 2,713,821 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Merrillville grew by 10.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 39,705 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Merrillville is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.5% of residents. That is 2.0 points above Indiana as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 8,219 20.7% -1.5 pts
- Millennials 29–44 8,161 20.6% -0.6 pts
- Gen X 45–60 8,525 21.5% +2.0 pts
- Boomers 61–79 6,726 16.9% +0.2 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 51.5% of the people living in Merrillville and men 48.5%.
- Women 51.5% Indiana 50.4%
- Men 48.5% Indiana 49.6%
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Economy
Merrillville has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Merrillville | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $67,875 | $71,967 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.16% | 4.54% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 7.4% | 4.3% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Merrillville is about 6% lower than in Indiana.
Housing
| Metric | Merrillville | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $86,941 | $142,738 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,307 | $1,062 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 70.3% | 70.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Merrillville is about 5.5 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,307 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Merrillville spend about 51 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 213 hours, about 8.9 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Merrillville | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 25.5 | 21.1 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 51.1 | 42.2 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 213 | 176 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,598 | $5,455 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 6.9% | 10.7% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 17,524 | 8,333 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,359 | 1,308 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Merrillville is 26 minutes, longer 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
Merrillville has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Merrillville | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.8% | 26.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.33 | 2.45 | 2.53 |
Health
Merrillville has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Merrillville | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.3 | 77.4 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 17.8% | 17.1% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 19.3% | 22.4% | 19.0% |
Merrillville, IN Compared With Nearby Cities
How Merrillville, IN compares with the 2 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merrillville, IN | 39,705 | $67,875 #3/3 | $86,941 #3/3 | 25.5 min #3/3 |
| Hobart, IN | 28,846 | $73,982 | $226,092 | 23.2 min |
| Crown Point, IN | 27,138 | $99,303 | $255,189 | 25.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Merrillville, Indiana.
What is the population of Merrillville, Indiana?
About 39,705 people live in Merrillville, Indiana, in 16,655 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 42.8, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
How densely populated is Merrillville, Indiana?
Averaged over its land area, Merrillville, Indiana has 1,194 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 14 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Merrillville, Indiana?
The median home costs 1.3 times the median household income ($86,941 against $67,875), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,307 a month takes about 23% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Merrillville, Indiana?
Unemployment in Merrillville, Indiana is 7.4%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
How common is a college degree in Merrillville, Indiana?
22.8% of adults in Merrillville, Indiana hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 4), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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