Porter County, Indiana Income Statistics
Porter County Wealth Score
The wealth index reflects the overall economic prosperity and financial well-being of a county's residents based on income levels, employment rates, and income inequality metrics.
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B
Porter County Around averageWealthier than 91% of counties in Indiana
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Porter County | Indiana Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $86,949 | $71,967 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $63,826 | $55,757 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 3.7% | 4.5% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 14.4% | 10.2% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 11.2% | 8.2% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Porter County is about 21% higher than in Indiana. Income has been growing slower in Porter County (3.7%/yr) than in Indiana (4.5%/yr).
About 14% of adults in Porter County earn six figures ($100,000 or more) a year, higher than the Indiana average of 10%.
Median Household Income 2009–2024 Trend
Median Household Income Over Time
Median household income in Porter County, Indiana grew by 42.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $86,949 in 2024. That's an average of about 3.7% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Porter County
| Metric | Porter County | Indiana Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.543 | 0.534 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $77,543 | $65,086 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $53,911 | $51,220 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 30.5% | 21.3% | 18.4% |
The Gini coefficient measures how evenly income is shared between richer and poorer households, from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns nearly everything). The lower the number, the more equally income is distributed. In Porter County, it is 0.543, higher than Indiana's 0.534, so income is less evenly distributed here than there, and lower than the US's 0.552, so income is more evenly distributed here than there.
Men's income is about 44% more than women's income in Porter County, Indiana. Over a 35-year career, a 44% wage gap accumulates to roughly $827,120 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Porter County, Indiana has narrowed from about 41% to 30% in 2024. In dollar terms, the gap has narrowed by $1,059 since 2009.
Employment
| Metric | Porter County | Indiana Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 4.7% | 4.3% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 9.5% | 10.7% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 25 | 21 | 22 |
Approximately 4,194 people are unemployed in Porter County, Indiana.
The average commute time in Porter County is 25 minutes, longer than the 21 minutes in Indiana.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Porter County, Indiana has fallen from 7.7% to 4.7% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 8.7% in 2013 and fell as low as 4.2% in 2022.
Porter County, IN Wealth Compared With Nearby Counties
Porter County, IN is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 174,798 residents against a local median of 33,234. Where Porter County, IN breaks from the counties next to it is income growth, sitting 24% below the local median of 4.8%/yr at 3.7%/yr. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $86,949 against a local median of $70,422, 23% above it. The picture is mixed rather than uniform: median household income runs ahead of the neighbourhood while income growth runs behind it, so Porter County, IN is trading one against the other rather than simply out-performing what surrounds it. The counties themselves sit within 0.6%/yr of each other on income growth, a tighter band than the gap between any of them and Porter County, IN, which makes it a genuine outlier here rather than one end of a wide local spread. Porter County, IN has the 6th highest income growth of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Income growthAverage yearly change in median household income since 2016. Each year is measured in its own dollars, so this is growth before inflation. | Unemployment | Income inequalityGini coefficient: 0 would mean every household earns the same, 1 that a single household earns everything. The lower the number, the more equally income is shared here. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Porter County, IN | 174,798 | $86,949 #1/6 | 3.7%/yr #6/6 | 4.7% #3/6 | 0.543 #4/6 |
| Lake County, IN | 498,291 | $71,540 | 4.4%/yr | 6.1% | 0.553 |
| LaPorte County, IN | 111,917 | $70,422 | 4.8%/yr | 4.8% | 0.558 |
| Starke County, IN | 23,365 | $63,863 | 5.0%/yr | 3.4% | 0.535 |
| Jasper County, IN | 33,234 | $77,979 | 4.4%/yr | 4.9% | 0.534 |
| Pulaski County, IN | 12,441 | $65,446 | 4.9%/yr | 1.8% | 0.515 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Porter County, Indiana has an overall wealth index grade of B, making it somewhat better than Indiana, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about income and wealth in Porter County, Indiana.
How Rich Is Porter County, Indiana?
Porter County has a wealth index grade of B. The wealth index grades areas from A+ (best) to F- by combining income levels, employment rates, and income inequality; a B grade means residents are quite well off compared to the U.S. average. The median household income is $86,949, about 21% higher than the Indiana average of $71,967.
How has median household income changed in Porter County, Indiana?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Porter County, Indiana rose 43%, from $60,902 to $86,949. Over the same years, income here lagged behind Indiana as a whole: +43% against +52%.
What was the median household income in Porter County in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Porter County, Indiana was $85,504, up 4% from $82,549 in 2022. The Indiana median that year was $70,115.
What was the median household income in Porter County in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Porter County, Indiana was $72,486. By 2024 it had risen 20% to $86,949.
Do many residents of Porter County, Indiana earn over $100,000?
Yes. 14% of adults in Porter County, Indiana earn $100,000 or more a year (about 1 in 7), against 10% (about 1 in 10) in Indiana. 11% of households have a combined income of $200,000 or more, compared with 8% in Indiana.
What is the Gini coefficient in Porter County, Indiana?
The Gini coefficient in Porter County is 0.543. It measures income inequality on a scale from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns everything). That is lower than the US average of 0.552, so income is distributed more equally than in the country overall.
How has the income gap between men and women changed in Porter County, Indiana?
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Porter County, Indiana has narrowed from about 41% to 30% in 2024. In dollar terms, the gap has narrowed by $1,059 since 2009.
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