Porter County, Indiana: commercial real estate data.
Porter County, Indiana had an estimated 175,860 residents on July 1, 2024, up 1.5 percent since the 2020 census base of 173,224, across 418 square miles. County output reached $9.88 bn in 2024, 3,734 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 206 7(a) approvals worth $91.9 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Porter County
How many people live in Porter County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024174,818
- Households68,639
- Average household size2.55
- Median household income$87,972
- Median age40.8
- Median gross rent$1,219 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$281,500
- Home value to household income3.2 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income16.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher31.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree11.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over122,392
- Population under 1837,321
- Share under 1821.3 percent
- Population 65 and over31,953
- Share 65 and over18.3 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64105,544
- Civilian labor force89,358
- Unemployment rate4.7 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over65.0 percent
- Rank by population among Indiana counties10th of 92
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included392nd of 3,222
Porter County is the 10th largest of 92 Indiana counties by population. A median home costs 3.2 times median household income, which is moderately unaffordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 21.3 percent against 18.3 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Porter County
Is Porter County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 2024175,860
- Census 2020 base population173,224
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.52 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024571
- Births, 20241,635
- Deaths, 20241,818
- Natural change, 2024-183
- Net domestic migration, 2024549
- Net international migration, 2024206
- Total net migration, 2024755
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20242,783
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1328th of 3,144
The county has grown 1.52 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 and the population still grew, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Porter County
Where are people moving to Porter County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving4,631
- People arriving, from those returns8,105
- Tax returns filed by households leaving4,565
- Net household movement66
- Adjusted gross income arriving$316.5 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$14.4 m
- Average income of an arriving household$68,353
- Average income of a leaving household$66,177
- Largest single originLake County (1,857 households)
- Largest single destinationLake County (1,314 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake County | 1,857 | 3,275 | $111.7 m |
| Cook County | 516 | 902 | $46.1 m |
| LaPorte County | 422 | 784 | $27.1 m |
| Jasper County | 96 | 168 | $5.3 m |
| Will County | 93 | 165 | $6.6 m |
| Marion County | 70 | 104 | $3.8 m |
| St. Joseph County | 66 | 125 | $4.9 m |
| DuPage County | 63 | 112 | $9.2 m |
Households arriving report $2,176 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around. The largest single source of arrivals is Lake County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Porter County
What is the Porter County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$9.88 bn
- County GDP, 2023$9.68 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20242.0 percent
- GDP change over five years38.4 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Indiana areas BEA publishes10th of 92
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes444th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$56,489
Output grew 2.0 percent in the latest year and 38.4 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Porter County
Employment by industry in Porter County
- Covered employment, annual average63,768
- Establishments reporting4,215
- Average annual pay$58,217
- Average weekly wage$1,120
- Health care and social assistance, employment9,735
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$58,188
- Manufacturing, employment9,713
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$88,224
- Retail trade, employment7,165
- Retail trade, average annual pay$35,432
- Accommodation and food services, employment6,677
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$21,897
- Construction, employment4,796
- Professional, scientific and technical services, employment3,237
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 9,735 | 452 | $58,188 |
| Manufacturing | 9,713 | 184 | $88,224 |
| Retail trade | 7,165 | 434 | $35,432 |
| Accommodation and food services | 6,677 | 359 | $21,897 |
| Construction | 4,796 | 413 | $86,298 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 3,237 | 563 | $66,511 |
| Other services, except public administration | 2,588 | 346 | $36,723 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 2,426 | 241 | $49,346 |
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 9,735 jobs, 15.3 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Porter County
How many businesses are in Porter County?
- Establishments, all industries3,734
- Employment at those establishments55,789
- Annual payroll$3.12 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents21.4
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Porter County
Building permits in Porter County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 2024556
- Declared construction value permitted$204.1 m
- Single family units authorized556
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$367,153
- Units authorized per 1,000 households8.1
Single-family homes are 100.0 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Porter County
SBA loans in Porter County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded206
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$91.9 m
- Average 7(a) approval$446,237
- Median 7(a) approval$153,900
- 10th percentile approval$30,950
- 90th percentile approval$993,350
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)2,264
- Jobs per approval11.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active41
- Distinct industries receiving approvals91
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer17.5 percent
- Loans on real estate terms36
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter154
- Franchise loans38
- Franchise share of approvals18.4 percent
- Leading industry by approval countLimited-Service Restaurants (16)
- Most active lenderCentier Bank (56)
- 504 approvals recorded134
- 504 gross approval dollars$73.9 m
- Average 504 approval$551,784
- Median 504 approval$317,500
- Distinct CDCs active5
- 504 jobs per approval7.9
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved14.4
- Most active CDCRegional Development Company (109)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$165.9 m
The average approval of $446,237 sits well above the median of $153,900, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 17.5 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Porter County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Porter County
Do SBA loans in Porter County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded43
- Paid in full41
- Charged off2
- Charge-off rate on resolved loans4.7 percent
- Status: Exempt from disclosure123
- Status: Paid in full41
- Status: Charged off2
- Status: Cancelled28
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed12
Of the 43 loans that have reached a final outcome, 4.7 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Porter County
SBA lending by place in Porter County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending14
- Valparaiso, approvals104
- Chesterton, approvals39
- Portage, approvals37
- Kouts, approvals6
- Hebron, approvals6
- Michigan City, approvals2
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Valparaiso | 104 | $34,101,000 |
| Chesterton | 39 | $14,630,000 |
| Portage | 37 | $36,766,600 |
| Kouts | 6 | $800,100 |
| Hebron | 6 | $660,000 |
| Michigan City | 2 | $1,125,000 |
| Burns Harbor | 2 | $975,000 |
| Porter | 2 | $535,200 |
| 6 other borrower cities | 8 | $2,331,900 |
Valparaiso accounts for 104 approvals against 39 in Chesterton. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Porter County
How large is Porter County?
- Land area418 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Indiana counties29th of 92
- Width, east to west15.2 mi
- Height, north to south33.9 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary3
- Residents per square mile of land418
- Establishments per square mile8.93
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Porter County
Flood risk in Porter County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Porter County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 180425
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book11
- Of those, participating in the NFIP11
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Porter County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Porter County (community 180425), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Porter County in radon zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 100.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Porter County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Porter County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024174,818
- Households68,639
- Average household size2.55
- Median household income$87,972
- Median age40.8
Common questions
Porter County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Porter County, Indiana?
The Census Bureau estimates 175,860 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 174,818, in 68,639 households, ranking 10th of 92 Indiana counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Porter County's population growing?
The population has grown 1.52 percent since the 2020 census base of 173,224, to 175,860 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 1,635 births against 1,818 deaths, with net migration of 755. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Porter County?
$87,972. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $281,500, which is 3.2 times income, and median gross rent is $1,219 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Porter County?
3,734 establishments, employing 55,789 people with an annual payroll of $3.12 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Porter County?
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 9,735 jobs, 15.3 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 63,768 jobs at an average annual pay of $58,217, or $1,120 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Porter County?
206 7(a) approvals totaling $91.9 m since FY2020, across 41 lenders, with a median approval of $153,900, plus 134 504 approvals worth $73.9 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Porter County get paid back?
Of the 43 loans that have reached a final outcome, 41 were paid in full and 2 charged off, a charge-off rate of 4.7 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
How many building permits were issued in Porter County?
556 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $204.1 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Porter County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Porter County come from?
The largest single origin is Lake County, with 1,857 households. Arriving households report an average income of $68,353 against $66,177 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Porter County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Porter County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Porter County
Cities and places in Porter.
20 Census places lie wholly or partly in Porter County. All 20 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portage | city | 38,082 | 37 | Wholly in this county |
| Valparaiso | city | 34,733 | 104 | Wholly in this county |
| Chesterton | town | 14,446 | 39 | Wholly in this county |
| Lakes of the Four Seasons | CDP | 7,402 | None recorded | 49.8 percent here, 50.2 percent Lake County |
| South Haven | CDP | 7,241 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Porter | town | 5,217 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Hebron | town | 3,976 | 6 | Wholly in this county |
| Shorewood Forest | CDP | 3,263 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Kouts | town | 2,372 | 6 | Wholly in this county |
| Burns Harbor | town | 2,155 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Salt Creek Commons | CDP | 1,843 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Aberdeen | CDP | 1,490 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Ogden Dunes | town | 1,140 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Beverly Shores | town | 650 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Lake Eliza | CDP | 545 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Town of Pines | town | 530 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Dune Acres | town | 293 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Wheeler | CDP | 283 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Malden | CDP | 137 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Boone Grove | CDP | 30 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 8 of the county's 206 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Porter County, the largest being Michigan City (2), Valaparaiso (2), Crown Point (2). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.
Nearby