Porter County, Indiana: commercial real estate data.
Porter County, Indiana has a population of 174,818 across 418 square miles, up 1.5 percent since the 2020 census base. 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.
123 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Porter County
How many people live in Porter County
- Population174,818
- 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-equivalents392nd
Porter County is the 10th largest of 92 Indiana counties by population. A median home costs 3.2 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market 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 growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.52 percent
- Census 2020 base population173,224
- 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
The county has grown 1.52 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone 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 people moving to Porter County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving4,631
- People arriving, from those returns8,105
- Adjusted gross income arriving$316.5 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$68,353
- Largest single originPorter County Non-migrants (68,153 households)
- Largest single destination (68,153 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Porter County Non-migrants | 68,153 | 138,633 | $6.43 bn |
| Lake County | 1,857 | 3,275 | $111.7 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 1,051 | 1,808 | $78.0 m |
| Cook County | 516 | 902 | $46.1 m |
| LaPorte County | 422 | 784 | $27.1 m |
| Other flows - South | 419 | 733 | $28.7 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 354 | 615 | $24.1 m |
| Other flows - West | 209 | 343 | $14.2 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Porter County Non-migrants, 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 the Porter County economy runs on
- 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 Indiana counties10th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents444th
- 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
Who employs people in Porter County
- Covered employment, annual average63,768
- Establishments reporting4,215
- Average annual pay$58,217
- Average weekly wage$1,120
- Sector 62, employment9,735
- Sector 62, average annual pay$58,188
- Sector 31-33, employment9,713
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$88,224
- Sector 44-45, employment7,165
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$35,432
- Sector 72, employment6,677
- Sector 72, average annual pay$21,897
- Sector 23, employment4,796
- Sector 54, employment3,237
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 9,735 | 452 | $58,188 |
| Sector 31-33 | 9,713 | 184 | $88,224 |
| Sector 44-45 | 7,165 | 434 | $35,432 |
| Sector 72 | 6,677 | 359 | $21,897 |
| Sector 23 | 4,796 | 413 | $86,298 |
| Sector 54 | 3,237 | 563 | $66,511 |
| Sector 81 | 2,588 | 346 | $36,723 |
| Sector 56 | 2,426 | 241 | $49,346 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 9,735 jobs, 15.3 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Porter County
What businesses operate 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.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Porter County
What is being built in Porter County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024556
- Declared construction value permitted$204.1 m
- Single family units authorised556
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$367,153
- Units authorised per 1,000 households8.1
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Porter County
How much SBA lending happens in Porter County
- 7(a) approvals recorded206
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$91.9 m
- Average 7(a) approval$446,237
- Median 7(a) approval$156,000
- 10th percentile approval$30,200
- 90th percentile approval$1,000,000
- 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$318,000
- Distinct CDCs active5
- 504 jobs per approval7.9
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved14.4
- Most active CDCRegional Development Company (109)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals60.6 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$165.9 m
The average approval of $446,237 sits well above the median of $156,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually 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
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.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Porter County
Which parts of Porter County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending14
- Valparaiso, approvals104
- CHESTERTON, approvals39
- Portage, approvals37
- Kouts, approvals6
- HEBRON, approvals6
- CROWN POINT, approvals2
| Place | 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 |
| CROWN POINT | 2 | $79,500 |
| MICHIGAN CITY | 2 | $1,125,000 |
| Burns Harbor | 2 | $975,000 |
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 big 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.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
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.
- Population174,818
- 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?
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 growing?
The population has grown 1.52 percent since the 2020 census base. 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 there 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 the average wage in Porter County?
Average annual pay is $58,217, or $1,120 a week, across 63,768 covered jobs. 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 totalling $91.9 m since FY2020, across 41 lenders, with a median approval of $156,000, plus 134 504 approvals worth $73.9 m. 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.
What is being built in Porter County?
556 housing units were authorised 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 Porter County Non-migrants, with 68,153 households. Arriving households report an average income of $68,353 against null 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?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.