What is the largest city in Porter County, IN?

Portage is the largest city or town in Porter County, with about 38,082 residents.

How many ZIP codes are in Porter County?

Porter County includes 9 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, including 46301, 46302, 46304, 46341, 46347.

What is the population of Porter County, IN?

About 174,818 people live in Porter County, based on American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

What counties border Porter County?

Porter County borders Lake County, LaPorte County, Jasper County, Starke County.

Porter County, IN: Cities, ZIP Codes & Local Data

Population

174,818

Land area

418sq mi

People per sq mi

418

ZIP codes

9

Porter County at a glance

Porter County is about 2.2 times as dense as Indiana as a whole.
It is the 10th most populous of 92 counties in Indiana.
Households here earn a median of $87,972 a year, 22% more than the Indiana figure of $71,957.
A typical owner-occupied home is valued at $281,500 (29% above Indiana) and median rent is $1,219 a month.
The biggest population centers are Portage (38,082), Valparaiso (34,733) and Chesterton (14,446).

Local data for Porter County, IN

Counts from official public data

Housing and community stats

Porter County, IN, American Community Survey 2020-2024

Full profile

Median household income

$87,972

Poverty rate

9.6%

Median home value

$281,500

Prices +3.6% in a year

Median rent

$1,219/mo

Homeownership

77.7%

Bachelor's or higher

31.1%

Median age

40.8

Average commute

28.4 min

Largest reported origins and ancestries: German Americans (33,100), Irish Americans (25,970), Mexican Americans (14,299).

Home values and rents Income, education and commute

Economy and federal money

Jobs, income, federal spending and pandemic loans

Details

Unemployment rate

3.9%

Sep 2026, +0.2 pts in a year

Average annual pay

$62,520

63,898 jobs, 2025

Income per person

$69,285

BEA, 2024

Federal spending

$1.1B

FY 2026, $6,555 per person

PPP loans

$301M

4,177 loans, 37,853 jobs reported

Campaign donations

$1M

Itemized, 2026 cycle

Economy Federal spending PPP loans

How people get to work

Porter County, IN, workers 16 and older. American Community Survey 5-year estimates

Drove alone81.0%
Carpooled6.6%
Public transit0.6%
Walked1.2%
Bicycle0.2%
Taxi, ride-hailing, motorcycle or other0.8%
Worked from home9.5%

Average one-way commute: 28.4 minutes for people who do not work from home.

Environment and hazard risk

Porter County, IN, from FEMA, NOAA and EPA

Full report

Natural hazard risk

Relatively Moderate

Top: tornado

Storm events since 1996

585

Most often thunderstorm wind

Flood insurance policies

118

0.2% of homes, county

July high / Jan low

83° / 18°F

40.3 inches of rain a year

Hazards, floods and storm history Check a flood zone 27 historic places

Health statistics

Share of adults in Porter County, IN, CDC PLACES estimates

All 40 measures

Obesity

39.9%

U.S. 33.3% +6.6 pts

Diabetes

12.5%

U.S. 12.1% about the same

Smoking

14.5%

U.S. 12.8% +1.7 pts

Uninsured (18-64)

8.3%

U.S. 11.1% -2.8 pts

Cities, towns and ZIP codes in Porter County

Population shown

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Frequently asked questions

What is the largest city in Porter County, IN?: Portage is the largest city or town in Porter County, with about 38,082 residents.
How many ZIP codes are in Porter County?: Porter County includes 9 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, including 46301, 46302, 46304, 46341, 46347.
What is the population of Porter County, IN?: About 174,818 people live in Porter County, based on American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
What counties border Porter County?: Porter County borders Lake County, LaPorte County, Jasper County, Starke County.