Lake County, Indiana


Lake County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. In 2010, its population was 496,005, making it Indiana's second-most populous county. The county seat is Crown Point.
This county is part of Northwest Indiana and the Chicago metropolitan area, and contains a mix of urban, suburban and rural areas.
It is the home to a portion of the Indiana Dunes and to Marktown, Clayton Mark's planned worker community in East Chicago.

History

Early settlement

Originally inhabited by Potawatomi tribes, Lake County was established on February 16, 1837. From 1832 to 1836 the area that was to become Lake County was part of La Porte County. From 1836 to 1837 it was part of Porter County. It was named for its location on Lake Michigan. The original county seat was Liverpool until Lake Court House, which later became Crown Point, was chosen in 1840. Lake County's population grew slowly before the 1850s, when the railroads arrived to link Chicago to the rest of the country, and enabled tens of thousands of settlers and immigrants to buy land. Small-scale industrialization began, but was primarily relegated to the northern coast of the county. The 1900 Census gives a population of 37,892 residents.

Industrialization and immigration

The arrival of Inland Steel Company to East Chicago in 1903 and U.S. Steel to Gary in 1906 jump-started the county's population explosion. Immigrants poured into the area from all over Central and Eastern Europe and from many regions of the United States, such as Appalachia and the South. By 1930, Lake County's population surpassed 260,000, with first- and second-generation Americans constituting a majority of the population. Like the rest of Indiana, the Ku Klux Klan gained a large following in the 1920s in response to changing demographics. While the steel industry reigned supreme, other industries also found the county to be an ideal location for cheap land and well-developed transportation networks, such as automobiles, oil, chemicals, consumer goods, food processing, and construction supply companies.
The Great Depression was devastating to Lake County, as it was to any other area that relied on heavy industry. The Depression, combined with industrial strife, changing demographics, and unionization, caused Lake County to become a stronghold of the Democratic Party; Lake County has supported the Democratic nominee for President in every election since 1932, and Indiana's 1st Congressional District has remained in the Democratic column in every election since 1930. World War II restored prosperity, as industry revived to support the war effort, and good economic times continued into the 1970s. More immigrants were attracted by the promise of middle-class industrial jobs, and in addition to refugees and immigrants from Europe, black Americans and Mexicans also arrived in even larger numbers than they had in the 1910-1930 period. As minority populations exploded in industrial cities like East Chicago and Gary, racial tensions surfaced once again, and white flight from the industrial cities took place, aided in large part by the construction of state and federal highways.

Recent history

Lake County's population peaked at 546,000 in 1970. Severe industrial decline took place during the 1973-1991 period, brought on by foreign competition, new management philosophies that called for major workforce reductions, and productivity gains from technology. The decline was particularly intense in the steel industry: steel employment exceeded 60,000 in the 1960s, and declined progressively to just 18,000 by 2015. Lake County's population declined 13% to bottom out at 475,000 in 1990.
The industrial decline of the 1980s cast a long shadow over Lake County: the county did not regain the level of employment it had in 1980 until 1996, after which the employment level roughly flatlined. The county's economic output peaked in 1978, and has not since recovered, remaining 15-20% below the peak after adjusting for inflation. As prosperity declined, so did the immigration that powered the county's explosive population growth before 1950: per the 2000 census, only 5.3% of Lake County's residents were foreign-born, compared to over 11% for the United States as a whole.
The population recovered somewhat during the 1990s and 2000s, as the local economy adjusted. Suburban growth has also been driven by commuter populations of workers who are employed in Chicago and commute via expressways or the South Shore Line. In 2007, it was estimated that 44,000 workers commuted from Lake County, Indiana, to Chicago for work. The decline of industrial cities and growth of suburbs has been so sharp, that by 1990 a majority of the County's population lived outside of the four traditional industrial cities. Lake County still continues to struggle with urban decline and poverty, suburban sprawl and traffic jams, and a stagnating population.

Geography

According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of, of which is land and is water.
The northern and southern portions of the county are mainly low and flat, except for a few sand ridges and dunes and were both once very marshy and had to be drained. The lowest point, at, is along the Lake Michigan shoreline.
The central part of the county is higher and hillier. As you travel south from the low and relatively flat lake plain in the northern part of the county, the land gradually rises in elevation until the peak of the Valparaiso Moraine. The highest point, at, is in northeastern Winfield Township near 109th Street and North Lakeshore Drive in Lakes of the Four Seasons. From here the land descends south into the Kankakee Outwash Plain until the Kankakee River is reached.
The geographic center of Lake County is approximately northwest of Burr Street and West 113th Avenue in Center Township.

National protected area

Interstate 65 in Lake County is called the Casimir Pulaski Memorial Highway. Interstate 80/94/US 6 is the Frank Borman Expressway from the Illinois state line east to the Indiana Toll Road interchange in the eastern portion of the county. Interstate 94 has been referred to as the Chicago-Detroit Industrial Freeway. US 6 is part of the Grand Army of the Republic Highway. Broadway is also the Carolyn Mosby Memorial Highway. Indiana 51 is known for its entire length as the Adam Benjamin Memorial Highway. US 30 is part of the historic Lincoln Highway. US 12 from Gary eastward is part of Dunes Highway. Cline Avenue from US 12 north and westward is known as the Highway Construction Workers Memorial Highway.

Railroads

Municipalities

The municipalities in Lake County, and their populations as of the 2010 Census, are:

Cities

Towns

Census-designated places


The 11 townships of Lake County, with their populations as of the 2010 Census, are:
Despite the decline of heavy industry, manufacturing was still the largest employment sector in Lake County in 2010 with over 45,000 workers employed, followed closely by healthcare and social assistance at 44,000 workers, public administration at 40,000 workers, retail trade at 37,000 workers, accommodation and food services at 25,000 workers, and construction at 15,000 workers.
Lake County's GDP in 2010 was measured at nearly $25 billion. Manufacturing was also the largest sector of the economy in economic terms, contributing over $5.8 billion to the county's GDP in 2010. It was followed by healthcare and social assistance at $2.6 billion, public administration at $2.5 billion, and retail trade at $1.9 billion. While Lake County's average income was approximately 24% higher than the national average in 1978, in 2010 Lake County had fallen significantly behind the United States as a whole, with average income being approximately 12.9% lower. The national average surpassed Lake County sometime around 1986.
Businesses with the largest number of employees in the county are:

Public school districts

The administration of public schools in Lake County is divided among 16 corporations and governing bodies, more than any other Indiana county.
Elementary and secondary schools operated by the Diocese of Gary:
Other parochial and private schools:
The county is served by seven different public library systems:
The Times, based in Munster, is the largest daily newspaper in Lake County and Northwest Indiana and the second largest in the state. Lake County is also served by the Post-Tribune, a daily newspaper based in Merrillville.
Lakeshore Public Television operates WYIN-TV Gary on channel 56 and is the local PBS station in the Chicago television market.
These eight broadcast radio stations serve Lake County and are part of the Chicago market:
In recent years, average temperatures in Lowell have ranged from a low of in January to a high of in July, although a record low of was recorded in December 1989 and a record high of was recorded in June 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from in February to in June. Temperatures at or below occur on average 11 days annually and exceed degrees on 14 days. In winter, lake-effect snow increases snowfall totals compared to the areas to the west. In spring and early summer, the immediate shoreline areas sometimes experience lake-breeze that can drop temperatures by several degrees compared to areas further inland. In summer, thunderstorms are common, occurring an average 40–50 days every year, and on about 13 days, these thunderstorms produce severe winds.

Government

The county government is a constitutional body, and is granted specific powers by the Constitution of Indiana, and by the Indiana Code.
County Council: The county council is the legislative branch of the county government and controls all the spending and revenue collection in the county. Representatives are elected from county districts. The council members serve four-year terms. They are responsible for setting salaries, the annual budget, and special spending. The council also has limited authority to impose local taxes, in the form of an income and property tax that is subject to state level approval, excise taxes, and service taxes.
Board of Commissioners: The executive body of the county is made of a board of commissioners. The commissioners are elected county-wide, in staggered terms, and each serves a four-year term. One of the commissioners, typically the most senior, serves as president. The commissioners are charged with executing the acts legislated by the council, collecting revenue, and managing the day-to-day functions of the county government.
Court: The county maintains a small claims court that can handle some civil cases. The judge on the court is elected to a term of four years and must be a member of the Indiana Bar Association. The judge is assisted by a constable who is also elected to a four-year term. In some cases, court decisions can be appealed to the state level circuit court.
County Officials: The county has several other elected offices, including sheriff, coroner, auditor, treasurer, recorder, surveyor, and circuit court clerk Each of these elected officers serves a term of four years and oversees a different part of county government. Members elected to county government positions are required to declare party affiliations and to be residents of the county.

County elected officials

Board of Commissioners:
County Council:
Elected Officials:
† President

Politics

Lake County has long been a Democratic stronghold, giving pluralities or majorities to Democrats in every Presidential election since 1932 with the exceptions of 1956 and 1972.
Lake is part of Indiana's 1st congressional district, which is held by Democrat Pete Visclosky. In the State Senate, Lake is part of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 6th districts, which are held by three Democrats and one Republican. In the Indiana House of Representatives, Lake is part of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 11th, 12th, 14th, 15th and 19th districts, which are held by four Democrats and four Republicans.
YearRepublicanDemocraticThird parties
201637.3% 75,62557.7% 116,9355.1% 10,241
201233.9% 68,43164.8% 130,8971.4% 2,819
200832.4% 67,74266.6% 139,3011.0% 1,996
200438.2% 71,90361.0% 114,7430.7% 1,376
200036.0% 63,38962.0% 109,0782.0% 3,527
199629.2% 47,87361.2% 100,1989.6% 15,789
199228.9% 53,86755.2% 102,77815.9% 29,653
198843.0% 79,92956.6% 105,0260.4% 780
198444.3% 94,87055.1% 117,9840.6% 1,289
198046.0% 95,40848.8% 101,1455.2% 10,786
197642.4% 90,11956.7% 120,7000.9% 1,922
197256.2% 115,48043.1% 88,5100.7% 1,352
196836.5% 77,91146.8% 99,89716.7% 35,766
196435.2% 73,72264.4% 134,9780.4% 823
196037.0% 78,27862.7% 132,5540.3% 526
195652.0% 92,80347.6% 85,0000.4% 657
195244.7% 74,07354.7% 90,7210.6% 1,051
194838.8% 51,41358.1% 77,0253.1% 4,157
194438.8% 48,14760.6% 75,0660.6% 737
194038.8% 45,89860.8% 71,9850.4% 447
193632.5% 33,68966.1% 68,5511.5% 1,510
193246.6% 42,59650.3% 46,0603.1% 2,836
192859.7% 48,76839.6% 32,3210.8% 630
192464.6% 30,99022.8% 10,91812.6% 6,060
192069.2% 26,29618.8% 7,13612.1% 4,596
191655.0% 13,26241.3% 9,9463.8% 903
191229.6% 5,17629.4% 5,13641.0% 7,171
190861.0% 9,49935.3% 5,5023.7% 578
190464.1% 6,42929.3% 2,9336.6% 666
190058.0% 5,33740.6% 3,7331.4% 131
189658.1% 4,88340.7% 3,4181.2% 102
189248.0% 2,95848.9% 3,0103.1% 192
188854.2% 2,54344.1% 2,0681.7% 80

2008 presidential primary

In the 2008 Democratic presidential primary on May 6, 2008, Lake County was one of the last counties to report results. Lake County had reported no results at 11 p.m. ET, and at midnight ET, only 28% of Lake County's vote had been reported. A large number of absentee ballots and a record turnout delayed the tallies, and polls closed an hour later than much of the state because Lake County is in the Central Time Zone. Early returns showed Senator Barack Obama leading by a potentially lead-changing margin, leaving the race between Senator Hillary Clinton and Obama "too close to call" until final tallies were reported.

Culture and contemporary life

Entertainment and the arts

;List of parks and recreational facilities – Lake County Parks and Recreation
;List of recreational facilities – Indiana Dunes National Park

Demographics

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 496,005 people, 188,157 households, and 127,647 families residing in the county. The population density was. There were 208,750 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the county was 64.4% white, 25.9% black or African American, 1.2% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 5.8% from other races, and 2.4% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 16.7% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 16.1% were German, 11.1% were Irish, 9.6% were Polish, 5.4% were English, and 3.7% were American.
Of the 188,157 households, 34.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.7% were married couples living together, 17.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 32.2% were non-families, and 27.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.19. The median age was 37.4 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $58,931. Males had a median income of $50,137 versus $33,264 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,142. About 12.2% of families and 16.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.3% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over.
PlacePopulation WhiteBlack or African
American		AsianOther
Hispanic or Latino
Lake County496,00564.4%25.9%1.2%8.5%16.7%
Cedar Lake, town11,56094.9%0.5%0.4%4.2%6.5%
Crown Point, city27,31788.2%6.3%1.8%3.7%8.1%
Dyer, town16,39090.1%2.5%2.9%4.5%9.3%
East Chicago, city29,69835.5%42.9%0.1%21.5%50.9%
Gary, city80,29410.7%84.8%0.2%4.3%5.1%
Griffith, town16,89375.8%16.9%0.8%6.5%13.3%
Hammond, city80,83059.4%22.5%1.0%17.1%34.1%
Highland, town23,72788.6%4.2%1.6%5.6%12.8%
Hobart, city29,05985.3%7.0%1.0%6.7%13.9%
Lake Dalecarlia, CDP1,35597.3%0.2%0.1%2.4%3.4%
Lake Station, city12,57279.7%3.6%0.3%16.4%28.0%
Lakes of the Four Seasons, CDP7,03393.4%1.2%1.0%4.4%8.5%
Lowell, town9,27695.9%0.5%0.3%3.3%6.9%
Merrillville, town35,24646.4%44.5%1.2%7.9%12.9%
Munster, town23,60385.6%3.5%5.8%5.1%10.2%
New Chicago, town2,03581.0%2.2%0.7%16.1%27.4%
St. John, town14,85093.5%1.3%1.3%3.9%8.2%
Schererville, town29,24386.8%5.4%2.8%5.0%10.6%
Schneider, town27797.1%0.0%1.1%1.8%2.5%
Shelby, CDP53995.5%1.7%0.2%2.6%0.9%
Whiting, city4,99776.3%3.5%0.7%19.5%40.7%
Winfield, town4,38388.5%3.7%3.5%4.3%8.9%

PlacePopulation Per
capita
income		Median
household
income		Median
home
value
Lake County496,005$23,792$49,315$137,400
Cedar Lake, town11,560$25,477$59,090$151,400
Crown Point, city27,317$31,454$64,876$174,900
Dyer, town16,390$35,020$78,881$197,500
East Chicago, city29,698$13,457$27,171$86,800
Gary, city80,294$15,764$26,956$66,900
Griffith, town16,893$26,548$53,225$141,600
Hammond, city80,830$18,148$38,677$94,800
Highland, town23,727$30,036$61,930$155,200
Hobart, city29,059$24,740$54,468$134,400
Lake Dalecarlia, CDP1,355$25,035$52,321$165,400
Lake Station, city12,572$16,953$36,955$82,400
Lakes of the Four Seasons, CDP7,033$32,908$84,242$182,600
Lowell, town9,276$23,619$60,549$146,500
Merrillville, town35,246$23,605$53,470$132,600
Munster, town23,603$34,735$70,708$197,600
New Chicago, town2,035$18,083$38,672$97,700
St. John, town14,850$36,490$97,868$254,600
Schererville, town29,243$33,984$68,004$204,300
Schneider, town277$18,774$50,972$89,500
Shelby, CDP539$29,700$61,667$89,700
Whiting, city4,997$21,427$44,368$111,500
Winfield, town4,383$23,792$49,315$137,400