City safety & data profile

East ChicagoIN

East Chicago, IN is a 29K-resident city in Lake County with a median household income of $42,125.

Lake County, Indiana. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for East Chicago, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. East Chicago has a population larger than 61% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $105,400, and 1 hospital serving the surrounding area.

Data updated 2026-07-20

29K
Population
Top 39%
By size
$42,125
Median income
$105,400
Median home
26.3%
Poverty rate

The read on East Chicago

East Chicago posts a median household income higher than 3% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 1 hospital serves the East Chicago area.

Top 97%
by median income, US cities
1
hospital in & near East Chicago

Where East Chicago income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$42,125 Bottom 3% higher than 3% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. IN $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading East Chicago, IN beyond the headline numbers

East Chicago sits inside Lake County, Indiana, at roughly 41.64°N, -87.45°W. Population 28,699, $42,125 median household income. Median home value $105,400, median rent $854. Poverty rate 26.3%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: East Chicago's highest-prevalence health measure is short sleep duration at 48.7%, then obesity at 47%. 1 hospital in/around East Chicago, 4/5 avg rating, 1 with an ER.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for East Chicago from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
28,699
East Chicago
Median Income
$42,125
-38% vs avg
Median Home Value
$105,400
-54% vs avg
Median Age
36.5
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Lake County) - East Chicago's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
500K+1%
Median Income
$71,493+46%
Median Home Value
$230,600+69%
Poverty Rate
14.3%-20%
Unemployment
6.1%-47%

Economics

Economics indicators for East Chicago, IN
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$854/mo
Poverty Rate
26.3% +85% vs avg
Unemployment 7.6%
Bachelor's Degree+ 10.7%
Work From Home 4.6%
Public Transit 1%

Population

White 12.8%
African American 36.8%
Asian 0.3%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

Short Sleep Duration
48.7%
Obesity
47%
High Blood Pressure
41.4%
Physical Inactivity
40.3%
Lack of Health Insurance
21.9%
Current Smoking
21.1%
Diabetes
20.2%
Frequent Mental Distress
19.5%
Frequent Physical Distress
18.6%
Binge Drinking
14.3%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 41.1%
Annual Checkup 78.2%

Other Measures

Current Asthma
12.1%
Coronary Heart Disease
7.6%
Stroke
4.9%

Hospitals 1 total

Rating Distribution
★★★★★
0
★★★★
1
★★★
0
★★
0
★
0
Average Rating
4/5
Total Hospitals
1
With ER
1
ST CATHERINE HOSPITAL INC
EAST CHICAGO · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★★★☆

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of East Chicago, IN? ▼
East Chicago, IN has a population of 28,699 people, located in Lake County, Indiana.
What is the median household income in East Chicago? ▼
The median household income in East Chicago, IN is $42,125 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 26.3%.
What is the median home value in East Chicago? ▼
The median home value in East Chicago, IN is $105,400. Median rent is $854/month.
What are the top health concerns in East Chicago? ▼
The top health indicators in East Chicago include Short Sleep Duration (48.7%), Obesity (47%), High Blood Pressure (41.4%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in East Chicago? ▼
East Chicago has 1 hospital with an average rating of 4/5 stars. 1 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in East Chicago? ▼
The median age in East Chicago, IN is 36.5 years. 10.7% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

East Chicago, IN is located in Lake County, Indiana. With a population of 29K and a $42,125 median household income, the community faces health challenges including short sleep duration and obesity. Residents have access to 1 hospital with an average rating of 4/5 stars. Safety alerts for the East Chicago area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - Indiana

Real-time AQI for every monitored Indiana location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

Hammond, IN 78K Calumet City, IL 37K Highland, IN 23K Munster, IN 23K Lansing, IL 28K Griffith, IN 16K Gary, IN 77K South Chicago, IL 28K
All cities in Indiana → Compare East Chicago vs Hammond → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using East Chicago's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the East Chicago area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare East Chicago against Indiana peers on any ranking lens. Explore Indiana

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (Lake County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.