Town · Indiana
Cedar Lake, Indiana
Cedar Lake, town, in Lake County, Indiana. Cedar Lake had 16,789 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 19.0% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 14,106 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 15,295 (±177). GEOID 1811062.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
16,789
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 14,106 · ACS 2020-2024: 15,295 ±177
Median household income
$83,381
±$13,325 (90% margin)
Indiana: $71,957
Median home value
$282,000
±$15,988 (90% margin)
Indiana: $218,200
Median gross rent
$1,350
±$342 (90% margin)
Indiana: $1,062
Where is Cedar Lake and what county is it in?
Cedar Lake is a town in Lake County, Indiana. It covers 9.5 square miles of land, 1,493 residents per square mile in 2020.
Cedar Lake is in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 13 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Cedar Lake lies mostly within Hanover Township (Lake County) and reaches into Center Township (Lake County), Cedar Creek Township (Lake County) and West Creek Township, towns or townships with their own local government (2020 census blocks).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Cedar Lake, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 16,789 people lived in Cedar Lake on July 1, 2025, up 19.0% since 2020, faster than Indiana (+2.8%). The 2020 Census counted 14,106 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 15,295 (±177).
| Measure | Cedar Lake | Lake County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 15,295 ±177 | 500,379 | +2,804 |
| Households | 5,500 ±284 | 195,130 | +857 |
| Average household size | 2.78 ±0.14 | 2.54 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 6,140 ±355 | 217,436 | +885 |
Cedar Lake's population since 2000
From 9,279 in 2000 to 16,789 in 2025: up 80.9%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Cedar Lake as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Cedar Lake?
The median resident of Cedar Lake is 40.2 years old; 23.7% are under 18 and 15.7% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 85.6%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 8.5%. 2.5% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Cedar Lake | Lake County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 40.2 ±1.9 | 39.7 | +4.5 |
| Under 18 years | 23.7% ±2.4 pts | 23.2% | – |
| 65 years and over | 15.7% ±2.8 pts | 17.9% | – |
| Male | 47.5% ±2.3 pts | 48.7% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 8.5% ±3.3 pts | 20.9% | +4.2 pts |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 85.6% ±3.8 pts | 51.4% | −8.8 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.2% ±0.3 pts | 22.7% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 1.0% ±0.9 pts | 1.6% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.2 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.2 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 4.7% ±1.9 pts | 2.9% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.2 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 2.5% ±1.2 pts | 7.3% | no clear change |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 5.4% ±3.0 pts | 15.1% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 5.7% ±2.0 pts | 5.8% | – |
| With a disability | 11.7% ±2.5 pts | 13.6% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 5.6% ±2.3 pts | 6.6% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 95.2% ±1.9 pts | 90.2% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 27.4% ±4.6 pts | 25.8% | +7.7 pts |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 12.7% ±3.7 pts | 8.5% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 95.2% ±1.7 pts | 90.5% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.7% ±0.5 pts | 2.9% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Cedar Lake earn?
Half of Cedar Lake's 5,500 households earn less than $83,381 a year (±$13,325), against $71,493 in Lake County and $71,957 in Indiana. In 2015-2019 it was $80,391 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 3.5% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Cedar Lake | Lake County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $83,381 ±$13,325 | $71,493 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $113,213 ±$10,295 | $93,636 | – |
| Per capita income | $40,962 ±$3,808 | $37,284 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 3.5% ±1.6 pts | 14.3% | −6.3 pts |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 2.0% ±1.8 pts | 21.6% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 3.6% ±1.7 pts | 12.9% | – |
| Households with a computer | 96.1% ±2.8 pts | 94.1% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 91.7% ±3.5 pts | 89.7% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Cedar Lake?
Owners occupy 85.2% of Cedar Lake's occupied homes and renters 14.8%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $282,000 by its owner (±$15,988). The median renter pays $1,350 a month including utilities, and 42.8% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Cedar Lake | Lake County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $282,000 ±$15,988 | $230,600 | +$57,275 |
| Median gross rent | $1,350 ±$342 | $1,131 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 42.8% ±16.4 pts | 44.8% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,644 ±$88 | $1,529 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 85.2% ±4.4 pts | 71.7% | +9.8 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 14.8% ±4.4 pts | 28.3% | – |
| Housing units | 6,140 ±355 | 217,436 | +885 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.5% ±0.8 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±4.5 pts | 5.1% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 76.8% ±5.0 pts | 71.3% | – |
| Mobile homes | 1.9% ±1.8 pts | 1.5% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 5.9% ±2.5 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 18.2% ±3.6 pts | 5.7% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 8.0% ±2.7 pts | 14.6% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 2.8% ±2.1 pts | 7.2% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Cedar Lake building?
Builders took permits for 91 new housing units in Cedar Lake in 2025 (91 in single-family houses), 5.4 per 1,000 residents against 4.2 across Indiana.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Cedar Lake work and get to work?
81.1% of Cedar Lake's workers drive alone and 7.0% work from home. The average trip to work takes 31.7 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 5.5%.
| Measure | Cedar Lake | Lake County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 68.7% ±3.7 pts | 61.1% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 5.5% ±2.2 pts | 6.1% | no clear change |
| Drove alone to work | 81.1% ±3.6 pts | 79.6% | – |
| Carpooled | 7.2% ±2.4 pts | 8.0% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.3% ±0.5 pts | 1.4% | – |
| Walked | 0.7% ±0.8 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Worked from home | 7.0% ±2.1 pts | 8.2% | +3.8 pts |
| Mean travel time to work | 31.7 min ±2.4 | 28.5 min | −5.1 min |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Cedar Lake?
3 census tracts lie mostly in Cedar Lake, and 3 more reach into it (2020 census blocks). Their median household incomes run from $83,462 (Tract 431.01) to $99,536 (Tract 432.01).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 429.01Lake County | 8,078 | $85,838 |
| Tract 432.01Lake County | 3,942 | $99,536 |
| Tract 431.01Lake County | 3,368 | $83,462 |
| Tract 429.04Lake County | 7,028 | $99,398 |
| Tract 434.01Lake County | 7,843 | $87,346 |
| Tract 434.05Lake County | 5,174 | $93,789 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Cedar Lake) · Census block assignment files
How does Cedar Lake compare with other places in Indiana?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Cedar Lake is the 2,226th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 55th-most populous of 566 in Indiana.
Cedar Lake ranks 326th of 1,072 places in Indiana with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 55th | 566 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 18th | 1,056 |
| Residents per square mile | 199th | 1,088 |
| Median household income | 326th | 1,072 |
| Per capita income | 274th | 1,087 |
| Median home value | 150th | 1,075 |
| Median gross rent | 63rd | 904 |
| Poverty rate | 711th | 736 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 274th | 1,029 |
| Median age | 560th | 1,083 |
| Owner-occupied share | 398th | 1,087 |
| Work from home | 397th | 595 |
| Travel time to work | 162nd | 1,088 |
Cedar Lake's figures with every place in Indiana (CSV)
Every place in Indiana, sortable · Compare Cedar Lake with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Cedar Lake?
13 of the 57 figures for Cedar Lake on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Cedar Lake are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Cedar Lake.