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Place dossier plate
SheetIN-EAST-CHICAGO-IN · East Chicago, IN 26,158 pop · income 9th pct
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around East Chicago
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest East Chicago on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Jennings · lowest
41,055
Jennings · lowest
41,055 median HH income
30.3% of the leader · rank #1
Vinton · near
41,063
Vinton · near
41,063 median HH income
30.3% of the leader · rank #2
East Chicago · this city
41,071
East Chicago · this city
41,071 median HH income
30.3% of the leader · rank #3
Rake · near
41,071
Rake · near
41,071 median HH income
30.3% of the leader · rank #4
Questa · near
41,071
Questa · near
41,071 median HH income
30.3% of the leader · rank #5
East Newnan · near
41,080
East Newnan · near
41,080 median HH income
30.3% of the leader · rank #6
Elkridge · highest
135,412
Elkridge · highest
135,412 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for East Chicago on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 26,158.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
East Chicago - the verdict
Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, East Chicago lands in the 9th percentile for household income and the 24th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
9th
percentile, household income
7th
percentile, home value
27th
percentile, median rent
24th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: East Chicago, IN
Census ACS 2023 estimates count 26,158 residents in East Chicago, a small city within Indiana. Households in East Chicago report a median income of $41,071 per year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 23.9%. Home values in East Chicago run a median of $92,400, and the median resident age is 36.5 years. Educational attainment runs 9.9% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 51.5% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
In 2024, 3 residential building permits were authorized in East Chicago (Low Activity), per Census BPS data. Crime here tracks close to the national norm: per-100,000 total crime stands at 2416.0 in FBI UCR data, near the national average (a voluntary reporting program, read this as reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).
Living costs in Indiana run below the national norm: the state registers 93.3 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Below Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,096 monthly. Monthly utility costs average around $235 across Indiana, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 45.5 out of 100 (Low).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of East Chicago's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from reported crime to schools and households to housing and income to work and mobility to population change to comparison shortlist; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For East Chicago, city-specific coverage includes annual population history, commute-mode shares, local building permits, matched public-school count, FBI reported-crime rates.
No matched row is reported here for within-city Census tract profiles; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
1. Reported crime
What can the FBI record say about safety in East Chicago?
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
The joined FBI UCR record reports 2416.0 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, near the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 6% higher in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
What does the education layer cover for East Chicago?
The NCES join finds 9 public schools within the city match. 9.9% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
How far does income reach against housing in East Chicago?
The home-value-to-income reference is relatively compact: the ACS median home value is 2.2 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 23.9%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. The ratio makes housing the clearest place to start this profile, but a low multiple can coexist with slow demand, older stock, or household-level hardship. Compare the home-value distribution and same-state peer table before treating it as an advantage.
Which cities make useful reference points for East Chicago?
Within Indiana, the closest population matches are Franklin (25,999 residents, $77,305 income); Marion (27,384 residents, $43,349 income); Greenfield (24,308 residents, $74,949 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Ives Estates, FL (26,154 residents); Austin, MN (26,167 residents); Windsor, CA (26,179 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Work and mobility
What does the journey to work look like in East Chicago?
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 75.7%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
Public transit
0.8%
Work from home
3.9%
Drive alone
75.7%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 10,244 workers age 16+.
Is East Chicago growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Recent estimates point downward. A falling count can reflect migration, household size, annexation boundaries, or estimation noise, so it is a prompt to inspect the full series rather than a claim about local economic health.
Census PEP estimates show the population declined by -736 residents from 2020 to 2025, a -2.8% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 3 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Period change
-2.8%
2025 estimate
25,610
2020 estimate
26,346
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
Lowest-decile income · poverty 23.9% (Highest-decile poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
93.3 (US=100)
Near national cost · BEA RPP 2024, Indiana average
F
City profile score · East Chicago, IN
19/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Cost of living B
93.3 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Household income F
$41,071
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Poverty rate F
23.9%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Bachelor's+ share F
9.9%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Violent crime F
826 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
East Chicago profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Cost of living: 72/100 (B) · 93.3 index
Household income: 8/100 (F) · $41,071
Poverty rate: 7/100 (F) · 23.9%
Bachelor's+ share: 6/100 (F) · 9.9%
Violent crime: 0/100 (F) · 826 /100k
Where East Chicago sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
East Chicago's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - East Chicago highlighted among 9 peers.Read the chart values
East Chicago, IN (this city): home $92,400, crime 2,416/100k
Austin, MN : home $155,100, crime 1,793/100k
Windsor, CA : home $763,200, crime 967/100k
Trussville, AL : home $351,500, crime 2,110/100k
Franklin, IN : home $212,500, crime 1,173/100k
Marion, IN : home $83,200, crime 1,212/100k
Highland, IN : home $219,500, crime 1,694/100k
Munster, IN : home $312,000, crime 1,080/100k
Schererville, IN : home $294,600, crime 1,389/100k
How does East Chicago compare to other US cities?
Where East Chicago sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income9% higher than other cities
Home value7% pricier than other cities
Median rent27% pricier than other cities
Safety24% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to Indiana alone, East Chicago ranks #90 of 110 Indiana cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares East Chicago against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Indiana only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Indiana-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places East Chicago near the bottom of Indiana's cities
Among the 850 Indiana cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, East Chicago ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares East Chicago only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#720 of 766
6th percentile in Indiana
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 850
0th percentile in Indiana
Median Home Value
#633 of 771
18th percentile in Indiana
Poverty Rate
#64 of 849
92nd percentile in Indiana
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#595 of 850
30th percentile in Indiana
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Indiana only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
9th percentile nationally for median household income · 24th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
East Chicago's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
East Chicago's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How East Chicago's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$92,400Among the most affordablemore affordable than 93% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. 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 ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
East Chicago's home-value-to-income ratio: 2.2×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#2,705 of 15,516
More affordable than 83% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#179 of 3,317
Small cities (10,000–49,999)
At 2.2×, East Chicago sits in the affordable band:
national rank #2,705 of 15,516 and #179 of 3,317small cities (10,000–49,999).
The multiple is comparatively compact among tracked cities, but a low ratio can still coexist with slow demand or household-level hardship.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$41,071East Chicago, IN median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context East Chicago, IN median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for East Chicago, IN.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)9.9%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)23.9%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)51.5%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
26,158
Median Income
$41,071
Median Home Value
$92,400
Median Age
36.5
Poverty Rate
23.9%
Labor force participation
51.5%
Bachelor's Degree+
9.9%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
2416.0
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
826.1
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1589.9
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Schools
Total Schools
9
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
East Chicago's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
26,346 residents
2021
26,188 residents
2022
25,974 residents
2023
25,811 residents
2024
25,737 residents
2025
25,610 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
🏗️ Low Activity
Total Permits (2024)
3
housing units authorized
Single-Family
1
detached homes
Multifamily
2
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
0.1
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
0
0
0
-
2020
28
0
28
$3.5M
2021
0
0
0
-
2022
0
0
0
-
2023
0
0
0
-
2024
3
1
2
$0.8M
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
75.7%
Carpool
16.3%
Public Transit
0.8%
Walk
2.2%
Work from Home
3.9%
Other
1.1%
Based on 10,244 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
Indiana statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $235
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Indiana at $235 (electricity about $110 , water and sewer about $45 ).
These are Indiana statewide averages, not a meter reading for East Chicago. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Indiana's BEA cost-of-living index is 93.3 (Below Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around East Chicago is $1,096/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Indiana statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 45.5 / 100 (Low).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Indiana statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county East Chicago sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How East Chicago compares to similar-size Indiana cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.