Town · Indiana

Griffith, Indiana

Griffith, town, in Lake County, Indiana. Griffith had 16,137 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 2.5% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 16,528 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 16,273 (±173). GEOID 1830042.

Residents, July 2025 estimate

16,137

Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 16,528 · ACS 2020-2024: 16,273 ±173

Median household income

$76,636

±$5,446 (90% margin)
Indiana: $71,957

Median home value

$210,100

±$10,504 (90% margin)
Indiana: $218,200

Median gross rent

$1,235

±$57 (90% margin)
Indiana: $1,062

Where is Griffith and what county is it in?

Griffith is a town in Lake County, Indiana. It covers 7.8 square miles of land, 2,127 residents per square mile in 2020.

Griffith is in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 13 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).

Griffith lies mostly within Calumet Township and reaches into St. John Township, towns or townships with their own local government (2020 census blocks).

Griffith (marked with a dot) in Lake County, Indiana. Boundaries: Census Bureau 2024.

Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files

How many people live in Griffith, and is it growing?

The Census Bureau estimates that 16,137 people lived in Griffith on July 1, 2025, down 2.5% since 2020, while Indiana grew 2.8%. The 2020 Census counted 16,528 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 16,273 (±173).

  • July 2020→2021 −101 (16,438)
  • 2021→2022 −126 (16,312)
  • 2022→2023 −87 (16,225)
  • 2023→2024 −24 (16,201)
  • 2024→2025 −64 (16,137)
ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (counts) with the change from 2015-2019
Measure GriffithLake CountyIndiana Change since 2015-2019
Total population 16,273 ±173 500,379 6,851,073 no clear change
Households 6,969 ±383 195,130 2,716,009 no clear change
Average household size 2.33 ±0.13 2.54 2.46 no clear change
Housing units 7,301 ±398 217,436 2,976,568 no clear change

Griffith's population since 2000

From 17,334 in 2000 to 16,137 in 2025: down 6.9%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Griffith 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.

  • 2000 Census 17,334
  • 2005 (estimate) 17,064
  • 2010 Census 16,893
  • 2015 (estimate) 16,386
  • 2020 Census 16,528
  • 2025 (estimate) 16,137

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 Griffith?

The median resident of Griffith is 37.5 years old; 20.2% are under 18 and 18.3% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 58.7%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 19.1%. 6.0% of residents were born outside the United States.

Age, origin, education and moves, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Race groups are non-Hispanic; Hispanic includes any race.
Measure GriffithLake CountyIndiana Change since 2015-2019
Median age 37.5 ±1.3 39.7 38.1 no clear change
Under 18 years 20.2% ±2.4 pts 23.2% 23.3% –
65 years and over 18.3% ±3.0 pts 17.9% 16.8% –
Male 48.3% ±2.3 pts 48.7% 49.6% –
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 19.1% ±2.8 pts 20.9% 8.6% no clear change
White alone, not Hispanic 58.7% ±4.2 pts 51.4% 75.4% −7.0 pts
Black or African American alone, not Hispanic 14.5% ±4.3 pts 22.7% 9.1% no clear change
Asian alone, not Hispanic 2.0% ±1.5 pts 1.6% 2.6% –
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic 0.1% ±0.1 pts 0.1% 0.1% –
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic 0.0% ±0.2 pts 0.0% 0.0% –
Two or more races, not Hispanic 5.2% ±3.0 pts 2.9% 3.8% –
Some other race alone, not Hispanic 0.5% ±0.6 pts 0.4% 0.4% –
Born outside the United States 6.0% ±2.5 pts 7.3% 6.3% +2.8 pts
Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) 12.0% ±3.6 pts 15.1% 10.3% –
Civilian veterans (age 18+) 8.1% ±3.1 pts 5.8% 6.3% –
With a disability 11.4% ±2.7 pts 13.6% 14.2% –
No health insurance coverage 7.3% ±2.1 pts 6.6% 7.4% no clear change
High school graduate or higher (age 25+) 95.7% ±1.4 pts 90.2% 90.4% –
Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) 27.9% ±4.4 pts 25.8% 29.5% +7.2 pts
Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) 7.7% ±2.7 pts 8.5% 10.8% –
Lived in the same house a year earlier 84.4% ±4.7 pts 90.5% 87.3% –
Moved from another state in the past year 7.4% ±4.1 pts 2.9% 2.1% –

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 Griffith earn?

Half of Griffith's 6,969 households earn less than $76,636 a year (±$5,446), against $71,493 in Lake County and $71,957 in Indiana. In 2015-2019 it was $80,652 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 7.1% of residents live below the poverty line.

Income and poverty in 2024 dollars, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates; 2015-2019 dollars adjusted with the R-CPI-U-RS
Measure GriffithLake CountyIndiana Change since 2015-2019
Median household income $76,636 ±$5,446 $71,493 $71,957 no clear change
Mean household income $91,177 ±$6,651 $93,636 $95,247 –
Per capita income $40,565 ±$3,155 $37,284 $38,351 no clear change
People below the poverty line 7.1% ±2.8 pts 14.3% 12.3% no clear change
Children under 18 below the poverty line 9.4% ±6.1 pts 21.6% 16.0% no clear change
Households receiving SNAP 8.2% ±3.4 pts 12.9% 9.1% –
Households with a computer 97.7% ±1.1 pts 94.1% 94.6% –
Households with a broadband subscription 94.6% ±2.1 pts 89.7% 89.9% –

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 Griffith?

Owners occupy 71.7% of Griffith's occupied homes and renters 28.3%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $210,100 by its owner (±$10,504). The median renter pays $1,235 a month including utilities, and 32.3% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.

Housing, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Home values are owners' own estimates.
Measure GriffithLake CountyIndiana Change since 2015-2019
Median home value (owner-occupied) $210,100 ±$10,504 $230,600 $218,200 +$35,711
Median gross rent $1,235 ±$57 $1,131 $1,062 +$104
Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent 32.3% ±15.0 pts 44.8% 38.9% no clear change
Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage $1,375 ±$122 $1,529 $1,404 –
Owner-occupied homes 71.7% ±4.4 pts 71.7% 70.6% no clear change
Renter-occupied homes 28.3% ±4.4 pts 28.3% 29.4% –
Housing units 7,301 ±398 217,436 2,976,568 no clear change
Homeowner vacancy rate 0.2% ±0.3 pts 0.6% 0.8% –
Rental vacancy rate 8.8% ±6.9 pts 5.1% 5.6% –
Single-family detached homes 69.2% ±4.2 pts 71.3% 72.6% –
Mobile homes 0.2% ±0.3 pts 1.5% 4.4% –
Built 2020 or later 0.0% ±0.5 pts 1.1% 1.7% –
Built 2010 to 2019 2.7% ±1.3 pts 5.7% 8.0% –
Built 1939 or earlier 6.8% ±2.4 pts 14.6% 16.0% –
Households with no vehicle 5.1% ±3.4 pts 7.2% 6.2% –

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 Griffith building?

Builders took permits for 1 new housing units in Griffith in 2025 (1 in single-family houses), 0.1 per 1,000 residents against 4.2 across Indiana.

  • 2019 2 units
  • 2020 (8 months) 5 units
  • 2021 0 units
  • 2022 4 units
  • 2023 0 units
  • 2024 1 units
  • 2025 1 units

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 Griffith work and get to work?

78.1% of Griffith's workers drive alone and 5.5% work from home. The average trip to work takes 28.3 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 3.8%.

Work and commuting, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (workers 16 and over)
Measure GriffithLake CountyIndiana Change since 2015-2019
In the labor force (age 16+) 68.9% ±4.3 pts 61.1% 63.8% –
Unemployment rate 3.8% ±1.6 pts 6.1% 4.3% no clear change
Drove alone to work 78.1% ±6.5 pts 79.6% 76.3% –
Carpooled 13.1% ±4.6 pts 8.0% 9.1% –
Public transportation 0.5% ±0.5 pts 1.4% 0.6% –
Walked 0.0% ±0.4 pts 1.2% 1.9% –
Worked from home 5.5% ±2.2 pts 8.2% 10.7% no clear change
Mean travel time to work 28.3 min ±2.6 28.5 min 24.1 min no clear change

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 Griffith?

3 census tracts lie mostly in Griffith, and 1 more reaches into it (2020 census blocks). Their median household incomes run from $68,804 (Tract 410.01) to $79,868 (Tract 409).

Census tracts in Griffith, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
TractResidents, 2020-2024Median household incomeMedian home valueShare of tract in Griffith
Tract 409Lake County6,386 $79,868 $214,500100%
Tract 410.01Lake County5,227 $68,804 $182,200100%
Tract 410.02Lake County4,384 $78,778 $212,000100%
Tract 426.02Lake County7,232 $121,444 $323,60010%

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 Griffith) · Census block assignment files

How does Griffith compare with other places in Indiana?

By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Griffith is the 2,295th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 60th-most populous of 566 in Indiana.

Griffith ranks 424th of 1,072 places in Indiana with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.

Griffith's rank in Indiana (1 = highest): by population among the state's incorporated places with a 2025 estimate; by the other measures among places of 1,000+ residents with a reliable estimate
MeasureRankOf
Population, July 2025 estimate60th566
Growth 2020-2025 (PEP)1,028th1,056
Residents per square mile76th1,088
Median household income424th1,072
Per capita income289th1,087
Median home value440th1,075
Median gross rent104th904
Poverty rate575th736
Bachelor's degree or higher259th1,029
Median age764th1,083
Owner-occupied share792nd1,087
Work from home483rd595
Travel time to work328th1,088

Griffith's figures with every place in Indiana (CSV)

Every place in Indiana, sortable · Compare Griffith 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 Griffith?

11 of the 57 figures for Griffith 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 Griffith 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 Griffith.