Town · Indiana
Merrillville, Indiana
Merrillville, town, in Lake County, Indiana. Merrillville had 37,407 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 2.6% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 36,444 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 36,476 (±80). GEOID 1848528.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
37,407
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 36,444 · ACS 2020-2024: 36,476 ±80
Median household income
$67,587
±$7,864 (90% margin)
Indiana: $71,957
Median home value
$211,400
±$7,522 (90% margin)
Indiana: $218,200
Median gross rent
$1,282
±$113 (90% margin)
Indiana: $1,062
Where is Merrillville and what county is it in?
Merrillville is a town in Lake County, Indiana. It covers 33.2 square miles of land, 1,097 residents per square mile in 2020.
Merrillville is in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 13 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Merrillville lies entirely within Ross Township (Lake County), a township with its 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 Merrillville, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 37,407 people lived in Merrillville on July 1, 2025, up 2.6% since 2020, in line with Indiana (+2.8%). The 2020 Census counted 36,444 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 36,476 (±80).
| Measure | Merrillville | Lake County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 36,476 ±80 | 500,379 | +1,587 |
| Households | 15,487 ±810 | 195,130 | +1,437 |
| Average household size | 2.32 ±0.12 | 2.54 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 16,213 ±843 | 217,436 | +1,104 |
Merrillville's population since 2000
From 30,560 in 2000 to 37,407 in 2025: up 22.4%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Merrillville 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 Merrillville?
The median resident of Merrillville is 42.4 years old; 20.5% are under 18 and 20.7% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic Black residents at 46.1%, then non-Hispanic white residents at 33.4%. 6.3% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Merrillville | Lake County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 42.4 ±1.6 | 39.7 | +4.2 |
| Under 18 years | 20.5% ±2.4 pts | 23.2% | – |
| 65 years and over | 20.7% ±2.5 pts | 17.9% | – |
| Male | 47.8% ±1.8 pts | 48.7% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 15.6% ±3.0 pts | 20.9% | no clear change |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 33.4% ±3.4 pts | 51.4% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 46.1% ±3.0 pts | 22.7% | +4.1 pts |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 1.0% ±0.6 pts | 1.6% | no clear change |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.1 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.1 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 3.1% ±1.2 pts | 2.9% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.8% ±0.6 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 6.3% ±1.8 pts | 7.3% | no clear change |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 11.3% ±2.4 pts | 15.1% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 7.0% ±1.6 pts | 5.8% | – |
| With a disability | 14.2% ±2.0 pts | 13.6% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 6.5% ±1.6 pts | 6.6% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 92.3% ±1.8 pts | 90.2% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 26.1% ±3.0 pts | 25.8% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 9.7% ±1.8 pts | 8.5% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 89.7% ±2.1 pts | 90.5% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 3.1% ±1.2 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 Merrillville earn?
Half of Merrillville's 15,487 households earn less than $67,587 a year (±$7,864), against $71,493 in Lake County and $71,957 in Indiana. In 2015-2019 it was $74,830 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 12.6% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Merrillville | Lake County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $67,587 ±$7,864 | $71,493 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $84,476 ±$5,919 | $93,636 | – |
| Per capita income | $36,629 ±$2,659 | $37,284 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 12.6% ±2.9 pts | 14.3% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 17.0% ±6.7 pts | 21.6% | no clear change |
| Households receiving SNAP | 12.5% ±2.7 pts | 12.9% | – |
| Households with a computer | 93.1% ±2.9 pts | 94.1% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 87.7% ±3.4 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 Merrillville?
Owners occupy 70.5% of Merrillville's occupied homes and renters 29.5%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $211,400 by its owner (±$7,522). The median renter pays $1,282 a month including utilities, and 47.4% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Merrillville | Lake County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $211,400 ±$7,522 | $230,600 | +$43,903 |
| Median gross rent | $1,282 ±$113 | $1,131 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 47.4% ±7.4 pts | 44.8% | +11.3 pts |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,469 ±$104 | $1,529 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 70.5% ±3.4 pts | 71.7% | +6.6 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 29.5% ±3.4 pts | 28.3% | – |
| Housing units | 16,213 ±843 | 217,436 | +1,104 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.3% ±0.3 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 3.1% ±2.4 pts | 5.1% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 60.7% ±3.6 pts | 71.3% | – |
| Mobile homes | 1.5% ±1.9 pts | 1.5% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.7% ±0.5 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 6.3% ±1.7 pts | 5.7% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 3.4% ±1.2 pts | 14.6% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 8.4% ±1.7 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 Merrillville building?
Builders took permits for 88 new housing units in Merrillville in 2025 (88 in single-family houses), 2.4 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 Merrillville work and get to work?
82.2% of Merrillville's workers drive alone and 7.3% work from home. The average trip to work takes 32.1 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 7.5%.
| Measure | Merrillville | Lake County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 61.3% ±2.6 pts | 61.1% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 7.5% ±2.4 pts | 6.1% | no clear change |
| Drove alone to work | 82.2% ±3.2 pts | 79.6% | – |
| Carpooled | 4.9% ±1.7 pts | 8.0% | – |
| Public transportation | 1.9% ±0.9 pts | 1.4% | – |
| Walked | 1.5% ±0.8 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Worked from home | 7.3% ±2.2 pts | 8.2% | +4.7 pts |
| Mean travel time to work | 32.1 min ±2.5 | 28.5 min | +3.1 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 Merrillville?
9 census tracts lie mostly in Merrillville, and 2 more reach into it (2020 census blocks). Their median household incomes run from $41,662 (Tract 424.04) to $87,470 (Tract 424.05).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 425.01Lake County | 6,979 | $82,852 |
| Tract 424.01Lake County | 5,841 | $57,426 |
| Tract 424.03Lake County | 4,435 | $54,141 |
| Tract 424.05Lake County | 4,065 | $87,470 |
| Tract 425.09Lake County | 4,056 | $74,184 |
| Tract 425.08Lake County | 3,875 | $64,214 |
| Tract 425.03Lake County | 3,235 | $63,827 |
| Tract 424.04Lake County | 2,674 | $41,662 |
| Tract 423.01Lake County | 3,969 | $90,686 |
| Tract 423.02Lake County | 2,614 | $77,647 |
| Tract 425.07Lake County | 3,971 | $103,450 |
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 Merrillville) · Census block assignment files
How does Merrillville compare with other places in Indiana?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Merrillville is the 1,114th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 27th-most populous of 566 in Indiana.
Merrillville ranks 626th 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 | 27th | 566 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 280th | 1,056 |
| Residents per square mile | 291st | 1,088 |
| Median household income | 626th | 1,072 |
| Per capita income | 449th | 1,087 |
| Median home value | 434th | 1,075 |
| Median gross rent | 89th | 904 |
| Poverty rate | 315th | 736 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 310th | 1,029 |
| Median age | 406th | 1,083 |
| Owner-occupied share | 821st | 1,087 |
| Work from home | 380th | 595 |
| Travel time to work | 144th | 1,088 |
Merrillville's figures with every place in Indiana (CSV)
Every place in Indiana, sortable · Compare Merrillville 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 Merrillville?
7 of the 57 figures for Merrillville 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 Merrillville 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 Merrillville.