Census-designated place · Indiana
South Haven, Indiana
South Haven, census-designated place, in Porter County, Indiana. South Haven had 7,241 people in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±554). GEOID 1871288.
Residents, 2020-2024
7,241
±554 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 5,084
Median household income
$76,003
±$7,564 (90% margin)
Indiana: $71,957
Median home value
$178,200
±$7,115 (90% margin)
Indiana: $218,200
Median gross rent
$1,297
±$125 (90% margin)
Indiana: $1,062
Where is South Haven and what county is it in?
South Haven is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for counting, with no city government of its own, in Porter County, Indiana. It covers 2.3 square miles of land, 2,238 residents per square mile in 2020.
South Haven is in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 13 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
South Haven lies entirely within Portage Township (Porter 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 South Haven, and is it growing?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts South Haven's population at 7,241 (±554). The 2020 Census counted 5,084 residents.
The Census Bureau publishes yearly population estimates for incorporated places only; South Haven is a census-designated place, so its figures come from the ACS and the 2020 Census.
| Measure | South Haven | Porter County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 7,241 ±554 | 174,818 | +2,149 |
| Households | 2,595 ±238 | 68,639 | +705 |
| Average household size | 2.78 ±0.16 | 2.50 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 2,635 ±239 | 72,662 | +630 |
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 South Haven?
The median resident of South Haven is 36.6 years old; 20.9% are under 18 and 13.2% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 81.3%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 11.7%.
| Measure | South Haven | Porter County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 36.6 ±3.8 | 40.8 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 20.9% ±2.2 pts | 21.3% | – |
| 65 years and over | 13.2% ±2.6 pts | 18.3% | – |
| Male | 48.2% ±3.2 pts | 49.5% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 11.7% ±2.9 pts | 11.7% | no clear change |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 81.3% ±3.9 pts | 79.1% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 3.3% ±3.4 pts | 4.3% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 1.4% ±1.6 pts | 1.4% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.5 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.5 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 2.2% ±1.6 pts | 3.1% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.5 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 1.4% ±1.0 pts | 4.0% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 2.6% ±1.4 pts | 7.3% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 5.6% ±1.5 pts | 5.9% | – |
| With a disability | 15.3% ±3.2 pts | 11.5% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 5.6% ±2.0 pts | 5.0% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 91.4% ±2.6 pts | 94.0% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 13.0% ±3.3 pts | 31.1% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 3.7% ±1.9 pts | 11.6% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 87.9% ±4.8 pts | 89.3% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.5% ±0.7 pts | 1.8% | – |
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 South Haven earn?
Half of South Haven's 2,595 households earn less than $76,003 a year (±$7,564), against $87,972 in Porter County and $71,957 in Indiana. In 2015-2019 it was $65,907 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 12.7% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | South Haven | Porter County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $76,003 ±$7,564 | $87,972 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $92,149 ±$15,240 | $110,512 | – |
| Per capita income | $33,939 ±$5,841 | $44,216 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 12.7% ±5.0 pts | 9.6% | −9.1 pts |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 20.0% ±12.1 pts | 11.9% | no clear change |
| Households receiving SNAP | 9.3% ±4.4 pts | 5.6% | – |
| Households with a computer | 98.2% ±1.1 pts | 96.3% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 93.3% ±3.7 pts | 93.0% | – |
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 South Haven?
Owners occupy 72.5% of South Haven's occupied homes and renters 27.5%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $178,200 by its owner (±$7,115). The median renter pays $1,297 a month including utilities, and 26.7% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | South Haven | Porter County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $178,200 ±$7,115 | $281,500 | +$29,655 |
| Median gross rent | $1,297 ±$125 | $1,219 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 26.7% ±13.0 pts | 37.9% | −27.2 pts |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,344 ±$58 | $1,653 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 72.5% ±6.6 pts | 77.7% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 27.5% ±6.6 pts | 22.3% | – |
| Housing units | 2,635 ±239 | 72,662 | +630 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±2.0 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 2.7% ±4.5 pts | 4.8% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 84.6% ±4.5 pts | 74.7% | – |
| Mobile homes | 1.8% ±1.7 pts | 4.5% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±1.4 pts | 1.7% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 2.1% ±1.1 pts | 8.5% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 1.5% ±1.2 pts | 8.2% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 2.7% ±1.5 pts | 3.4% | – |
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 do people in South Haven work and get to work?
89.1% of South Haven's workers drive alone and 4.6% work from home. The average trip to work takes 24.6 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 5.5%.
| Measure | South Haven | Porter County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 64.4% ±4.3 pts | 62.9% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 5.5% ±2.4 pts | 4.7% | no clear change |
| Drove alone to work | 89.1% ±3.6 pts | 81.0% | – |
| Carpooled | 5.7% ±3.4 pts | 6.6% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±1.1 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Walked | 0.0% ±1.1 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Worked from home | 4.6% ±2.0 pts | 9.5% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 24.6 min ±2.5 | 28.4 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 South Haven?
1 census tract lies mostly in South Haven, and 1 more reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 505.03Porter County | 4,956 | $75,329 |
| Tract 505.05Porter County | 2,484 | $81,813 |
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 South Haven) · Census block assignment files
How does South Haven compare with other places in Indiana?
South Haven ranks 437th of 1,072 places in Indiana with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population (ACS 2020-2024) | 270th | 1,088 |
| Residents per square mile | 62nd | 1,088 |
| Median household income | 437th | 1,072 |
| Per capita income | 612th | 1,087 |
| Median home value | 607th | 1,075 |
| Median gross rent | 80th | 904 |
| Poverty rate | 310th | 736 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 871st | 1,029 |
| Median age | 819th | 1,083 |
| Owner-occupied share | 774th | 1,087 |
| Work from home | 529th | 595 |
| Travel time to work | 607th | 1,088 |
South Haven's figures with every place in Indiana (CSV)
Every place in Indiana, sortable · Compare South Haven 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 South Haven?
15 of the 57 figures for South Haven 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 South Haven 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' school search.