City · Indiana
Whiting, Indiana
Whiting, city, in Lake County, Indiana. Whiting had 4,479 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 1.8% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 4,559 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 4,532 (±19). GEOID 1884122.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
4,479
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 4,559 · ACS 2020-2024: 4,532 ±19
Median household income
$71,708
±$17,978 (90% margin)
Indiana: $71,957
Median home value
$198,900
±$30,441 (90% margin)
Indiana: $218,200
Median gross rent
$1,004
±$148 (90% margin)
Indiana: $1,062
Where is Whiting and what county is it in?
Whiting is a city in Lake County, Indiana. It covers 1.8 square miles of land, 2,523 residents per square mile in 2020.
Whiting is in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 13 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Whiting lies entirely within North 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 Whiting, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 4,479 people lived in Whiting on July 1, 2025, down 1.8% since 2020, while Indiana grew 2.8%. The 2020 Census counted 4,559 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 4,532 (±19).
| Measure | Whiting | Lake County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 4,532 ±19 | 500,379 | −282 |
| Households | 1,525 ±186 | 195,130 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.97 ±0.36 | 2.54 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 1,729 ±215 | 217,436 | −367 |
Whiting's population since 2000
From 5,137 in 2000 to 4,479 in 2025: down 12.8%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Whiting 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 Whiting?
The median resident of Whiting is 33.5 years old; 26.8% are under 18 and 10.4% are 65 or older. The largest group is Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 65.3%, then non-Hispanic white residents at 29.8%. 18.3% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Whiting | Lake County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 33.5 ±6.5 | 39.7 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 26.8% ±8.1 pts | 23.2% | – |
| 65 years and over | 10.4% ±2.9 pts | 17.9% | – |
| Male | 47.7% ±4.6 pts | 48.7% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 65.3% ±8.5 pts | 20.9% | +23.7 pts |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 29.8% ±8.0 pts | 51.4% | −23.7 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 3.4% ±3.2 pts | 22.7% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.8 pts | 1.6% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.8 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.4% ±0.5 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 1.1% ±1.1 pts | 2.9% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.8 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 18.3% ±5.3 pts | 7.3% | +8.0 pts |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 45.8% ±8.2 pts | 15.1% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 2.8% ±1.5 pts | 5.8% | – |
| With a disability | 8.4% ±3.7 pts | 13.6% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 10.6% ±3.6 pts | 6.6% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 79.3% ±7.1 pts | 90.2% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 17.4% ±5.3 pts | 25.8% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 5.5% ±3.1 pts | 8.5% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 87.4% ±5.0 pts | 90.5% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 2.0% ±2.4 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 Whiting earn?
Half of Whiting's 1,525 households earn less than $71,708 a year (±$17,978), against $71,493 in Lake County and $71,957 in Indiana. In 2015-2019 it was $57,416 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 17.1% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Whiting | Lake County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $71,708 ±$17,978 | $71,493 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $88,334 ±$11,772 | $93,636 | – |
| Per capita income | $30,799 ±$4,384 | $37,284 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 17.1% ±6.5 pts | 14.3% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 18.1% ±12.9 pts | 21.6% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 19.5% ±8.0 pts | 12.9% | – |
| Households with a computer | 94.4% ±4.3 pts | 94.1% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 89.9% ±5.1 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 Whiting?
Owners occupy 53.0% of Whiting's occupied homes and renters 47.0%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $198,900 by its owner (±$30,441). The median renter pays $1,004 a month including utilities, and 41.0% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Whiting | Lake County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $198,900 ±$30,441 | $230,600 | +$39,771 |
| Median gross rent | $1,004 ±$148 | $1,131 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 41.0% ±13.7 pts | 44.8% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,264 ±$394 | $1,529 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 53.0% ±8.0 pts | 71.7% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 47.0% ±8.0 pts | 28.3% | – |
| Housing units | 1,729 ±215 | 217,436 | −367 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±4.5 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 4.9% ±6.1 pts | 5.1% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 62.6% ±8.7 pts | 71.3% | – |
| Mobile homes | 1.4% ±2.3 pts | 1.5% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 1.6% ±2.2 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 2.4% ±1.9 pts | 5.7% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 65.9% ±8.2 pts | 14.6% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 10.1% ±6.6 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 Whiting building?
Builders took permits for 5 new housing units in Whiting in 2025 (5 in single-family houses), 1.1 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 Whiting work and get to work?
75.9% of Whiting's workers drive alone and 8.4% work from home. The average trip to work takes 30.9 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 11.3%.
| Measure | Whiting | Lake County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 67.4% ±6.1 pts | 61.1% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 11.3% ±5.4 pts | 6.1% | no clear change |
| Drove alone to work | 75.9% ±6.9 pts | 79.6% | – |
| Carpooled | 7.3% ±4.8 pts | 8.0% | – |
| Public transportation | 4.0% ±2.3 pts | 1.4% | – |
| Walked | 3.5% ±2.8 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Worked from home | 8.4% ±4.6 pts | 8.2% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 30.9 min ±4.1 | 28.5 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 Whiting?
2 census tracts lie mostly in Whiting (2020 census blocks).
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 Whiting) · Census block assignment files
How does Whiting compare with other places in Indiana?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Whiting is the 5,216th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 135th-most populous of 566 in Indiana.
Whiting ranks 540th 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 | 135th | 566 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 993rd | 1,056 |
| Residents per square mile | 36th | 1,088 |
| Median household income | 540th | 1,072 |
| Per capita income | 807th | 1,087 |
| Median home value | 498th | 1,075 |
| Median gross rent | 292nd | 904 |
| Poverty rate | 146th | 736 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 653rd | 1,029 |
| Median age | 974th | 1,083 |
| Owner-occupied share | 1,055th | 1,087 |
| Work from home | 323rd | 595 |
| Travel time to work | 195th | 1,088 |
Whiting's figures with every place in Indiana (CSV)
Every place in Indiana, sortable · Compare Whiting 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 Whiting?
14 of the 57 figures for Whiting 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 Whiting 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 Whiting.