Northwest Indiana
Four counties in the northwest corner of the state (Lake, Porter, Jasper and Newton) form the Lake County-Porter County-Jasper County Division.* As of 2024, the region had a population of 726,333.
* Metropolitan statistical areas are defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget. Highly populated MSAs (in this case, the Chicago region) can be subdivided into smaller metropolitan divisions.Quick Stats
Click on any quick stat to view details and a comparison table.
The Northwest Futurecast Event
Friday, Nov. 15, 2024
Doors open at 11:30am (CST) and lunch will be served at 12pm.
Avalon Manor Banquet Center
3550 E Lincoln Hwy,
Merrillville, IN 46410
Featured Speakers at the Northwest Indiana Futurecast Event
Friday, Nov. 15, 2024
Join us to discuss how the changing economic environment will affect the local region, Indiana and the nation in the coming year.
This event is co-hosted by The Legacy Foundation, the IU Northwest School of Business and Economics, the IBRC and the Kelley School of Business.
What did we say last year about Northwest Indiana?
Published December 2024
While the manufacturing sector has the highest relative employment concentration of any sector in Northwest Indiana, the largest sector by employment level since 2009 has been health care and social assistance. This sector employs 42,267 workers and provides 19% of jobs. With an average annual wage of $60,561, the health care sector contributes 18% of all wages in Northwest Indiana. The health care and social assistance sector has also been one of the most robust sources of employment growth for the region over the last few decades, nearly doubling sector employment with the addition of more than 20,000 jobs since 1990.
Between 2019 and 2024, professional, scientific and technical services was the sector in Northwest Indiana with the highest competitive advantage. Employment growth in this sector outperformed expectations by over 300%. In addition, the industries responsible for much of this job growth within the sector are relatively higher paying. For example, 1,719 of these new jobs were in the management, scientific and technical consulting services industry, with an average pay of $62,041.
Northwest Indiana now finds itself in a position new to us. Instead of grappling for a way to stem economic decline, we find ourselves already well down a path of growth toward greater economic prosperity. Population is growing, real incomes are rising and we are building a foundation for even stronger growth in the future.
Read the full Northwest Indiana article »
Each year in December, the Indiana Business Research Center publishes a special Outlook edition of the Indiana Business Review.
Published continuously since 1926, the Indiana Business Review is a quarterly publication that provides analysis and insight on economic and demographic issues.