Cedar Lake receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Cedar Lake
Hammond
Opportunity
62 · Top 37%
vs53 · Bottom 43%
Growth
63 · Top 27%
vs49 · Bottom 47%
Climate
62 · Bottom 20%
vs63 · Bottom 25%
Physical resilience
81 · Top 23%
vs81 · Top 23%
Housing affordability
92 · Top 26%
vs85 · Top 42%
Schools
66 · Top 31%
vs8 · Bottom 1%
Access
94 · Top 43%
vs97 · Top 29%
Economic stability
73 · Top 23%
vs41 · Bottom 19%
Measured values
| Metric | Cedar Lake | Hammond | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 15,295 | 76,768 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $83,381 | $55,504 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $40,962 | $28,736 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,618/sq mi | 3,376/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $282,000 | $159,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,350 | $1,134 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 85.2% | 62.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.7% | 4.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.3% | 0.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 27.4% | 17.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 3.5% | 19.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 81 | 27 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 5.3 | 0.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -45.3% | 42.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 85°F | 85°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 18°F | 19°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 33.4" | 34.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 17 mi | 4 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 34.3 min | 27.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 40.2 | 36.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 19 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.44 | 18.00 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 50.7% | 8.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 51.6% | 18.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 20.8% | 54.9% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Cedar Lake
74
Your Score
72
Area Score
Hammond
59
Your Score
58
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Cedar Lake, IN · Hammond, IN · How this is calculated: methodology