Merrillville receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Merrillville
Hammond
Opportunity
59 · Top 44%
vs53 · Bottom 43%
Growth
49 · Bottom 47%
vs49 · Bottom 47%
Climate
62 · Bottom 20%
vs63 · Bottom 25%
Physical resilience
81 · Top 22%
vs81 · Top 23%
Housing affordability
88 · Top 37%
vs85 · Top 42%
Schools
24 · Bottom 15%
vs8 · Bottom 1%
Access
96 · Top 31%
vs97 · Top 29%
Economic stability
54 · Bottom 39%
vs41 · Bottom 19%
Measured values
| Metric | Merrillville | Hammond | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 36,476 | 76,768 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $67,587 | $55,504 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $36,629 | $28,736 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,098/sq mi | 3,376/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $211,400 | $159,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,282 | $1,134 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 70.5% | 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 | 26.1% | 17.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 12.6% | 19.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 108 | 27 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.0 | 0.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -41.3% | 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 | 11 mi | 4 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 33.5 min | 27.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 42.4 | 36.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 19 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.98 | 18.00 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 21.3% | 8.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 27.5% | 18.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 52.9% | 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
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Merrillville
64
Your Score
63
Area Score
Hammond
59
Your Score
58
Area Score
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Full profiles: Merrillville, IN · Hammond, IN · How this is calculated: methodology