Portage receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Portage
Hammond
Opportunity
61 · Top 40%
vs53 · Bottom 43%
Growth
60 · Top 32%
vs49 · Bottom 47%
Climate
62 · Bottom 20%
vs63 · Bottom 25%
Physical resilience
92 · Top 10%
vs81 · Top 23%
Housing affordability
97 · Top 15%
vs85 · Top 42%
Schools
30 · Bottom 22%
vs8 · Bottom 1%
Access
95 · Top 34%
vs97 · Top 29%
Economic stability
59 · Bottom 47%
vs41 · Bottom 19%
Measured values
| Metric | Portage | Hammond | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 38,082 | 76,768 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $76,276 | $55,504 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $36,293 | $28,736 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,486/sq mi | 3,376/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $224,200 | $159,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,231 | $1,134 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 72.9% | 62.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% | 4.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.3% | 0.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.4% | 17.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 11.6% | 19.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 143 | 27 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.8 | 0.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -11.2% | 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 | 12 mi | 4 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 29.8 min | 27.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.8 | 36.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 10 | 19 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.19 | 18.00 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 27.7% | 8.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 35.5% | 18.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 42.8% | 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.
Full profiles: Portage, IN · Hammond, IN · How this is calculated: methodology