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If you are thinking about moving to Northwest Indiana, you won’t be far from Chicago and all that this exciting metropolitan center has to offer. Communities you could settle in include Hammond, Munster, Dyer, and Crown Point. At the same time, you will be close to rural Indiana and all its classic charm.
What is it like to live in this part of the state? In this post, we will explore cost of living, employment opportunities, education, safety, transportation and more.
As an example, we will focus on Crown Point, where many Lake Mortgage customers reside.
Your exact cost of living in Northwest Indiana will depend on where you buy a home. But let’s take a look at what you could expect in Crown Point.
Sperling’s Best Places rates cost of living on a scale where the US average is 100. Ratings above 100 are representations of higher than average costs of living, and ratings below 100 are representations of lower than average costs of living.
On that scale, the website gives Indiana a rating of 82.1, and Crown Point a rating of 98.2. So, the entire state is less expensive to live in than the average location in the USA. Crown Point is a little more expensive than other parts of Indiana, but still quite cost-effective. It is also not a surprise that Northwest Indiana is a little more expensive, considering it is also more urban.
The cost of living in Crown Point is lower in almost every category than it is nationwide on average.
What about he cost of housing? Once again, the US average on the scale is 100. That housing costs in Crown Point receive a rating of just 102.1. That means that it is only marginally more expensive to buy a home in Northwest IN than in most locations across the country.
In terms of dollar values, the median home cost for the US as a whole is $291,700. For Crown Point, it is $282,300.
In 2019, the US Census reported that $65,712 was the median US household income. For Crown Point, the Census a median household income of $76,927 for the period between 2015 and 2019.
Considering the reasonable cost of living, that is quite a competitive median household income figure.
Heavy industry plays a key role in the economy of Northwest Indiana with companies like U.S. Steel and ArcelorMittal operating steel mills in the area. There are also major oil refineries in the region.
Along with heavy industry, another key sector in Northwest Indiana is gambling. The area employs quite a few casino workers, especially in Michigan City.
There are a number of options for public and private education for children attending elementary or secondary school in Northwest Indiana.
Additionally, NW Indiana is home to quite a few higher learning institutions, including Indiana University Northwest, Calumet College, Valparaiso University, Purdue University Northwest, and Hyles-Anderson College.
Plus, students interested in studying out-of-state do not have far to go to attend institutions located in Chicago and the rest of its surrounding communities.
While educational opportunities are one great reason to think about moving to Northwest Indiana, safety is another.
Sperling’s Best Places rates crime on a scale of low to high which ranges from 1 to 100. On that scale, the US average for violent crime is 22.7. But in Crown Point, violent crime is rated at just 7.8. That means that this community is significantly safer than the average across the US.
If you are living in Northwest Indiana, you can take the South Shore Line starting at South Bend and running all the way to Chicago via Gary and Michigan City.
There is also a bus service offered by the Gary Public Transportation Corporation.
Sperling’s offers some data on commuting in the area as well. According to that data, 87.4% of people in Crown Point drive their own cars to work, 4.7% carpool, 3.1% work from home (that number has likely increased since the pandemic started), and 1.4% take mass transportation.
The average time for a one-way commute is 28 minutes, which is just marginally longer than the nationwide average of 26.4 minutes.
You are probably wondering what you can expect from the climate when you are living in NW Indiana. How comfortable is the weather?
In summer, you can expect highs at around 84 degrees Fahrenheit, and in winter, lows of around 16 degrees Fahrenheit.
So, it can get to be pretty chilly during winter, but not too hot during summer.
There are about 39 inches of annual rain and about 32 inches of annual snow. You can expect four distinct seasons when you are living in this area.
What is there to do on the weekends if you live in Northwest Indiana? For starters, this area is home to many nature areas and parks. Some examples include the Indiana Dunes State Park, the Calumet Prairie Nature Preserve, and the Gibson Woods Nature Preserve.
The area also features quite a few family amusement centers, water parks, malls, discovery centers, and other destinations. Plus, you an always commute to Chicago for even more activities and attractions.
Love the idea of moving to Crown Point, Gary, or anywhere else in Northwest Indiana? We have been operating in the area for more than 75 years, and would love to connect you with the right mortgage. Please give us a call today at (219) 756-5626 to schedule your consultation. We work with customers throughout Indiana.
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