ZIP Code 46312 — East Chicago city, IN Demographics & Data

ZIP code 46312 covers East Chicago, IN in Lake County with a population of about 26,158.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 36.5 versus a U.S. median of about 38.9.

It sits in telephone area code 219; U.S. House district IN-1; the CHICAGO media market.

Median household income in ZIP 46312 is about $41,071 — about 45% below the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 27.0%; unemployment rate near 7.9%; 9.9% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 23.8 points below the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Manufacturing, Retail trade, and Healthcare; about 3.9% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 11.3 points below the U.S. share (15.2%)); a mean commute of about 180.0 minutes (U.S. average near 26.8).

Median home value is about $92,400 — about 73% below the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $620 (about 47% below the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 44.1% (about 21.3 points below the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 46312 in East Chicago, IN, a household would need roughly $25,000 in annual income under a 20% down, 30-year loan at 6.8% (illustrative), keeping housing costs near 28% of income. Estimated monthly PITI is about $594. That sits below the local median household income ($41,071), suggesting the typical household income is closer to a workable buy-in level under these assumptions. Rates, taxes, insurance, and HOA fees vary — treat this as a planning estimate, not a lender quote.

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates natural-hazard risk for East Chicago city, IN as Relatively High (composite score 95.9), which is among the highest nationally. The strongest component scores on US5 are flood (96.2) and wildfire (66.1). These scores are county-linked NRI values published for planning context — all ZIP codes in the same county share the same composite score on US5. Useful when comparing insurance and disaster exposure across areas, not a substitute for a parcel-level flood or fire determination.

Climate normals for East Chicago city, IN show little to no average snow and around 42.1 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 1,202 for ZIP 46312 (East Chicago city, IN) on US5’s published series — a signal of people/tax filers moving in relative to those leaving. Inflows often track job growth, housing demand, or lifestyle migration; treat the figure as a directional indicator rather than a precise headcount.