What percentage of people rent in Merrillville, IN?

Name: Renters and owners in Merrillville, IN, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

29.5% (±3.4 points) of the occupied homes in Merrillville, IN are rented (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

That is 4,570 renting households against 10,917 that own their home.

In Merrillville, the share of households that rent went from 36.1% in 2015–2019 to 29.5% in 2020–2024 (−6.6 percentage points), a measurable decrease.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Households that rent: 29.5% (±3.4 points)
Renting households: 4,570 (±554)
Median renter income: $43,701 (±$7,776)

Who rents and who owns in Merrillville

Tenure, estimate (90% margin of error)
	Merrillville	Lake County	Indiana	United States
Renter-occupied share	29.5% (±3.4 points)	28.3% (±0.8 points)	29.4% (±0.3 points)	34.8%
Renting households	4,570 (±554)	55,274 (±1,617)	799,766 (±7,038)	45,017,354
Owning households	10,917 (±823)	139,856 (±1,530)	1,916,243 (±9,865)	84,210,142
Average renter household size	2.0 (±0.1)	2.4 (±0.0)	2.2 (±0.0)	2.3
Average owner household size	2.4 (±0.2)	2.6 (±0.0)	2.6 (±0.0)	2.6
Median renter household income	$43,701 (±$7,776)	$41,002 (±$1,339)	$42,811 (±$480)	$52,966
Median owner household income	$80,340 (±$8,855)	$88,178 (±$2,255)	$87,459 (±$395)	$100,009

In Merrillville, the renter share is not measurably different from Lake County (28.3%).

It is not measurably different from Indiana (29.4%).

It is lower than the national figure (34.8%).

In Lake County, Merrillville ranks 10 of 31 places with a published estimate, from highest to lowest renter share.

Statewide, it ranks 356 of 1,600.

Rankings use the estimates alone; where margins of error overlap, neighboring ranks may not truly differ.

How renting in Merrillville has changed since 2015–2019

2015–2019 and 2020–2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates
	2015–2019	2020–2024	Amount of change	Verdict
Households that rent	36.1% (±3.0 points)	29.5% (±3.4 points)	−6.6 percentage points	Measurable decrease
Median gross rent	$1,082 (±$35)	$1,282 (±$113)	+18.5%	No measurable change after inflation
Median household income	$60,803 (±$3,147)	$67,587 (±$7,864)	+11.2%	No measurable change after inflation

The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.

Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.

The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.

Households that rent in places near Merrillville

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Merrillville
Place	Distance	Households that rent	Compared with this place
Merrillville	—	29.5% (±3.4 points)	—
Ross Township (Lake County)	0.7 mi	29.6% (±2.9 points)	Not measurably different
Hobart	3.6 mi	30.5% (±4.2 points)	Not measurably different
Crown Point	4.6 mi	14.5% (±2.4 points)	Lower
Winfield	5.1 mi	5.1% (±4.1 points)	Lower
Ross	5.2 mi	30.8% (±5.5 points)	Not measurably different
Hobart Township	5.8 mi	28.1% (±3.8 points)	Not measurably different
Center Township (Lake County)	6.0 mi	12.5% (±2.2 points)	Lower
New Chicago	6.4 mi	31.8% (±8.9 points)	Not measurably different

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Crown Point, IN (14.5%), Winfield, IN (5.1%), Center Township (Lake County), IN (12.5%).

Distance is measured in a straight line between the Census Bureau’s internal points for each place.

Households that rent across Lake County, place by place

Rank	Place	Households that rent
4	Calumet Township	45.3% (±1.9 points)
5	Hammond	37.6% (±2.2 points)
6	North Township (Lake County)	34.4% (±1.6 points)
7	New Chicago	31.8% (±8.9 points)
8	Hobart	30.5% (±4.2 points)
9	Ross Township (Lake County)	29.6% (±2.9 points)
10	Merrillville	29.5% (±3.4 points)
11	Griffith	28.3% (±4.4 points)
12	Hobart Township	28.1% (±3.8 points)
13	Lake Station	28.0% (±6.9 points)
14	Highland	21.6% (±3.3 points)
15	Schneider	20.4% (±16.1 points)
16	Schererville	20.1% (±3.1 points)

Showing 13 of 31 places in Lake County, ranked from highest to lowest.

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

What you can do on Seayora in Merrillville

One account for renting, owning, managing and fixing homes, with these figures beside you.

Looking for a place to rent?

Browse homes for rent near Merrillville, save the ones you like and apply online.

Browse rentals · Create a renter account

Own or manage a rental?

List it, sign the lease and collect rent online, with the figures for Merrillville beside you.

Create a landlord account · See what landlords get

Do repairs, renovations or maintenance?

Get found by owners and renters near Merrillville, and send estimates and invoices from your phone.

Join as a pro · Find a pro

Questions about Merrillville

How many renters are there in Merrillville?

Merrillville has an estimated 4,570 (±554) renting households, 29.5% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Is renting growing in Merrillville?

In Merrillville, the share of households that rent went from 36.1% in 2015–2019 to 29.5% in 2020–2024 (−6.6 percentage points), a measurable decrease.

How big are renting households in Merrillville?

A renting household in Merrillville has 2.0 people on average, against 2.4 in an owned home.

How much do renters earn in Merrillville?

The median renting household in Merrillville, IN has an income of $43,701 (±$7,776) a year, against $80,340 for households that own their home.

Sources

To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) and detailed tables (acs/acs5) for Merrillville town, Indiana (place:48528, in state:18).

Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).

The 2015–2019 figures are DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, B25064_001E, B25064_001M, B19013_001E, B19013_001M from the 2019 release.

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0047E, DP04_0047M, DP04_0046E, DP04_0046M, DP04_0049E, DP04_0049M, DP04_0048E, DP04_0048M, B25119_003E, B25119_003M, B25119_002E, B25119_002M

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.