An analysis by the Indiana Business Research Center at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business shows that population is steadily growing in the state.

“Since 2023, Indiana has had an average annual growth of more than 43,900 residents per year, which is the state’s largest increase over a three-year stretch since adding roughly 48,700 residents a year from 2006 to 2008,” said Matt Kinghorn, senior demographer at the Indiana Business Research Center, in a press release.

Northwest Indiana is doing its part with modest increases up to 3% per county.

Micah Pollak, interim dean of Indiana University Northwest's School of Business, said what makes population growth interesting in the Region is that transplants from other states are staying long term.

“After decades of stagnant or declining population growth in Northwest Indiana, we’ve seen a dramatic shift in the last few years with population levels rising significantly,” Pollak said.

From 2009 to 2019, the combined population of Lake, Porter, Newton and Jasper counties decreased by almost 4,000 people, he said, but during the past five years, population increased by more than 7,000 people.

“This change is not being driven by people moving into Northwest Indiana at a faster rate, but by more people choosing to remain in Northwest Indiana long term, rather than moving on elsewhere,” Pollak said.

He said Northwest Indiana historically has just been a stop on a steady stream of transplants, not a destination. But in the last five years, he said, that trend has changed substantially.

“As any resident of Northwest Indiana can tell, there has always been a steady flow of people moving from Illinois and the Chicago area into the Region,” he said. “This continues and has changed much in terms of volume. What has changed is that we are seeing far more people choosing to remain in Northwest Indiana than before.”

The Kelley School of Business analysis notes this trend also. Natural increases (births and deaths) accounted for 70% of the state's population growth between 2006 and 2008, but during the past three years, migration accounts for 81% of the state's increases.

“This marks the first time in the last four years that Indiana’s natural increase has declined, which suggests that the state’s post-pandemic rebound in natural increase may have peaked in 2024,” Kinghorn said.

Northwest Indiana counties' estimated growth rates between July 1, 2020, and July 1, 2025, mostly increased, according to STATS Indiana.

• No. 52 — Jasper County: 32,918 to 32,911, 3.0% increase
• No. 2 — Lake County: 498,700 to 502,497, 1.1% increase
• No. 15 — La Porte County: 112,417 to 112,279, 0.9% decrease
• No. 82 — Newton County: 13,830 to 13,787, 2.9% increase
• No. 10 — Porter County: 173,215 to 173,319, 1.6% increase
• No. 83 — Pulaski County: 12,514 to 12,519, 0.4% decrease
• No. 66 — Starke County: 23,371 to 23,397, 0.1% increase

Pollak also noted that domestic net migration is the true gauge for Northwest Indiana's population gains.

“Between 2009 and 2019, Northwest Indiana averaged net domestic migration of -2,281 per year, or over 2,000 more people chose to move out of Northwest Indiana than in,” he said. “Since 2019 onward this has flipped, and we now average net domestic migration of +1,308, or more people are moving in and choosing to stay than moving out.”

Those numbers points to growth that isn't easily measured, Pollak said.

“At its heart, this trend is about Northwest Indiana becoming a more prosperous and desirable place to live,” Pollak said. “The best sign of economic prosperity for a region is when people not only want to move here, but then once here, decide to stay.”