East Chicago is a city in Lake County, Indiana, home to about 26,022 people across 14 square miles. Its ZIP code is 46312.
Homes sold for a median of $101 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside East Chicago. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up East Chicago’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW)18 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Gary/Chicago International Airport (GYY)3 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Chicago, IL18 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of East Chicago; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
East Chicago had 26,370 residents in the 2020 census, down 19% since 2000.
It’s the 40th largest of 693 towns in Indiana by population.
Lake County grew from 37,892 residents in 1900 to 498,700 in 2020.
Lake County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 84°F in summer, and winter lows average 15°F. About 42.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 28 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Park Forest, IL weather station (15 miles away).
171,790 jobs at 10,566 businesses in Lake County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
244 doctors and other health care providers list an office in East Chicago.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 14 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 21 |
| Dentists | 3 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 41 |
| Mental health providers | 151 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 12 |
| Optometrists | 1 |
| Chiropractors | 1 |
| Pharmacies | 6 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (23 nearby)
Grocery stores (2 nearby)
Pharmacies (2 nearby)
Libraries (2 nearby)
Museums
Theaters and performance venues
Counts are within about 2.5 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Established in 1893.
Notable people born here
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by School City of East Chicago, East Chicago Lighthouse Charter, East Chicago Urban Enterprise Academy. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carrie Gosch PK CenterEast Chicago | Pre-K | 113 | Public | 1.0 mi |
| Abraham Lincoln Elementary SchoolEast Chicago | K–6 | 282 | Public | 1.5 mi |
| Benjamin Harrison Elementary SchEast Chicago | K–6 | 400 | Public | 1.0 mi |
| East Chicago LighthouseEast Chicago | K–8 | 495 | Charter | 1.1 mi |
| East Chicago Urban Enterprise AcademyEast Chicago | K–8 | 424 | Charter | 0.6 mi |
| George Washington Elementary SchEast Chicago | K–6 | 433 | Public | 1.1 mi |
| William McKinley Elementary SchoolEast Chicago | K–6 | 509 | Public | 1.2 mi |
| Joseph Block Middle SchoolEast Chicago | 7–8 | 436 | Public | 1.2 mi |
| East Chicago Central High SchoolEast Chicago | 9–12 | 1,052 | Public | 1.2 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Stanislaus SchoolEast Chicago | Pre-K–8 | 157 | Roman Catholic | 1.2 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.