Merrillville, IN
Census place 1848528 · pop 36,476
Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 36.5% · worse than most cities
42.5% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities
32 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities
5.1% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities
17.2% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 42 AQI · worse than most cities
52 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
87.7% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 26.5% · worse than most cities
28.9% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 1 days · worse than most cities
5 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.45 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities
93/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$67,587 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 24.3% · worse than most cities
26.1% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities
17.5% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
12.6% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities
9.8% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 964/100k · worse than most cities
1330 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.85% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median +2.4% · better than most cities
+4.5% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median $1,756/mo · better than most cities
$1,530/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 67.2% · better than most cities
70.5% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median $214,900 · better than most cities
$211,400 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 152/100k · better than most cities
94 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
Frequently asked
- Is Merrillville, IN a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Merrillville scores 43/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is violent crime rate and its weakest is adult obesity. Indiana overall ranks #18 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- How safe is Merrillville, IN?
- Merrillville reports 94 violent crimes per 100k and 1330 property crimes per 100k — better than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Merrillville, IN expensive to live in?
- Merrillville has a median home value of $211,400 and typical rent around $1,530/mo — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Merrillville, IN?
- Its weakest measured area is adult obesity (42.5%) — 9/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Merrillville, IN best at?
- Its strongest measured area is violent crime rate (94/100k) — 73/100, better than most U.S. cities.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.