Jobs, pay and daily life in Valparaiso, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Valparaiso is a city in Indiana with 34,733 residents. The median household earns $69,872 a year and the median rent is $1,224 a month, which is 21.0% of the median household income. It is part of the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metropolitan area, where BLS counts 4,513,280 jobs.
How Valparaiso compares. Among the 80 largest places in Indiana, Valparaiso is #29 by population, #16 for college degrees (#1 = most), #60 for homeownership (#1 = highest), #56 for rent (#1 = cheapest). Its county, Porter County, is #20 of 92 counties for average pay ($58,217).
Valparaiso has 34,733 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.5% of the population of Indiana. It covers 17 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 2,026 people per square mile. The median age is 37.0, about the same as the state median (37.0 against 38.1).
The median gross rent is $1,224 a month (rent plus utilities), 15% above the state median ($1,224 against $1,062). Over a year that is 21.0% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $267,300, which is 3.8 times the median household income ($69,872); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 58.0% of households own their home, 18% below the state average (58.0% against 70.5%).
The Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metropolitan area has 4,513,280 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $54,720 a year, 7% above the national median ($54,720 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (488,940 jobs, median $48,840); transportation and material moving (484,580 jobs, median $45,920); management (404,010 jobs, median $131,890). The area is most specialised in management (1.2 times) and transportation and material moving (1.2 times), where the share of workers is above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($131,890) and legal ($112,440). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Porter County was 3.9%. 62.6% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Porter County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 74.8% drive alone, 0.5% use public transit, 3.5% walk, 10.4% work from home. 13.9% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 9% above the state average (13.9% against 12.7%).
40.6% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 38% above the state share (40.6% against 29.5%). 5.5% of residents were born outside the United States, 12% below the state share (5.5% against 6.3%). The poverty rate is 14.9%, 21% above the state rate (14.9% against 12.3%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 74°F (23.3°C), and the coolest is Jan at 25°F (-3.7°C). About 984 mm (39 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; May is the wettest month (111 mm) and Feb the driest (56 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Chesterton (8 miles, rent 4% higher); Portage (10 miles, similar rent); Hobart (12 miles, similar rent); Lake Station (12 miles, rent 8% lower). Rent differences are against Valparaiso; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Indiana (770) →State guide: IndianaCountry guidePorter CountyIndiana rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 770 federal postings open in Indiana (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in Indiana →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 157,920 | 1.84 | $40,550 | $31,860 | $56,440 | +1% |
| General and Operations Managers | 122,930 | 1.21 | $109,390 | $58,000 | $298,090 | +3% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 108,520 | 0.87 | $38,180 | $35,030 | $42,500 | +7% |
| Registered Nurses | 100,240 | 1.02 | $100,490 | $77,410 | $119,260 | +3% |
| Cashiers | 99,240 | 1.11 | $35,010 | $31,200 | $41,280 | +6% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 97,280 | 0.87 | $34,630 | $31,200 | $38,610 | +11% |
| Retail Salespersons | 96,950 | 0.86 | $35,820 | $31,200 | $48,580 | +1% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 79,850 | 0.97 | $38,450 | $33,310 | $49,100 | +3% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 75,240 | 1.00 | $47,100 | $34,480 | $71,530 | +5% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 70,000 | 1.09 | $38,470 | $32,760 | $50,000 | +4% |
| Office Clerks, General | 66,840 | 0.93 | $46,330 | $32,580 | $72,910 | +3% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 62,210 | 1.04 | $62,300 | $41,300 | $88,230 | +6% |
| Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel | 55,730 | 1.53 | $70,710 | $39,570 | $154,540 | +1% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 54,100 | 0.82 | $31,200 | $31,200 | $50,410 | -11% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 50,190 | 1.01 | $50,440 | $34,300 | $78,820 | +6% |
| Security Guards | 48,360 | 1.30 | $39,990 | $35,940 | $64,180 | +5% |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | 47,970 | 1.18 | $43,650 | $34,160 | $61,580 | -2% |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 46,770 | 1.13 | $37,840 | $31,200 | $48,100 | +3% |
| Nursing Assistants | 45,850 | 1.09 | $46,940 | $38,980 | $54,450 | +11% |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 45,840 | 1.14 | $78,390 | $48,960 | $105,250 | +23% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Executives | 3,610 | 0.61 | $344,960 | $142,940 | $599,520 | +61% |
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | 6,360 | 2.11 | $293,490 | $179,840 | $429,040 | +26% |
| Nurse Anesthetists | 840 | 0.56 | $265,880 | $103,490 | $479,410 | +12% |
| Psychiatrists | 600 | 0.74 | $258,750 | $134,770 | $487,560 | -8% |
| Emergency Medicine Physicians | 960 | 1.01 | ≥ $239,200 | ≥ $239,200 | ≥ $239,200 | n/a |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | 680 | 0.35 | $226,060 | $67,080 | $521,810 | -12% |
| Family Medicine Physicians | 1,430 | 0.46 | $225,080 | $94,990 | $320,380 | -8% |
| Obstetricians and Gynecologists | 1,120 | 1.81 | $208,000 | $208,000 | $369,800 | -29% |
| Air Traffic Controllers | 850 | 1.30 | $189,780 | $89,690 | $225,680 | +28% |
| Pediatricians, General | 860 | 0.75 | $188,340 | $106,520 | $379,260 | -10% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 24,950 | 1.28 | $173,760 | $112,980 | $280,060 | -1% |
| Financial Managers | 41,590 | 1.70 | $168,810 | $103,490 | $321,200 | +1% |
| Natural Sciences Managers | 2,270 | 0.72 | $167,040 | $87,010 | $293,270 | -0% |
| Lawyers | 28,320 | 1.29 | $165,660 | $87,070 | $331,140 | +4% |
| Marketing Managers | 17,400 | 1.52 | $165,340 | $98,400 | $277,220 | -1% |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 6,670 | 1.04 | $163,430 | $112,440 | $235,240 | -5% |
| Sales Managers | 25,390 | 1.37 | $158,690 | $80,060 | $288,430 | +7% |
| Commercial Pilots | 840 | 0.61 | $157,420 | $51,890 | $376,830 | +28% |
| Human Resources Managers | 10,810 | 1.69 | $156,770 | $93,230 | $270,150 | +5% |
| Dentists, General | 5,910 | 1.64 | $156,100 | $123,920 | $290,850 | -9% |
These figures are for the whole Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $54,720 (US $50,980); unemployment 4.4% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 24.7% |
| Manufacturing | 13.0% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 12.1% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 11.1% |
| Retail trade | 10.4% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 6.3% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 5.9% |
| Construction | 4.5% |
| Public administration | 4.5% |
| Other services | 4.0% |
| Information | 1.7% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.6% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.1% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Valparaiso lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Porter County | 174,818 | $9,875 million | $56,489 | 63,768 | 4,215 | $58,217 | +0.6% | 3.9% | 89,874 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 9,735 | 17.9% | $58,188 | 1.06 |
| Manufacturing | 9,713 | 17.9% | $88,224 | 1.85 |
| Retail trade | 7,165 | 13.2% | $35,432 | 1.13 |
| Accommodation and food services | 6,677 | 12.3% | $21,897 | 1.15 |
| Construction | 4,796 | 8.8% | $86,298 | 1.43 |
| Professional and technical services | 3,237 | 6.0% | $66,511 | 0.73 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 2,588 | 4.8% | $36,723 | 1.35 |
| Administrative and waste services | 2,426 | 4.5% | $49,346 | 0.65 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 2,410 | 4.4% | $62,171 | 0.89 |
| Educational services | 1,942 | 3.6% | $37,551 | 1.47 |
| Finance and insurance | 1,275 | 2.3% | $86,524 | 0.49 |
| Information | 739 | 1.4% | $58,206 | 0.62 |
| Real estate and rental | 673 | 1.2% | $53,245 | 0.68 |
| Management of companies | 524 | 1.0% | $100,642 | 0.49 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 424 | 0.8% | $28,307 | 0.40 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 74.8% |
| Public transit | 0.5% |
| Walk | 3.5% |
| Work from home | 10.4% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 13.9% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $69,872 |
| Income per person | $38,894 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,224 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 21.0% |
| Median home value | $267,300 |
| Homeowners | 58.0% |
| Poverty rate | 14.9% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 103.6 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $54,720 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Flat 2.95%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 37.0 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 94.7% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 40.6% |
| Born abroad | 5.5% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 62.6% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -3.7 | 25 | 58 |
| Feb | -2.8 | 27 | 56 |
| Mar | 2.8 | 37 | 62 |
| Apr | 9.0 | 48 | 90 |
| May | 14.9 | 59 | 111 |
| Jun | 20.5 | 69 | 98 |
| Jul | 23.3 | 74 | 101 |
| Aug | 22.7 | 73 | 108 |
| Sep | 18.9 | 66 | 80 |
| Oct | 11.7 | 53 | 95 |
| Nov | 4.9 | 41 | 65 |
| Dec | -0.9 | 30 | 60 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chesterton | IN | 8 mi | 14,446 | $91,060 | $1,274 |
| Portage | IN | 10 mi | 38,082 | $76,276 | $1,231 |
| Hobart | IN | 12 mi | 29,558 | $75,160 | $1,206 |
| Lake Station | IN | 12 mi | 13,185 | $59,591 | $1,124 |
| Merrillville | IN | 14 mi | 36,476 | $67,587 | $1,282 |
| Crown Point | IN | 16 mi | 34,393 | $101,686 | $1,485 |
| Gary | IN | 17 mi | 68,113 | $38,731 | $1,012 |
| Michigan City | IN | 18 mi | 31,814 | $53,089 | $967 |
| Griffith | IN | 20 mi | 16,273 | $76,636 | $1,235 |
| La Porte | IN | 20 mi | 22,449 | $59,307 | $948 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
34,733 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,224 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 21.0% of the median household income.
$69,872 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.9% (BLS county, Porter County (latest month 2026M09)).
Indiana. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.