46312 ZIP Code — East Chicago, IN

Lake County, Indiana

ZIP code 46312 is located in East Chicago, Indiana, within Lake County. It covers approximately 14.06 square miles and serves a population of 26,363 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 219.

About ZIP code 46312

The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $84,900. Renters make up the majority at 56%, typical of denser urban areas.

Median household income is $39,434. Poverty affects 27% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 34% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 32% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is production, transportation, and material moving, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 23 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 10% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of obesity (48%), diabetes (19%), smoking (25%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 46312 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

26,363

population

14.06

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

46312 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 46312

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 46312. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
East Chicago	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

46320 Hammond (2.3 mi) 46394 Whiting (2.8 mi) 46327 Hammond (3.1 mi) 46406 Gary (4 mi) 46323 Hammond (4.3 mi) 46324 Hammond (5.1 mi) 46404 Gary (5.7 mi) 60409 Calumet City (5.9 mi) 60633 Chicago (5.9 mi) 46402 Gary (6 mi) 60617 Chicago (7.1 mi) 46322 Highland (7.1 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	26,363
Population density	1,875 / sq mi
State FIPS	18
County FIPS	089

Geography
Land area	14.06 sq mi
Water area	2.06 sq mi
Latitude	41.6497
Longitude	-87.4487
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	219

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	65.6%	43.6%	42.9%
$50k – $100k	24.3%	31.1%	32.7%
$100k – $200k	9.1%	21.2%	19.8%
Over $200k	1.0%	4.1%	4.5%

Demographics & statistics

26,363

Population

1,875

People per sq mi

36.0

Median age

$39,434

Median household income

$22,539

Per capita income

$84,900

Median home value

$779

Median monthly rent

43.8%

Home ownership

27.0%

Poverty rate

6.5%

Unemployment

7,059

Housing units

10.0%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

865

Under 5

889

862

5–9

887

968

10–14

995

1,004

15–19

1,032

815

20–24

838

1,743

25–34

1,793

1,812

35–44

1,865

1,532

45–54

1,576

886

55–59

911

547

60–64

563

1,164

65–74

1,198

523

75–84

538

275

85+

282

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	6,669	25.3%
18 and over	19,694	74.7%
65 and over	3,980	15.1%
Median age	36.0 years

Race & ethnicity

Hispanic or Latino 28.8%

Black or African American 27.4%

Other race 23.4%

White 14.1%

Two or more races 6.1%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%

Asian 0.1%

Group	Count	%
Hispanic or Latino	10,677	28.8%
Black or African American	10,136	27.4%
Other race	8,660	23.4%
White	5,209	14.1%
Two or more races	2,274	6.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native	53	0.1%
Asian	29	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	65.6%	43.6%	42.9%
$50k – $100k	24.3%	31.1%	32.7%
$100k – $200k	9.1%	21.2%	19.8%
Over $200k	1.0%	4.1%	4.5%

Under $10k 13.8%

$10k–$15k 7.9%

$15k–$25k 11.2%

$25k–$35k 11.9%

$35k–$50k 14.4%

$50k–$75k 15.4%

$75k–$100k 11.1%

$100k–$150k 9.2%

$150k–$200k 2.3%

$200k+ 2.8%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	13.8%
$10k–$15k	7.9%
$15k–$25k	11.2%
$25k–$35k	11.9%
$35k–$50k	14.4%
$50k–$75k	15.4%
$75k–$100k	11.1%
$100k–$150k	9.2%
$150k–$200k	2.3%
$200k+	2.8%
Median income	$39,434

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 17.4%

$50k–$100k 43.7%

$100k–$150k 19.7%

$150k–$200k 9.6%

$200k–$300k 7.3%

$300k–$500k 0.5%

$500k–$1M 1.4%

$1M+ 0.4%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$84,900
Median rent / month	$779
Owner occupied	43.8%
Renter occupied	56.2%
Vacant	20.5%
Single-family detached	41.9%
Large apartment buildings	6.5%
Mobile homes	0.3%
Median rooms	4.9
Avg household size (owned)	2.79

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	1.9%
2000–2009	1.7%
1990–1999	3.6%
1980–1989	2.2%
1970–1979	9.8%
1960–1969	10.1%
1950–1959	8.9%
1940–1949	16.0%
1939 or earlier	45.8%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.2%
1 bedroom	17.2%
2 bedrooms	33.8%
3 bedrooms	35.1%
4 bedrooms	9.0%
5+ bedrooms	3.7%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	19.6%
1 vehicle	43.4%
2 vehicles	24.9%
3 or more	12.1%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	88.0%
Electricity	8.5%
Propane / LP gas	1.0%
Fuel oil	0.2%
No fuel used	2.2%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	2,520	24.8%
Cohabiting couple	752	7.4%
Male householder, no spouse	2,589	25.5%
Female householder, no spouse	4,286	42.2%
Households with children under 18	3,512	34.6%
Households with seniors (65+)	2,996	29.5%
Average household size	2.59

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	52.4%	47.1%
Married	29.1%	26.8%
Separated	2.5%	2.1%
Widowed	3.7%	9.8%
Divorced	12.3%	14.2%

Education

Less than 9th grade 13.1%

Some HS, no diploma 13.4%

HS graduate 40.0%

Some college, no degree 16.6%

Associate's degree 6.9%

Bachelor's degree 6.4%

Graduate / professional 3.6%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	73.5%
Bachelor's or higher	10.0%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	454	6.8%
Kindergarten	327	4.9%
Elementary school	2,975	44.3%
High school	1,654	24.6%
College / grad school	1,300	19.4%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 20.7%

Manufacturing 17.9%

Arts, food & hospitality 12.3%

Retail trade 11.6%

Transportation & utilities 8.5%

Professional & management 7.8%

Construction 7.1%

Finance & real estate 5.2%

Other services 3.1%

Public administration 3.0%

Wholesale trade 2.1%

Information 0.6%

Agriculture & mining 0.4%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	19.8%
Service	23.8%
Sales & office	20.1%
Natural resources & construction	8.9%
Production & transportation	27.3%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	82.6%
Government	13.8%
Self-employed	3.6%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	75.6%
Carpool	15.5%
Public transit	1.3%
Walk	2.3%
Work from home	3.7%
Other means	1.5%
Avg commute (minutes)	22.9

Poverty

All people 27.0%

Under 18 years 40.7%

18 and over 22.4%

Married-couple families 11.8%

Female-led households 38.1%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	32.2%
Retirement income	21.3%
Supplemental Security	8.1%
Cash public assistance	3.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	33.9%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	48.4%
High blood pressure	39.3%
High cholesterol	30.0%
Diabetes	19.4%
Heart disease	7.8%
Stroke	4.7%
Asthma	11.7%
Arthritis	27.9%
Kidney disease	4.3%
Pulmonary disease	8.9%
Cancer	4.9%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	25.0%
Binge drinking	13.1%
No physical activity	43.3%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	40.6%
Depression	19.4%
Fair or poor health	30.8%
Poor mental health	17.6%
Poor physical health	16.2%
No health insurance	30.9%
Visited doctor (checkup)	77.2%
Visited dentist	42.8%
Cholesterol screening	86.4%
Teeth loss	26.4%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	673	3.4%

Disability	%
Any disability	16.6%
Under 18	5.2%
18–64 years	15.4%
65 and over	41.1%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	46.0%
Public insurance	52.3%
No insurance	10.9%
Uninsured under 19	3.1%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	24,609	93.3%
Spanish	3,783	15.4%
Other Indo-European	3,755	15.3%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	28	0.1%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	22,314	84.6%
Born in same state	21,448	81.4%
Born in different state	13,382	50.8%
Foreign born	866	3.3%
Naturalized citizen	4,049	15.4%
Not a US citizen	1,452	35.9%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	166	0.6%
French	140	0.5%
Arab	126	0.5%

Ancestry	Count	%
Irish	72	0.3%
Norwegian	12	0%
English	8	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	38.5%
Internet access	81.6%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 46312

What city is ZIP code 46312 in?

ZIP code 46312 is primarily assigned to East Chicago, Indiana.

What county is ZIP code 46312 in?

ZIP code 46312 falls within Lake County, Indiana.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 46312?

27% of residents in ZIP code 46312 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 46312?

10% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

Is ZIP code 46312 mostly rentals?

56% of occupied units in ZIP code 46312 are renter-occupied.

What are the health statistics for ZIP code 46312?

Health data for ZIP code 46312 shows elevated rates of obesity (48%) and diabetes (19%) and smoking (25%) compared to national benchmarks.

What timezone is ZIP code 46312 in?

ZIP code 46312 observes the CST timezone.