46394 ZIP Code — Whiting, IN
Lake County, Indiana
ZIP code 46394 is located in Whiting, Indiana, within Lake County. It covers approximately 4.74 square miles and serves a population of 12,117 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 219.
About ZIP code 46394
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 $153,800. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 66%.
Median household income is $65,212. 37% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.
The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with manufacturing as the leading industry. The average commute of 28 minutes is near the national average.
Educational attainment is near the national average, with 24% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.
Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (21%) compared to national benchmarks.
12,117
population
4.74
sq mi land
Standard
ZIP type
Central (CT)
timezone
46394 ZIP code map
Cities in ZIP code 46394
Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 46394. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.
| City | Status |
|---|---|
| Whiting | Acceptable |
| Whiting | Preferred |
Nearby ZIP codes
46320 Hammond (1.8 mi)
46327 Hammond (2.8 mi)
46312 East Chicago (2.8 mi)
60633 Chicago (4 mi)
60617 Chicago (4.3 mi)
60409 Calumet City (5.4 mi)
46323 Hammond (6.3 mi)
46324 Hammond (6.3 mi)
60628 Chicago (6.5 mi)
46406 Gary (6.7 mi)
60419 Dolton (6.8 mi)
60827 Riverdale (7.2 mi)
Demographics
updated 05/2026
| Population | |
|---|---|
| Total population | 12,117 |
| Population density | 2,556 / sq mi |
| State FIPS | 18 |
| County FIPS | 089 |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Land area | 4.74 sq mi |
| Water area | 3.44 sq mi |
| Latitude | 41.6764 |
| Longitude | -87.4900 |
| 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 | 46.7% | 43.6% | 42.9% |
| $50k – $100k | 37.3% | 31.1% | 32.7% |
| $100k – $200k | 13.6% | 21.2% | 19.8% |
| Over $200k | 2.4% | 4.1% | 4.5% |
Demographics & statistics
12,117
Population
2,556
People per sq mi
40.2
Median age
$65,212
Median household income
$32,717
Per capita income
$153,800
Median home value
$917
Median monthly rent
66.0%
Home ownership
15.5%
Poverty rate
5.5%
Unemployment
3,756
Housing units
23.9%
Bachelor's or higher
Age distribution
Male
Female
347
Under 5
330
302
5–9
287
391
10–14
372
439
15–19
418
397
20–24
379
867
25–34
826
784
35–44
746
639
45–54
609
387
55–59
368
519
60–64
494
649
65–74
618
297
75–84
283
189
85+
180
← Male
Female →
Age summary
| Group | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 2,549 | 21.0% |
| 18 and over | 9,568 | 79.0% |
| 65 and over | 2,216 | 18.3% |
| Median age | 40.2 years | |
Race & ethnicity
White
47.4%
Hispanic or Latino
22.4%
Other race
17.2%
Two or more races
6.5%
Black or African American
3.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native
2%
Asian
0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.1%
| Group | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| White | 7,395 | 47.4% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 3,499 | 22.4% |
| Other race | 2,687 | 17.2% |
| Two or more races | 1,016 | 6.5% |
| Black or African American | 612 | 3.9% |
| American Indian / Alaska Native | 308 | 2% |
| Asian | 89 | 0.6% |
| Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander | 10 | 0.1% |
Household income
| Income range | This ZIP | County avg | State avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under $50k | 46.7% | 43.6% | 42.9% |
| $50k – $100k | 37.3% | 31.1% | 32.7% |
| $100k – $200k | 13.6% | 21.2% | 19.8% |
| Over $200k | 2.4% | 4.1% | 4.5% |
Under $10k
8.2%
$10k–$15k
3.5%
$15k–$25k
7.2%
$25k–$35k
7.3%
$35k–$50k
12.4%
$50k–$75k
17.2%
$75k–$100k
20.9%
$100k–$150k
13.4%
$150k–$200k
6.2%
$200k+
3.7%
| Range | % of households |
|---|---|
| Under $10k | 8.2% |
| $10k–$15k | 3.5% |
| $15k–$25k | 7.2% |
| $25k–$35k | 7.3% |
| $35k–$50k | 12.4% |
| $50k–$75k | 17.2% |
| $75k–$100k | 20.9% |
| $100k–$150k | 13.4% |
| $150k–$200k | 6.2% |
| $200k+ | 3.7% |
| Median income | $65,212 |
Housing
Home values
Under $50k
4.7%
$50k–$100k
10.9%
$100k–$150k
30.8%
$150k–$200k
35.0%
$200k–$300k
12.1%
$300k–$500k
5.3%
$500k–$1M
0.9%
$1M+
0.3%
Housing overview
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Median home value | $153,800 |
| Median rent / month | $917 |
| Owner occupied | 66.0% |
| Renter occupied | 34.0% |
| Vacant | 8.9% |
| Single-family detached | 69.8% |
| Large apartment buildings | 1.7% |
| Mobile homes | 1.3% |
| Median rooms | 5.7 |
| Avg household size (owned) | 2.34 |
Year built
| Era | % |
|---|---|
| 2020 or later | 0.4% |
| 2010–2019 | 2.6% |
| 2000–2009 | 1.4% |
| 1990–1999 | 0.6% |
| 1980–1989 | 1.3% |
| 1970–1979 | 2.6% |
| 1960–1969 | 4.5% |
| 1950–1959 | 13.3% |
| 1940–1949 | 17.4% |
| 1939 or earlier | 55.9% |
Bedrooms
| Size | % of units |
|---|---|
| No bedroom (studio) | 1.0% |
| 1 bedroom | 10.4% |
| 2 bedrooms | 35.9% |
| 3 bedrooms | 36.7% |
| 4 bedrooms | 12.6% |
| 5+ bedrooms | 3.4% |
Vehicles per household
| Vehicles | % of households |
|---|---|
| No vehicle | 8.4% |
| 1 vehicle | 37.5% |
| 2 vehicles | 36.1% |
| 3 or more | 18.0% |
Heating fuel
| Fuel type | % |
|---|---|
| Utility gas | 83.9% |
| Electricity | 9.1% |
| Propane / LP gas | 1.3% |
| Fuel oil | 4.5% |
| No fuel used | 0.2% |
Households & families
| Household type | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Married-couple family | 1,692 | 34.1% |
| Cohabiting couple | 564 | 11.4% |
| Male householder, no spouse | 1,226 | 24.7% |
| Female householder, no spouse | 1,473 | 29.7% |
| Households with children under 18 | 1,248 | 25.2% |
| Households with seniors (65+) | 1,652 | 33.3% |
| Average household size | 2.43 | |
Marital status
| Status | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Never married | 45.1% | 36.9% |
| Married | 36.3% | 35.8% |
| Separated | 1.0% | 2.0% |
| Widowed | 5.3% | 10.5% |
| Divorced | 12.2% | 14.9% |
Education
Less than 9th grade
7.1%
Some HS, no diploma
6.8%
HS graduate
39.7%
Some college, no degree
17.5%
Associate's degree
5.0%
Bachelor's degree
19.1%
Graduate / professional
4.8%
| Metric | % |
|---|---|
| HS diploma or higher | 86.1% |
| Bachelor's or higher | 23.9% |
School enrollment (ages 3–17)
| Type | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Nursery / preschool | 132 | 5.1% |
| Kindergarten | 103 | 4.0% |
| Elementary school | 1,146 | 44.5% |
| High school | 677 | 26.3% |
| College / grad school | 517 | 20.1% |
Employment
Industry of employment
Manufacturing
23.7%
Education & healthcare
14.0%
Arts, food & hospitality
13.2%
Retail trade
10.0%
Professional & management
9.9%
Construction
7.6%
Transportation & utilities
6.8%
Other services
4.5%
Finance & real estate
3.6%
Public administration
2.7%
Information
2.1%
Wholesale trade
1.3%
Agriculture & mining
0.6%
Occupation
| Category | % |
|---|---|
| Management, business & arts | 32.3% |
| Service | 16.1% |
| Sales & office | 19.2% |
| Natural resources & construction | 8.0% |
| Production & transportation | 24.4% |
Employment type
| Type | % |
|---|---|
| Private sector | 88.7% |
| Government | 8.5% |
| Self-employed | 2.8% |
| Unpaid family workers | 0.0% |
Commute
| Method | % |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 77.1% |
| Carpool | 8.9% |
| Public transit | 3.2% |
| Walk | 3.7% |
| Work from home | 6.6% |
| Other means | 0.5% |
| Avg commute (minutes) | 27.9 |
Poverty
All people
15.5%
Under 18 years
19.1%
18 and over
14.5%
Married-couple families
4.1%
Female-led households
26.4%
Income support
| Source | % of households |
|---|---|
| Social Security | 36.5% |
| Retirement income | 27.1% |
| Supplemental Security | 5.4% |
| Cash public assistance | 0.6% |
| Food stamps / SNAP | 12.9% |
Health indicators
| Condition | % |
|---|---|
| Obesity | 39.0% |
| High blood pressure | 33.0% |
| High cholesterol | 31.2% |
| Diabetes | 12.9% |
| Heart disease | 7.2% |
| Stroke | 3.3% |
| Asthma | 9.7% |
| Arthritis | 27.3% |
| Kidney disease | 3.2% |
| Pulmonary disease | 8.3% |
| Cancer | 6.3% |
| Behavior / access | % |
|---|---|
| Smoking | 20.8% |
| Binge drinking | 16.2% |
| No physical activity | 31.8% |
| Less than 7 hrs sleep | 34.2% |
| Depression | 20.2% |
| Fair or poor health | 19.9% |
| Poor mental health | 15.4% |
| Poor physical health | 12.5% |
| No health insurance | 21.3% |
| Visited doctor (checkup) | 74.4% |
| Visited dentist | 56.4% |
| Cholesterol screening | 88.0% |
| Teeth loss | 18.6% |
Veterans & disability
| Veterans | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Civilian veterans | 647 | 6.8% |
| Disability | % |
|---|---|
| Any disability | 14.9% |
| Under 18 | 4.3% |
| 18–64 years | 12.0% |
| 65 and over | 37.3% |
Health insurance coverage
| Type | % |
|---|---|
| Private insurance | 63.3% |
| Public insurance | 38.8% |
| No insurance | 9.4% |
| Uninsured under 19 | 5.9% |
Language & origin
Language spoken at home (age 5+)
| Language | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| English only | 11,440 | 94.4% |
| Spanish | 939 | 8.2% |
| Other Indo-European | 877 | 7.7% |
| Asian & Pacific Islander | 6 | 0.1% |
| Other languages | 56 | 0.5% |
Place of birth & citizenship
| Origin | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Native born (US) | 10,907 | 90.0% |
| Born in same state | 10,417 | 86.0% |
| Born in different state | 6,263 | 51.7% |
| Foreign born | 490 | 4.0% |
| Naturalized citizen | 1,210 | 10.0% |
| Not a US citizen | 626 | 51.7% |
Ancestry
| Ancestry | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Italian | 1,302 | 10.7% |
| French | 509 | 4.2% |
| Arab | 222 | 1.8% |
| English | 200 | 1.7% |
| Ancestry | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Irish | 169 | 1.4% |
| Norwegian | 24 | 0.2% |
| Dutch | 7 | 0.1% |
Technology access
| Metric | % of households |
|---|---|
| Computer access | 40.9% |
| Internet access | 90.3% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.
Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 46394
What city is ZIP code 46394 in?
ZIP code 46394 is primarily assigned to Whiting, Indiana.
What county is ZIP code 46394 in?
ZIP code 46394 falls within Lake County, Indiana.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 46394?
16% of residents in ZIP code 46394 live below the poverty line, above the national average.
Does ZIP code 46394 have a large retiree population?
37% of households in ZIP code 46394 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.
What is the typical home value in ZIP code 46394?
The median home value in ZIP code 46394 is $153,800.
What is the population of ZIP code 46394?
ZIP code 46394 has an estimated population of 12,117 residents, with a density of 2,555 people per square mile.
What timezone is ZIP code 46394 in?
ZIP code 46394 observes the CST timezone.