Porter County Growth (Indianapolis, Gary, Dyer: home, property taxes, move to)

[valpofan11]

Over the next 10-15 years, which parts of Porter County will see the most growth? Will the unincorporated township areas continue to sprawl? Will the population (now at 167,000) grow to 185,000 or more/less? Will some areas become less desirable while others more?

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by valpofan11

Over the next 10-15 years, which parts of Porter County will see the most growth? Will the unincorporated township areas continue to sprawl? Will the population (now at 167,000) grow to 185,000 or more/less? Will some areas become less desirable while others more?

I expect very small rates of growth, more on the order of 175,000. Population is aging at a faster rate in the county, and less retention of younger people due to stagnant economy as well as longer commutes to other areas.

[censusdata]

Seems like it's all about how many people will move to NW IN from Illinois and Michigan due to lower property taxes and more business friendly laws. Can NWI become more of a job hub so the commute to CHI isn't a deterrent? I was impressed at some of the retail developments at former brown field sites off I-80.

[LIS123]

Originally Posted by censusdata

Seems like it's all about how many people will move to NW IN from Illinois and Michigan due to lower property taxes and more business friendly laws. Can NWI become more of a job hub so the commute to CHI isn't a deterrent? I was impressed at some of the retail developments at former brown field sites off I-80.

This!

I grew up in Lake County and there isn't much going on within the county itself (same with Porter). People say Lake County has grown, but the total population has been flat for the past few decades. To the extent that certain towns like Dyer have grown, it has largely been people leaving the IL side of the area. It's not like there is an abundance of high-paying jobs luring the best and brightest to Lake County; I doubt Porter is much different.

[Serious Conversation]

I don't see these places becoming anything more than exurbs of Chicago.

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by Serious Conversation

I don't see these places becoming anything more than exurbs of Chicago.

Porter county is mostly rural/small town on the eastern 1/2 with the western 1/2 being more small city, suburban, and exurban. I don't expect that to change that much. Also, there has been a good number of people that haven't been pleased about the new hospital in Valpo north of the city and its ratings aren't great.

[Bluefox]

The interesting thing about NWI is that it has the potential to make Chicagoland more of a multi-nodal metro area, with NWI becoming more of an independent player in the regional economy. However, the legislators in Indianapolis are all about Indy and there is a big stigma attached to NWI still. NWI could be so much more than it is. It has huge logistical advantages being so close to Chicago, and huge tax advantages being located in Indiana. But Indianapolis is not interested in developing the economy in this region which is a shame because NWI has the most potential of anywhere in the state, IMO. But without NWI's economy taking off more, its growth will be strictly tied to people fleeing IL, with will result in continued modest growth. Now, if high speed rail ever takes off between Chicago and any of the Ohio cities, all of which have been proposed, that could be a huge game changer for the region. But it's still a pipe dream at this point.

[wh15395]

Originally Posted by Bluefox

The interesting thing about NWI is that it has the potential to make Chicagoland more of a multi-nodal metro area, with NWI becoming more of an independent player in the regional economy. However, the legislators in Indianapolis are all about Indy and there is a big stigma attached to NWI still. NWI could be so much more than it is. It has huge logistical advantages being so close to Chicago, and huge tax advantages being located in Indiana. But Indianapolis is not interested in developing the economy in this region which is a shame because NWI has the most potential of anywhere in the state, IMO. But without NWI's economy taking off more, its growth will be strictly tied to people fleeing IL, with will result in continued modest growth. Now, if high speed rail ever takes off between Chicago and any of the Ohio cities, all of which have been proposed, that could be a huge game changer for the region. But it's still a pipe dream at this point.

The reason the Statehouse ignores NWI is because of the way it votes. I'm pretty convinced it has nothing to do with anything else because to me, NWI has the most economic growth potential of any area in the state, outside of (maybe) Indianapolis. The only reason Indianapolis still gets attention from the state is because it is the Capitol. But even here, the State of Indiana does what it can to limit the city's growth.

[censusdata]

Historically most NWI residents didn't commute to IL but worked in heavy industry in Gary or elsewhere along the lake, correct? When those jobs left and downtown Gary went from a hub to a ghost town NWI became a headless body. Gary won't improve until the lake front is home to jobs or a nice beach.

In terms of tourism the Dunes is underrated and not enough business is geared towards it. Most people down my way think the Dunes are an industrial wasteland with a beach. My wife remembered dead birds and bad smell from a visit 20 years ago. We went in Sept and were surprised how nice it was. IN should try to make a tourist area like Nashville or Gatlinburg adjacent to the park.