East Chicago

LOCATION
  County: Lake
County size: 497 square miles
Distance & direction to major cities:
Chicago, IL (NW) 20 miles
Toledo, OH (E) 214 miles
Indianapolis, IN (S) 168 miles
Detroit, MI (NE) 250 miles
POPULATION
 

Census Year

City

County

1970 49,982 546,253
1980 39,786 522,965
1990 33,892 475,594
  Metropolitan statistical area: Gary-Hammond
Median household income:
$19,391 - 1989 dollars for East Chicago (1990 census)
CLIMATE
 
Coldest month: January Avg. temp of: 20.1° F
Hottest month: July Avg. temp of: 72.9° F
GOVERNMENT
 
Form & organization: City; mayor, city clerk, 9 councilmen
Incorporated or unincorporated: Incorporated
Class: 2
Area within city: 15 square miles
Annual budget: $40,737,086 (1997)
Primary source of revenue: State & local taxes
Fire insurance rating in community: 3
TAXES
  LOCAL
(Applicable State Property Tax Replacement Credit will reduce gross tax rates)
Total gross rate within city per $100 valuation: $20.1408
 
Assessed at: 33-1/3% Year payable: 1996
  COUNTY:
None

STATE
State retail sales tax: 5%
State gross income or adjusted gross income tax:
Corp. gross income tax: 0.3% - 1.2% or adjusted gross 3.4%
Supplemental net income tax: 4.5%
Unemployment contribution rate: 0.2 - 5.5% experience rating
Benefits: $116 - $202; 26 weeks maximum
Workmen's compensation rate: Employer's liability
Benefits: 66-2/3% of weekly wage; $428.00 maximum
Corporate franchise tax: None
Machinery, equipment, inventory tax: Property tax
HOUSING
 
Total housing units in city: 13,484 (1990 census)
Total housing units in county: 183,014 (1990 census)
Average housing cost in city: N/A
Available rental units: N/A
Total hotel/motel rooms: N/A
HEALTHCARE
 
No. of Hospitals: 1
Total no. of beds: 355
EDUCATION
 
No. of schools: 10 public, 2 parochial (1997)
Total enrollment (K-12): 6200 (1997)
 
1994 COMBINED AVERAGE VERBAL AND MATH SAT SCORES
Average SAT score: 716
Average Indiana SAT score: 876
Average National SAT score: 902
 
VOCATIONAL TRAINING FACILITIES
Ivy Tech State College, East Chicago
 
COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES
Indiana University Northwest, Gary
Purdue University Calumet, Hammond
Calumet College, Whiting
Valparaiso University, Valparaiso
CIVIC AND RECREATIONAL
 
MAJOR CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS
Chamber of Commerce, Elks, Kiwanis, Lions, Rotary

MAIN CULTURAL ATTRACTIONS
Robert A. Pastrick Marina, East Chicago; Center for the Visual & Performing Arts, Munster; Radisson Star Plaza, Merrillville; Chicago area

LIBRARY(S)
No. of libraries: 2
No. of Volumes: 170,000 East Chicago system (635,818 available from Lake County Public Library System)

PARKS
City: 19 & 1 marina w/283 wet slips, 275 dry slips; 9 neighborhood centers
County: 0 State: Indiana Dunes State Park, 30 miles

GOLF COURSES
Public: 1 (par3, 9-hole) Private: 0

WATERWAYS		  
No. nearby lakes: 1 - Lake Michigan
Rivers: 1
LABOR MARKET
 
FEBRUARY 1995 LAKE COUNTY LABOR FORCE ESTIMATES
Present Employment: 214,800 Labor force: 229,560
Unemployment Rate: 6.4%  
 
1993 LAKE COUNTY EMPLOYMENT PATTERNS
Total covered employment average: 189,444
Mfg. average - goods producing: 40,900
Non-mfg. average - service producing: 125,563
Government average: 22,982
 
GENERAL INFO
% manufacturing workers in union: 87%
State right to work law: No
INDUSTRY
 
MAJOR INDUSTRIES
Inland Steel
Product: steel No. of employees: 14,700

LTV Steel
Product: steel No. of employees: 5,500

Union Tank Car
Product: railroad tank cars No. of employees: 1020

American Steel Foundries
Product: wheels, railroad castings No. of employees: 425

Albert Given Mfg. Co.
Product: men's slacks No. of employees: 319

Plant openings in last 5 years: D.L. Smith, Elliot Corp. (1990); Metro Metals (1997)
UTILITIES
 
ELECTRIC
Service by: Northern Indiana Public Service Co.

NATURAL GAS
Service by: Northern Indiana Public Service Co.

WATER
Service by: East Chicago Water Dept. Source: Lake Michigan
Pumping capacity: 30,000,000 gpd Peak demand: 12,000,000
Treatment capacity: N/A  

SANITATION
Sewerage treatment plant: Yes
Capacity: 36,000,000 gpd
Wet weather flow: 27,000,000 gpd avg.
Dry weather flow: 15,000,000 gpd avg.
Peak demand: 15,000,000 gpd
Area covered by plant: Entire city
TRANSPORTATION
 
HIGHWAYS
Interstate: I-90, I-80/94 Distance: 3 miles
U.S.: 6 Distance: 5 miles
State highway load limits: 80,000 lbs. gross

RAIL
IHB, C&O, EJ&E, CSS&SB, Conrail

TRUCK LINES
Major national/local lines: N/A
Overnight service available: N/A

AIR
Local Airport: Gary Regional Flights per day: 3
Charter service available: yes Runways: 7,000 & 3,600 ft.
Nearest major airports:
O'Hare International Airport, Chicago - 1 hour Midway Airport, Chicago - 30 minutes

PORT FACILITIES (Nearest)
Burns International Harbor - Portage, 16 miles

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