LOCATION 
County: Lake
County size: 497 square miles
Distance & direction to major cities:
Chicago, IL (NW) 45 miles
Indianapolis, IN (SE) 120 miles
Detroit, MI (NE) 266 miles
Cincinnati, OH (SE) 281 miles 

POPULATION  
Census Year	Town	County 
1970 		3,839 	546,253 
1980 		5,827 	522,965 
1990 		6,430 	475,594 
 
  Metropolitan statistical area: Gary-Hammond
Average income per household: $35,998 - 1989 dollars for Lowell (1990 census) 

CLIMATE 
Coldest month: January 
Avg. temp of: 24.2° F 
Hottest month: July 
Avg. temp of: 73.3° F 
 

GOVERNMENT 
Form & organization: Town; 5-member town council, clerk-treasurer; clerk-treasurer 
Incorporated or unincorporated: Incorporated 
Class: Town 
Area within city: 4.5 square miles  
Annual budget: $2,750,000 (1997) = 43% 
Primary source of revenue: State & local property taxes 
Fire insurance rating in community: 6 
 

TAXES 
LOCAL
(Applicable State Property Tax Replacement Credit will reduce gross tax rates)
Total gross rate within town per $100 valuation: Cedar Creek: $18.81; 
West Creek: $19.38 
 Assessed at: 33-1/3% 
 Year payable: 1995 
 
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: 2,184 (1990 census)
Total housing units in county: 183,014 (1990 census)
Average housing cost in town: $65,000 
Available rental units: 434 - total rental units
Total hotel/motel rooms: 0 
 

HEALTH AND WELFARE 
No. of Hospitals: 0 - St. Anthony Medical Center, Crown Point
Total no. of beds: 282 
 

EDUCATION 
No. of schools: 4 public, 2 parochial
Total enrollment (K-12): 3,457 (1995) 
 
  
1994 COMBINED AVERAGE VERBAL AND MATH SAT SCORESAverage SAT score: 848
Average Indiana SAT score: 876
Average National SAT score: 902 
 
  
VOCATIONAL TRAINING FACILITIES
Indiana Vocational Technical College, Gary 
  
COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES
Purdue University Calumet, Hammond
Calumet College, Whiting
Indiana University Northwest, Gary
Valparaiso University, Valparaiso 

CIVIC AND RECREATIONAL 
MAJOR CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS
Rotary, Lions, Moose, Chamber of Commerce 

MAIN CULTURAL ATTRACTIONS 
Buckley Homestead/schoolhouse
Halstead House
Chicago area
Radisson Star Plaza, Merrillville 

LIBRARY(S) 
No. of libraries: 1
No. of Volumes: 53,810 (1995) 

PARKS 
Town: 7 
County: 1 - Buckley Homestead 
State: Indiana Dunes State Park, 30 miles 
National: Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore 

GOLF COURSES 
Public: 2 
Private: 1 

WATERWAYS   
No. nearby lakes: 1 
Rivers: 0 
 

LABOR MARKET 
JUNE 1995 COUNTY LABOR FORCE ESTIMATES 
Present Employment: 216,520 
Labor force: 231,130 
Unemployment Rate: 6.3%   
 
  
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 
Avery Dennison 
Product: vinyl film 
No. of employees: 72 

Globe Industries, Inc.  
Product: automotive sound deadening products 
No. of employees: 500 

Phillips Industries, Inc. 
Product: aluminum windows 7 doors 
No. of employees: 175 

Ashland Products 
Product: injection molded plastic components 
No. of employees: 120 

Saco Industries 
Product: kitchen & bath cabinets 
No. of employees: 130 

Midwest Accurate Grinding Service 
Product: precision ground hardened steel parts 
No. of employees: 12 

Plant openings in last 5 years: 1990-93: None; 1994: Midwest Accurate Grinding Service, Saco Industries, Ashland Products, C.J. Glass Co.; 1995: None 
 

UTILITIES 
ELECTRIC 
Service by: Northern Indiana Public Service Co. 

NATURAL GAS 
Service by: Northern Indiana Public Service Co. 

WATER 
Service by: Town of Lowell 
Source: Wells Pumping 
capacity: 1,500,000 gpd 
Peak demand: 900,000 gpd Treatment capacity: N/A 

SANITATION 
Sewerage treatment plant: Lowell/Cedar Lake 
Capacity: 4,000,000 gpd  
Wet weather flow: 2,400,000 gpd avg. 
Dry weather flow: 4,000,000 gpd avg. 
Peak demand: 4,000,000 gpd 
Area covered by plant: Town 
 

TRANSPORTATION 
HIGHWAYS 
Interstate: I-65 
Distance: 3 miles 
U.S.: 41 
Distance: 2 miles 
State highway load limits: 80,000 lbs. gross 

RAIL 
CSX 

TRUCK LINES 
Major national/local lines:1
Overnight service available: Within 500 miles (Chicago Area) 

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 - 45 min. 

PORT FACILITIES (Nearest)
Burns International Harbor - Portage, 30 miles 

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