LOCATION 
County: Lake
County size: 497 square miles
Distance & direction to major cities:
Chicago, IL (NW) 18 miles
Indianapolis, IN (SE) 170 miles
Detroit, MI (NE) 260 miles
Toledo, OH (E) 215 miles 

POPULATION  
Census Year	Town	County 
1970 		7,054 	546,253 
1980 		5,630 	522,965 
1990 		5,155 	475,594 
 
  Metropolitan statistical area: Gary-Hammond
Average income per household: N/A 

CLIMATE 
Coldest month: January 
Avg. temp of: 20.1° F 
Hottest month: July 
Avg. temp of: 72.9° F 
 

GOVERNMENT 
Form & organization: City; mayor, 7 councilmen, clerk/treasurer 
Incorporated or unincorporated: Incorporated 
Class: 3 
Area within city: 1.8 square miles 
Annual budget: $5,524.811 (1997) 
Primary source of revenue: State & local 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: $20.876 
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 town: 2,318 (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: 0 
 

HEALTH AND WELFARE 
No. of Hospitals: 0; St. Catherine Hospital, East Chicago; St. Margaret Mercy Healthcare Center, Hammond
Total no. of beds: 842 (1992) from above listed hospitals 
 

EDUCATION 
No. of schools: 2 public, 1 parochial (1992)
Total enrollment (K-12): 1,456 (1992) 
 
  
1994 COMBINED AVERAGE VERBAL AND MATH SAT SCORES
Average SAT score: 721
Average Indiana SAT score: 876
Average National SAT score: 902 
 
  
VOCATIONAL TRAINING FACILITIES
Hammond Area Career Center, Hammond
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
Elks, Lions, Moose, Chamber of Commerce; Whiting-Robertsdale Community Improvement Corp., Kiwanis 

MAIN CULTURAL ATTRACTIONS 
Star Plaza Theater, Merrillville; Northwest Indiana Symphony; The Center for Visual & Performing Arts, Munster; Chicago area 

LIBRARY(S) 
No. of libraries: 1 
No. of Volumes: 74,958 books, 12,725 other items (2/95) 

PARKS 
City: 5 & Whiting Community Center County: 1 - Whihala Beach 
State: Indiana Dunes State Park, 18 miles   

GOLF COURSES 
Public: 0; 1 - East Chicago; 1 - Hammond 
Private: 0; 1 - Hammond 

WATERWAYS   
No. nearby lakes: Lake Michigan, 0 miles, Wolf Lake 
Rivers: Grand Calumet, 1 mile; Little Calumet, 6 miles 
 

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 
Amoco Oil Company  
Product: petroleum products 
No. of employees: 1,650 

Amoco Chemical Corp.  
Product: processed chemicals 
No. of employees: 54 

Globe Building Materials 
Product: roofing materials 
No. of employees: 155 

Michigan Industrial Hardwood Co. 
Product: lumber & wood products 
No. of employees: 25  

Graham Packaging Co. 
Product: plastic oil bottles 
No. of employees: 55  

Plant Openings in the last 5 yrs.: None 
 

UTILITIES 
ELECTRIC 
Service by: Northern Indiana Public Service Co. 

NATURAL GAS 
Service by: Northern Indiana Public Service Co. 

WATER 
Service by: City of Whiting 
Source: Lake Michigan 
Pumping capacity: 4,000,000 gpd 
Peak demand: 2,000,000 gpd 
Treatment capacity: 3,600,000 gpd 

SANITATION 
Sewerage treatment plant: Whiting Retention Basin; Sanitary District of the City of Whiting & Hammond Sanitary District 
Capacity: 60,000,000 gpd (Whiting Retention Basin = 3,500,000 gpd distributed to Hammond; 1,200,000 gpd stored at Whiting) 
Wet weather flow: 60,000,000 gpd avg. (3,500,000 gpd avg. Whiting) 
Dry weather flow: 36,000,000 gpd avg. (1,200,000 gpd avg. Whiting) 
Peak demand: 48,000,000 gpd (3,500,000 gpd distributed to Hammond; 1,200,000 gpd stored at Whiting) 
Area covered by plant: Entire City 
 

TRANSPORTATION 
HIGHWAYS 
Interstate: I-90; I-65; I-80/94 
Distance: 4; 8; 10 miles 
U.S.: 6; 12; 20; 41 
Distance: 10; 0; 0; 1 miles 
State highway load limits: 80,000 lbs. gross 

RAIL 
B&O, EJ&E, IHB, Conrail 

TRUCK LINES 
Major national/local lines: 5
Overnight service available: Cities within 300 miles 

AIR 
Local Airports: Gary Regional Flights per day: 3 
Runways: 7,000 & 3,600 ft Charter service available: Yes 
Nearest major airports:  
O'Hare International Airport, 
Chicago - 32 miles Midway Airport, Chicago - 18 miles 

PORT FACILITIES (Nearest)
Burns International Harbor - Portage, 18 miles 

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