Lake County, Indiana property tax
The median homeowner in Lake County, Indiana pays $1,987 a year in property tax on a home worth $214,700, an effective rate of 0.93%. The national effective rate is 0.98%.
What the rate means here
Lake County taxes property at 0.93%, within a rounding error of the national 0.98%. With the rate close to typical, the $1,987 bill is driven by what housing is worth here rather than by how hard it is taxed.
Inside Indiana it is one of the most heavily taxed counties there is, ranking #2 of 92, against a statewide 0.74%. At the other end of the same state, Switzerland County charges 0.41%. A spread that wide inside one state is normal, because school districts, not states, set most of the levy.
The median home costs 3.11 times the median household income of $68,985, close to the national 3.86. Incomes run below the national median, and house prices run below it too, which is what keeps the ratio ordinary. At 498,990 residents the county is large enough that its median blends several distinct housing markets.
The rate is derived rather than quoted. How and why.
What that costs at different home values
Arithmetic at the county effective rate, before any exemption or assessment cap.
Housing and income
| Lake County | Indiana | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effective property tax | 0.93% | 0.74% | 0.98% |
| Median tax bill | $1,987 | $1,496 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $214,700 | $201,600 | $303,400 |
| Median gross rent | $1,094 | $1,020 | $1,348 |
| Median household income | $68,985 | $70,051 | $78,538 |
| Home price to income | 3.11× | 2.88× | 3.86× |
| Rent as share of income | 19.03% | 17.47% | 20.6% |
| Owner-occupied | 70.86% | 70.35% | 65.02% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 five-year estimates. Population 498,990.
Nearby counties of similar size
| County | Rate | Median bill | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allen County | 0.80% | $1,559 | $194,300 |
| Hamilton County | 0.88% | $3,340 | $379,100 |
| St. Joseph County | 0.87% | $1,559 | $179,800 |
| Elkhart County | 0.82% | $1,592 | $194,400 |
| Tippecanoe County | 0.62% | $1,355 | $217,600 |
Lake County property tax: common questions
What is the property tax rate in Lake County, Indiana?
The effective rate is 0.93% of home value, from a median tax bill of $1,987 against a median home value of $214,700. That is 0.05 points below the national 0.98%.
How much is property tax on a $400,000 home in Lake County?
Roughly $3,720 a year at the county effective rate of 0.93%.
Is Lake County expensive compared with the rest of Indiana?
It ranks #2 of 92 Indiana counties by effective property tax rate, and #1179 of 2,826 nationally. That is 0.19 points above the Indiana average of 0.74%.
What does housing cost in Lake County?
The median home is worth $214,700 and median gross rent is $1,094 a month. Median household income is $68,985, which puts the home at 3.11 times annual income and rent at 19.03% of it.