4th Street, 1909
Hobart Township’s story
179 years in pictures
Census counts: 600 in 1880, 29,752 in 2020. The archive holds 24 old photos and papers going back to 1909 and 5 maps from 1900 on.
- 1847Hobart Township is settled
Hobart TownshipIN
8 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Dennisyerger84 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
39,973
2025 Census estimate · −1.7% since 2020
Median home value
$184K
Census ACS
Household income
$70K
median
Median age
37.4
years
Jobs based here
8,278
A commuter town
TownGrade
C+
#461 of 585 in IN
Is Hobart Township a good place to live?
Health is its weak spot: residents are less healthy than 80% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. Where it does best is cost of living — a typical home costs about $184K, 2 years of the Chicago metro’s $91K median household income. All told, that adds up to a C+ overall and a rank of 461st of 585 in Indiana. That leaves it better than 37% of U.S. towns. The biggest park or preserve is Indiana Dunes National Park, at 441 acres. 16% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Hobart Township, where Indiana’s towns sit at 22% and U.S. towns at 29%. Only 69 of Indiana’s 1,098 towns score higher on the outdoors. 14% of residents are 65 or older in Hobart Township, below both Indiana’s towns (18%) and U.S. towns (18%).
Figures: home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · health, CDC PLACES · OpenStreetMap · USGS PAD-US.
What makes Hobart Township stand out
Where Hobart Township beats most towns.
Get outside
11 miles of trails in Hobart Township
7% of the town is conserved land, across 30 parks and preserves.
Trails © OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
How Hobart Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Indiana), ordered by how far Hobart Township is from typical.
HealthSt. Mary Medical Center 2.2 miles awayC−Open →Cost of livingAbove the middle of the towns comparedA−Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 35% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listBOpen →SchoolsGraded on exam and test resultsC+Open →Jobs & income$70K median household incomeC+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.5 of 20; 7.4% of households have no car; 1.2% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsMore parks and open land than mostA−Open →HistoryAhead of most towns comparedA−Open →Civic life2.3 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsC+Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 165 attractions →Soldier Field and 129 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Hobart Township. Close and well known come first.
Big draw28 mi Stadium & arenaSoldier Field
Big draw34 mi Stadium & arenaWrigley Field
Big draw24 mi MuseumBarack Obama Presidential Center
2 mi National ParkIndiana Dunes National Park2.6M visitors a year
Big draw27 mi Stadium & arenaRate Field
Big draw31 mi Stadium & arenaUnited CenterSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Soldier Field: Photo by Joon Han Contact: [email protected], CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wrigley Field: Ryan Dickey, CC BY 2.0 · Barack Obama Presidential Center: AlphaBeta135, CC0 · Indiana Dunes National Park: J. Crocker, Attribution · Rate Field: User Enoch Lai on en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · United Center: User:JeremyA, CC BY-SA 2.5
_-_Chicago,_IL_-_June_2026.jpg){kind=link}
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Hobart Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Hobart Township, and how to reach them.
PowerNIPSCO22.1¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterIndiana American Water - NorthwestNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Hobart Township’s trash rules yet
SchoolsHobart School CityLake Station Community SchoolsRiver Forest Community School Corporation3 districts serve Hobart Township; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
Register to voteOnlineIn Indiana you can register online until 29 days before Election Day, in person until 29 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 29 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereLake County Board of Elections & RegistrationLake County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2021
ZIP codes46342, 4640546342 71% · 46405 29%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Hobart Township.
OutdoorsA−
Hobart Township has set aside 7% of its land for conservation
Trails total 11 miles in 30 parks and preserves. In Hobart Township, the concentration of trails is 0.4 miles per square mile.
#130for trails in IN
| Hobart Township | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 7% | 1.9% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
7%
conserved · 1,152 of 16,529 acres
11 mi
of trails · 0.4 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Gordon and Faith Greiner Nature Preserve | 0.9 mi | 71 |
| 2. Cressmoor Prairie Nature Preserve | 0.8 mi | 39 |
| 3. Bur Oak Woods Nature Preserve | 0.7 mi | 84 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
SchoolsC+
On state tests, Hobart Township’s schools trail 59% of Indiana districts
The public schools here belong to School City of Hobart. Two of its 17 schools are shown below, with the reason for each. 6 public schools serve Hobart Township, with 2,526 students in all.
41%of IN districts it outscoresC+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 905 | C |
| Hobart High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,320 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IN on state tests and graduation
HealthC−
Hobart Township stands out in Indiana and nationally: a larger share of its adults sleep under 7 hours
Hobart Township does better than the Indiana average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and worse on 11. The share of adults in Hobart Township who smoke cigarettes: 19%.
20%healthier than U.S. townsC−Health Grade
| Hobart Township | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 37% | 36% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 16% | 16% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 14% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Indiana
1 better20 too close to call11 worse
| What stands out | Hobart Township | IN |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with depression | 22.2% | 25.1% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 19.5% | 14.7% |
St. Mary Medical Center
2.2 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
29th
percentile among IN towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
With only 0.5 jobs per working resident, most people in Hobart Township work out of town
The top destinations are Hobart (12%), Chicago (9%) and Gary (7%). In Hobart Township, 4.4% of workers work from home. Since 2013, Hobart Township has lost 761 jobs, to 8,278 in 2023. Its typical journey to work stands at 27 minutes.
12%work in town
| Hobart Township | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 4.4% | 7.8% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 12% | 11% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Hobart Township12%
Hobart12%
Chicago9%
Gary7%
Merrillville7%
12 mi
median commute distance
8,278
jobs based in Hobart Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 45% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Hobart Township has four seasons and pleasant summers
Hobart Township has chilly winters and pleasant summers. Summer afternoons peak near 83° in July, and January nights bottom out around 18°; snowfall runs to about 27 inches a winter.
27″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter20–35°
Spring38–59°
Summer61–82°
Fall43–63°
Oct 27
typical first frost
Apr 22
typical last frost
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B
Hobart Township has a low natural-hazard risk, chiefly from inland flooding
Of the losses FEMA expects in Hobart Township, 41% come from inland flooding and 29% from cold waves. Storm and flood damage is expected to run lower than in nearly two thirds of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 114 flood insurance claims have been paid out in the town.
35risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
114
paid flood claims since 1979
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Hobart Township
18pages on Hobart Township
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
4 within 15 miles of the center of Hobart Township
Indiana University-NorthwestUniversity or college · Public · Gary3.9 mi$8,424 in-state tuitionPurdue University NorthwestUniversity or college · Public · Hammond11.2 mi$8,675 in-state tuitionValparaiso UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Valparaiso13 mi$48,450 tuition
About 4 of every 100 Hobart Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Indiana.
A commuter town
88% of working residents leave Hobart Township for work
Where Hobart Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
8,278jobs based in Hobart Township
12%of working residents work in town
12 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Hobart Township
City in Indiana, United States
Hobart ( HOH-bart, locally ) is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The population was 29,752 at the 2020 census, up from 29,059 in 2010. It has been historically primarily residential, though recent annexation has added a notable retail corridor to the city.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1889
- Area
- 27 sq mi
- Elevation
- 623 ft
- ZIP code
- 46342
- Area code
- 219
Hobart Township’s neighbors
8 towns share a border with Hobart Township.
Calumet TownshipRoss TownshipGaryHobartLake StationUnion TownshipMerrillvillePortage TownshipHobart Township
How the neighbors grade
| Town | IN rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart Township | #461 | C+ | A− | — | C+ | C− |
| Calumet Township | #573 | D | A− | — | D− | D− |
| Ross Township | #467 | C+ | B | — | C+ | C |
| Gary | #585 | D− | A− | D− | D− | D− |
| Hobart | #439 | C+ | B | C | B− | C+ |
| Lake Station | #527 | C− | A− | — | C− | D |
| Union Township | #142 | A− | B | — | A | B− |
| Merrillville | #481 | C | B | — | C+ | C− |
Hobart Township, Calumet Township, Ross Township, Lake Station, Union Township and Merrillville report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Hobart Township with a neighbor →
Questions about Hobart Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Hobart Township, IN a good place to live?
Hobart Township grades C+ overall, better than 37% of U.S. towns and #461 of 585 in Indiana. It grades C− for health and C+ for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a C−.
Is Hobart Township, IN expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A−.