Photo: Chris Light · CC BY-SA 3.0How is Porter run?
Porter’s town government spent $9.6 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, about $1,842 per resident.
What stands out about how Porter is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
About $1,842 per resident a year, or $5.05 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 23%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,238 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Porter’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,238 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 89 Indiana cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,137, and the middle half spent $754–$1,490. Porter spent more than 64% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1.4 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Indiana cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Porter itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 61% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Porter reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $1,238 · 2023: $1,842. Per resident it went from $1,238 to $1,842 (up 49%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 4,840 to 5,234.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $2,322 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.87% of the home’s value, vs 0.74% across Indiana.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Porter’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Porter’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Porter →
Who’s in charge in Porter
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Porter’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on townofporter.com ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 159 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (5,234).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Duneland School Corporation
Porter’s K–12 school district, shared with Burns Harbor, Chesterton, Dune Acres, Jackson Township, Liberty Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,969 per pupil, $7,361 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Indiana districts overall: 33% local, 56% state, 11% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Porter.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: townofporter.com ↗
- 2Indiana HousePorter is split between 2 districts
- 3Indiana SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Indiana
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Porter compares with the towns next door
Porter spent $1,238 per resident in 2022; the 3 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $725 to $2,114. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Dune Acres | $725 | $7,721 |
| Chesterton | $1,264 | $2,528 |
| Burns Harbor | $2,114 | $1,982 |
| Porter | $1,238 | $2,322 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Porter’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Porter’s government
How much does Porter spend per resident?
About $1,842 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,238 was more than 64% of 89 Indiana cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Porter?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,322 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.87% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.74% across Indiana. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see townofporter.com.
Who runs Porter’s government?
See townofporter.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Porter yet.
How many people work for Porter?
33 full-time and 21 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $200,130 (about $2.4M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Porter in the state legislature?
Porter is split among 2 State House districts, so your address decides. The Indiana Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 4 (Rodney Pol). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Porter’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →