Racial diversity in Indiana is a mixed bag.
There are parts of Indiana where there’s a high level of diversity. But where will you find the most diverse places in Indiana?
To answer that question, we went to the US Census data. Using Saturday Night Science, we measured the Gini coefficient for all 124 cities in Indiana to rank them from most to least diverse.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
Here are the 10 most diverse places in Indiana for 2024:
So what city is the most diverse in Indiana? According to the most Census data, Hammond took the number one over all spot for diversity in Indiana.
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and how your town ranked. To see where Indiana ranked as a state, we have a ranking of the most diverse states in Ameria.
For more Indiana reading:
The 10 Most Diverse Places In Indiana For 2024
/10
Population: 77,390
HHI: 3,300
% White: 34.4%
% African American: 22.0%
% Hispanic: 40.4%
% Asian: 1.0%
More on Hammond: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 49,218
HHI: 3,387
% White: 48.0%
% African American: 26.8%
% Hispanic: 18.5%
% Asian: 1.4%
More on Lawrence: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 36,214
HHI: 3,448
% White: 32.6%
% African American: 45.5%
% Hispanic: 17.3%
% Asian: 0.9%
More on Merrillville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 103,084
HHI: 3,528
% White: 51.1%
% African American: 24.9%
% Hispanic: 16.4%
% Asian: 2.0%
More on South Bend: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 882,006
HHI: 3,658
% White: 51.9%
% African American: 28.5%
% Hispanic: 10.9%
% Asian: 4.1%
More on Indianapolis: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 53,785
HHI: 4,098
% White: 57.0%
% African American: 12.0%
% Hispanic: 26.2%
% Asian: 0.7%
More on Elkhart: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 16,182
HHI: 4,178
% White: 59.9%
% African American: 16.3%
% Hispanic: 17.8%
% Asian: 2.2%
More on Griffith: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 13,646
HHI: 4,186
% White: 56.7%
% African American: 29.6%
% Hispanic: 8.7%
% Asian: 0.4%
More on Speedway: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 31,983
HHI: 4,383
% White: 59.8%
% African American: 26.9%
% Hispanic: 8.4%
% Asian: 0.6%
More on Michigan City: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 26,363
HHI: 4,485
% White: 6.9%
% African American: 37.9%
% Hispanic: 54.8%
% Asian: 0.1%
More on East Chicago: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Methodology: How we determined the most diverse cities in Indiana for 2024
We still believe in the accuracy of data — especially from the Census — and Saturday Night Science. So that’s where we went to get the race breakdown across Indiana.
That leads us to the Census’s most recently available data, the 2018-2022 American Community Survey data from the US Census.
Specifically, we looked at table B03002: HISPANIC OR LATINO ORIGIN BY RACE. Here are the category names as defined by the Census:
- White alone*
- Black or African American alone*
- American Indian and Alaska Native alone*
- Asian alone*
- Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone*
- Some other race alone*
- Two or more races*
- Hispanic or Latino
We limited our analysis to non-CDPs with a population greater than 5,000 people. That left us with 124 cities.
We then calculated the HHI for each city by finding the racial breakdown of a city in percent terms, squaring them, and then adding the squares together. This left us with scores ranging from 3,300 (Hammond) to 9,698 (Cicero).
Finally, we ranked each city based on the HHI, with a lower score being more diverse than a high score. Hammond took the distinction of being the most diverse, while Cicero was the least diverse city.
We updated this article for 2024. This report is our tenth time ranking the most diverse places in Indiana.
Summary: Diversity Across Indiana
If you’re looking for a scientific breakdown of diversity across Indiana, this is an accurate list.
The most diverse cities in Indiana are Hammond, Lawrence, Merrillville, South Bend, Indianapolis, Elkhart, Griffith, Speedway, Michigan City, and East Chicago.
If you’re curious enough, here are the least diverse places in Indiana:
- Cicero
- Auburn
- Alexandria
For more Indiana reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Indiana
- Cheapest Places To Live In Indiana
- Most Dangerous Cities In Indiana
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Indiana
- Safest Places In Indiana
- Worst Places To Live In Indiana
Race By City In Indiana For 2024
| Rank | City | Population | HHI | % White | % Black | % Hispanic | % Asian |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hammond, IN | 77,390 | 3,300 | 34.4% | 22.0% | 40.4% | 1.0% |
| 2 | Lawrence, IN | 49,218 | 3,387 | 48.0% | 26.8% | 18.5% | 1.4% |
| 3 | Merrillville, IN | 36,214 | 3,448 | 32.6% | 45.5% | 17.3% | 0.9% |
| 4 | South Bend, IN | 103,084 | 3,528 | 51.1% | 24.9% | 16.4% | 2.0% |
| 5 | Indianapolis, IN | 882,006 | 3,658 | 51.9% | 28.5% | 10.9% | 4.1% |
| 6 | Elkhart, IN | 53,785 | 4,098 | 57.0% | 12.0% | 26.2% | 0.7% |
| 7 | Griffith, IN | 16,182 | 4,178 | 59.9% | 16.3% | 17.8% | 2.2% |
| 8 | Speedway, IN | 13,646 | 4,186 | 56.7% | 29.6% | 8.7% | 0.4% |
| 9 | Michigan City, IN | 31,983 | 4,383 | 59.8% | 26.9% | 8.4% | 0.6% |
| 10 | East Chicago, IN | 26,363 | 4,485 | 6.9% | 37.9% | 54.8% | 0.1% |
| 11 | Fort Wayne, IN | 264,514 | 4,564 | 64.8% | 15.0% | 9.7% | 5.6% |
| 12 | Lake Station, IN | 13,352 | 4,722 | 61.3% | 3.3% | 30.8% | 1.6% |
| 13 | Logansport, IN | 18,166 | 4,761 | 62.0% | 1.8% | 29.9% | 1.8% |
| 14 | West Lafayette, IN | 44,861 | 4,917 | 66.5% | 3.6% | 4.9% | 21.0% |
| 15 | Hobart, IN | 29,573 | 5,021 | 67.9% | 11.2% | 16.7% | 2.0% |
| 16 | Portage, IN | 37,737 | 5,038 | 67.6% | 9.4% | 19.2% | 0.9% |
| 17 | Goshen, IN | 34,704 | 5,139 | 66.7% | 3.3% | 26.0% | 1.1% |
| 18 | Highland, IN | 23,794 | 5,224 | 69.4% | 7.6% | 18.5% | 2.2% |
| 19 | Huntingburg, IN | 6,480 | 5,228 | 64.8% | 1.4% | 32.0% | 0.0% |
| 20 | Schererville, IN | 29,573 | 5,255 | 70.3% | 7.7% | 15.3% | 3.5% |
| 21 | Munster, IN | 23,731 | 5,440 | 71.9% | 6.1% | 13.9% | 6.6% |
| 22 | Plymouth, IN | 10,369 | 5,457 | 68.5% | 2.1% | 27.5% | 0.1% |
| 23 | Lafayette, IN | 70,828 | 5,470 | 72.2% | 9.2% | 12.5% | 2.4% |
| 24 | Avon, IN | 21,783 | 5,505 | 72.5% | 13.0% | 6.9% | 3.5% |
| 25 | Frankfort, IN | 15,976 | 5,527 | 68.6% | 0.7% | 28.6% | 0.4% |
| 26 | Columbus, IN | 50,896 | 5,539 | 72.7% | 2.1% | 8.9% | 12.7% |
| 27 | Anderson, IN | 55,011 | 5,542 | 72.4% | 15.4% | 7.2% | 0.7% |
| 28 | Westville, IN | 5,885 | 5,596 | 71.1% | 22.9% | 4.3% | 0.4% |
| 29 | Plainfield, IN | 35,078 | 5,599 | 73.6% | 9.3% | 6.6% | 6.5% |
| 30 | Marion, IN | 27,528 | 5,615 | 73.2% | 13.9% | 6.8% | 1.0% |
| 31 | Jeffersonville, IN | 49,771 | 5,756 | 74.4% | 11.9% | 5.1% | 1.3% |
| 32 | Seymour, IN | 21,373 | 5,766 | 74.1% | 2.1% | 15.7% | 3.3% |
| 33 | Clarksville, IN | 22,087 | 5,975 | 75.6% | 6.8% | 14.2% | 0.7% |
| 34 | Washington, IN | 12,076 | 6,001 | 76.1% | 3.9% | 12.1% | 0.5% |
| 35 | Crown Point, IN | 33,735 | 6,003 | 76.1% | 7.8% | 12.1% | 1.0% |
| 36 | Carmel, IN | 99,453 | 6,067 | 76.8% | 3.5% | 4.4% | 11.3% |
| 37 | Bloomington, IN | 79,006 | 6,068 | 76.8% | 4.7% | 4.5% | 10.5% |
| 38 | Mishawaka, IN | 50,899 | 6,074 | 77.0% | 7.9% | 6.2% | 2.5% |
| 39 | Evansville, IN | 116,906 | 6,105 | 76.7% | 13.6% | 3.5% | 1.2% |
| 40 | Gary, IN | 69,136 | 6,176 | 9.7% | 77.4% | 9.4% | 0.3% |
| 41 | Cumberland, IN | 5,991 | 6,223 | 77.6% | 12.0% | 7.0% | 0.3% |
| 42 | La Porte, IN | 22,409 | 6,242 | 77.7% | 3.0% | 13.1% | 0.5% |
| 43 | Warsaw, IN | 16,473 | 6,308 | 78.3% | 2.5% | 12.1% | 4.5% |
| 44 | Greenwood, IN | 63,579 | 6,374 | 79.1% | 4.0% | 6.8% | 6.7% |
| 45 | Terre Haute, IN | 58,599 | 6,393 | 79.0% | 10.9% | 3.8% | 2.3% |
| 46 | Westfield, IN | 48,262 | 6,400 | 79.2% | 3.1% | 9.5% | 3.0% |
| 47 | St. John, IN | 20,727 | 6,421 | 79.0% | 2.8% | 12.4% | 1.7% |
| 48 | Whitestown, IN | 10,253 | 6,443 | 79.6% | 4.8% | 2.5% | 6.5% |
| 49 | Muncie, IN | 65,167 | 6,445 | 79.4% | 10.1% | 3.6% | 2.1% |
| 50 | Kokomo, IN | 59,534 | 6,474 | 79.6% | 10.3% | 4.3% | 1.6% |
| 51 | Dyer, IN | 16,407 | 6,477 | 79.5% | 4.7% | 11.3% | 2.1% |
| 52 | Valparaiso, IN | 33,991 | 6,497 | 79.9% | 4.7% | 8.8% | 3.4% |
| 53 | Richmond, IN | 35,642 | 6,516 | 80.0% | 6.4% | 5.0% | 1.7% |
| 54 | Winona Lake, IN | 5,077 | 6,646 | 80.3% | 0.6% | 13.8% | 0.8% |
| 55 | New Albany, IN | 37,598 | 6,664 | 80.9% | 8.5% | 5.0% | 1.1% |
| 56 | Mccordsville, IN | 9,098 | 6,785 | 81.5% | 9.6% | 6.1% | 0.0% |
| 57 | Nappanee, IN | 7,276 | 6,813 | 81.0% | 0.8% | 15.8% | 1.1% |
| 58 | Princeton, IN | 8,344 | 6,847 | 82.3% | 5.2% | 5.2% | 0.7% |
| 59 | Porter, IN | 5,204 | 6,923 | 82.2% | 0.5% | 11.9% | 1.4% |
| 60 | Chesterton, IN | 14,191 | 6,988 | 82.9% | 1.6% | 9.6% | 2.6% |
| 61 | Beech Grove, IN | 15,181 | 7,074 | 83.6% | 6.8% | 4.1% | 1.3% |
| 62 | Winfield, IN | 7,219 | 7,137 | 83.9% | 1.2% | 8.1% | 1.8% |
| 63 | Noblesville, IN | 70,442 | 7,145 | 84.2% | 5.3% | 3.5% | 2.8% |
| 64 | Brownsburg, IN | 29,379 | 7,170 | 84.1% | 8.4% | 3.8% | 1.2% |
| 65 | Charlestown, IN | 7,986 | 7,184 | 84.4% | 4.0% | 4.7% | 0.4% |
| 66 | Vincennes, IN | 16,715 | 7,200 | 84.5% | 4.7% | 4.7% | 1.7% |
| 67 | Shelbyville, IN | 19,678 | 7,335 | 85.1% | 2.7% | 8.8% | 1.9% |
| 68 | Lowell, IN | 10,723 | 7,447 | 85.5% | 0.3% | 11.4% | 0.0% |
| 69 | Crawfordsville, IN | 16,335 | 7,494 | 86.1% | 1.3% | 8.3% | 0.5% |
| 70 | Peru, IN | 10,862 | 7,513 | 86.3% | 4.5% | 3.8% | 0.2% |
| 71 | Hunte, IN | 9,090 | 7,547 | 86.6% | 2.8% | 2.2% | 5.4% |
| 72 | Rensselaer, IN | 5,330 | 7,565 | 86.5% | 1.3% | 7.8% | 0.3% |
| 73 | New Haven, IN | 15,552 | 7,568 | 86.7% | 4.2% | 4.5% | 1.3% |
| 74 | Greencastle, IN | 9,865 | 7,621 | 87.0% | 2.6% | 2.2% | 5.5% |
| 75 | Rochester, IN | 6,236 | 7,628 | 87.0% | 2.1% | 5.8% | 0.0% |
| 76 | New Whiteland, IN | 5,591 | 7,655 | 86.9% | 0.4% | 2.5% | 0.0% |
| 77 | Zionsville, IN | 30,832 | 7,702 | 87.5% | 2.6% | 2.8% | 4.7% |
| 78 | Scottsburg, IN | 7,313 | 7,713 | 87.5% | 0.4% | 4.4% | 0.0% |
| 79 | North Vernon, IN | 6,935 | 7,728 | 87.5% | 2.7% | 7.8% | 0.7% |
| 80 | Franklin, IN | 26,073 | 7,782 | 88.0% | 3.5% | 2.7% | 1.4% |
| 81 | Fortville, IN | 5,206 | 7,916 | 88.7% | 1.7% | 4.8% | 0.6% |
| 82 | Decatur, IN | 9,718 | 7,918 | 88.6% | 1.4% | 8.3% | 0.0% |
| 83 | Bluffton, IN | 10,461 | 7,922 | 88.8% | 2.7% | 5.0% | 0.3% |
| 84 | New Castle, IN | 17,413 | 7,937 | 88.9% | 4.5% | 2.1% | 0.8% |
| 85 | Lebanon, IN | 17,277 | 7,947 | 88.8% | 1.3% | 7.1% | 0.3% |
| 86 | North Manchester, IN | 5,017 | 7,955 | 89.0% | 3.5% | 3.7% | 0.0% |
| 87 | Madison, IN | 12,301 | 7,961 | 89.0% | 4.4% | 2.8% | 1.4% |
| 88 | Kendallville, IN | 10,176 | 8,018 | 89.3% | 0.0% | 5.8% | 2.2% |
| 89 | Garrett, IN | 6,434 | 8,115 | 89.8% | 0.7% | 6.2% | 0.9% |
| 90 | Monticello, IN | 5,488 | 8,117 | 89.6% | 0.6% | 9.3% | 0.0% |
| 91 | Portland, IN | 6,432 | 8,120 | 89.9% | 0.5% | 6.0% | 0.9% |
| 92 | Greensburg, IN | 11,431 | 8,150 | 90.1% | 0.3% | 3.8% | 1.2% |
| 93 | Batesville, IN | 7,052 | 8,165 | 90.2% | 0.5% | 4.6% | 1.4% |
| 94 | Gas City, IN | 6,099 | 8,229 | 90.5% | 1.8% | 5.8% | 1.4% |
| 95 | Sellersburg, IN | 9,948 | 8,270 | 90.8% | 1.2% | 2.2% | 2.4% |
| 96 | Jasper, IN | 16,488 | 8,285 | 90.8% | 0.6% | 5.5% | 1.3% |
| 97 | Angola, IN | 9,317 | 8,300 | 90.9% | 0.7% | 4.4% | 0.3% |
| 98 | Bargersville, IN | 9,520 | 8,305 | 91.0% | 2.4% | 0.9% | 1.6% |
| 99 | Danville, IN | 10,842 | 8,317 | 91.1% | 3.2% | 2.8% | 0.7% |
| 100 | Linton, IN | 5,149 | 8,416 | 91.5% | 0.4% | 6.2% | 0.0% |