Updated: March 29, 2023 
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16 min Why La Porte Is The Best Place To Live In Indiana
La Porte, Indiana is one of the best places to live due its affordable home prices, natural amenities including several lakes, and access to good jobs. Dive in to learn everything there is to know when buying a home for sale in La Porte, Indiana. The second half of the post is all about La Porte real estate.
About La Porte Indiana
La Porte, Indiana is a city located in central La Porte County, Indiana. The city is located 67 miles east-southeast of The Loop and 26 miles west of South Bend, Indiana. North, east, and south of La Porte are expansive rural and agricultural areas. Population increases as you head westward from La Porte.
The population of La Porte, Indiana is 22,405 people. This makes La Porte the second largest city in the county. Settlement in La Porte is recorded as starting in the 1830s making this city one of the oldest in Northwest Indiana.
Today, La Porte is a charming city, kind of an island all on its own with greater population centers farther away.
4 Reasons Why La Porte Is The Best City In Northwest Indiana
- Affordable home prices
- Wide spectrum of housing options
- Robust school system with many opportunities for students
- Access to good quality jobs
Living In La Porte Indiana
La Porte, Indiana Schools
La Porte’s school system is both good and offers meaningful opportunities to its students. Additionally, the city is home to an ultra-elite private school.
La Porte Community School Corporation
The La Porte Community School Corporation (LPCSC) maintains the public schools in the city. The school corporation includes eight elementary schools, one intermediate school, a middle school and a high school.
LPCSC is a large school district with about 6,200 students in attendance. Due to this, there are many extracurricular and athletic opportunities available to students. Over 30 sports and academic clubs are offered to students in high school.
Homebuyers can learn more about LaPorte Community Schools by visiting their profile on with the Indiana Dept. of Education.
La Lumiere Private School
La Lumiere is a private, independent boarding & day prep school located in La Porte, Indiana. The school is for students in grades 9-12. The school has been open since 1963 and is located north of La Porte on several hundred acres of stunning forested landscape with two lakes. The school is relatively prestigious with a strong reputation. The school offers a robust collection of coursework, extracurricular, and athletic opportunities for its students.
Colleges & Universities Near La Porte, Indiana
La Porte residents seeking to further their education at the collegiate level have nearby options. 10 miles from La Porte is Westville, Indiana which has a satellite campus of Purdue University. Valparaiso University is located just 15 miles from La Porte in Valparaiso, Indiana. Also, the notably famous University of Notre Dame is located just 35 miles east of La Porte.
La Porte, Indiana Economy And Jobs
One area where La Porte comes in a little light is its economy and jobs. The median household income in La Porte, Indiana is $41,231. This is about 27% below the median household income for Indiana, but is on par with other area cities and towns closest to La Porte.
La Porte is a somewhat isolated city and town not adjacent to any other major population centers. The best paying local jobs are in healthcare, manufacturing, and education administration. Though the city has a meaningful amount of locally owned businesses, many of these are small with low growth prospects. Additionally, there are few corporate logos in the city despite its size of over 22,000 residents.
The plus side is there are more jobs in other nearby cities and towns. Valparaiso, Michigan City, and South Bend are all within commuting distance. A bit farther away but within range is also the steel making and major industrial complexes found along the lakeshore in Indiana.
La Porte, Indiana Hospitals And Healthcare
La Porte residents have numerous options for quality healthcare. Northwest Health currently owns the new full-service hospital in La Porte which opened in late 2020. There is also an out-patient hospital operated within the Franciscan system. This, too, is a newer facility.
Additional hospitals can be found nearby in Michigan City, Chesterton, and South Bend. There are sufficient medical specialists to meet your needs in La Porte and the immediate surrounding area. Lastly, for the most cutting edge care and specialized treatment hospitals in Chicago are within a reasonable distance.
La Porte, Indiana Veterinarians
If you are moving to La Porte, Indiana and have a pet you might be looking for a veterinarian in La Porte. There are numerous long standing veterinarians in La Porte. Maple CIty Animal Hospital, La Porte Animal Hospital, and Pine Lake Animal Hospital are just a few. Additionally, Purdue University has an emergency animal hospital open 24/7/365 less than 15 minutes from La Porte.
La Porte, Indiana Transportation
La Porte does have a limited public transportation system. The TransPorte is a curb-to-curb, demand-response public transportation system. Essentially it is a combination of ride-share yet a public option available to La Porte residents within the system’s service area.
Several state highways and U.S. routes run through La Porte. This includes Indiana State Roads 2 and 4 and U.S. 39 and U.S. 35. Additionally, residents can easily access the interstate system. About four miles north of La Porte is an on-ramp to the Indiana Toll Road which is I-80/90.
La Porte, Indiana Weather
La Porte, Indiana has a temperate, classic Midwestern all-four seasons kind of climate. Summers get hot and humid with day time highs often in the upper 70s, and numerous 80+ degree days are common. Summertime lows at night are typically in the upper 50s or 60s. Fall is very comfortable with less humidity and mild temperatures. Early fall highs are in the 60s with late fall highs in the 40s. Nights can be crisp with lows in the upper 20s through the 40s.
La Porte winters are long, dark, cold, and snowy. Wintertime highs range from the 30s to as low as the teens. Single digit highs usually happen for at least several days each year. Also, La Porte is the farthest east city in the Central Time Zone. So, when daylight savings time starts it gets dark early. In December it can be dark by 4:30 in the afternoon.
La Porte Indiana gets more than its fair share of snow each winter, too. La Porte records above average snowfall for the area due to its higher probability of receiving lake effect snow. The average annual snowfall total in La Porte, Indiana is 70.1 inches.
Spring is chilly and damp. Highs in early spring can remain in the 40s and make it up to the low 70s later in the season. Lows can be in the upper 20s through the low 50s. Also, cool north winds off of Lake Michigan can keep the area feeling brisk.
La Porte, Indiana Lakes, Parks, Restaurants, And Entertainment
If you are looking to live in a smaller city with a lot of outdoor recreation you should be strongly considering La Porte, Indiana. Let’s talk about the recreational activities available in La Porte, Indiana.
La Porte, Indiana Lakes
There are five lakes in La Porte with public access. The main lake is Pine Lake. Other notable lakes in La Porte Indiana are Stone, Clear, Lily, Lower, Fishtrap, and Horseshoe Lake.
Pine Lake is a 540 acre public, all-sports lake. This means anyone can use the lake for fishing or boating. Watercraft allowed on the lake includes motorboats, fishing boats, and pontoons. Non-motor water craft seen on the lake include windsurfing, kayaks, and canoes. Pine Lake is a very popular place especially in the nice weather months.
La Porte, Indiana Parks
La Porte has quite a few parks for a city of 22,000 people. The city has 15 parks of varying sizes. They have playgrounds, ball fields and sports courts (pickleball is taking the town by storm by the way), lake front parks, a splash pad, picnic shelters, and walking trails.
Kesling Park contains the most features in one place. This park covers 90 acres of land. Soldiers Memorial Park covers 140 acres of land making it the largest park in La Porte. This park includes many amenities including over 600 feet of publicly accessible lakefront.
If parks are important to you, move to La Porte because parks are important to La Porte, too.
La Porte, Indiana Restaurants
So, restaurants are a bit of a struggle for La Porte. Yes, La Porte has restaurants, but the city unfortunately has not found its stride with attracting either the better of the corporate logo restaurants nor have there been much in the way of successful locally owned restaurants.
Some great local restaurants in La Porte include:
- Enzo’s – Italian food, nice place
- Louie’s – Diner with American food
- Christo’s – Family restaurant, good quality, great overall value
- Round The Clock – A lot like Christo’s
- Heston Supper Club – Get the prime rib because why wouldn’t you!
La Porte Indiana Entertainment
Here, again, La Porte, well, they have some room to grow here. There is no movie theater, mall (do people still go to a mall?) or lively vibrant downtown with overflowing restaurants on the weekends. Hey, they’re tying.
However, there is entertainment nearby. La Porte is close to other cities and towns like MIchigan City, Chesterton, South Bend, and Valparaiso. Here, you can find a lot more of the entertainment venues to keep you having a good time.
But, don’t La Porte fool you. La Porte has a lot of parks. The city is full of lakes including one of the largest all-sports lakes in Northwest Indiana. The city also continues to run adult sports leagues and teams. So, if you are into a more outdoorsy experience, La Porte really has a lot to do.
La Porte Indiana Real Estate
Among all of the cities and towns in Northwest Indiana, La Porte real estate is the most diverse. Homebuyers will find houses for sale in La Porte, Indiana including some of the oldest homes in Northwest Indiana, lakefront properties, Midwestern modern construction, and massive estates.
La Porte Real Estate Highlights
- Homes Sold In La Porte Annually: About 650
- Houses Sold In La Porte Annually: About about 620
- La Porte, Indiana Average Home Sale Price: $225,562
- La Porte, Indiana Median Home Sale Price: $185,000
Things You Should Know About The La Porte Indiana Real Estate Market
Let’s take a look at what has been occurring recently with La Porte real estate and how it compares to other areas.
La Porte Home Prices Are Steadily Increasing
Houses for sale in La Porte, Indiana have been steadily increasing in price since 2015. The median sale price for a house for sale in La Porte in 2015 was $125,628. In 2021 that increased to $174,500. This represents a 39% increase over that six year span. Additionally, this is aligned with the increase seen in other central and eastern Northwest Indiana cities and towns real estate appreciation rates.
La Porte Has A Lot Of Old Homes
A startling statistic is the fact that less than 3% of homes sold in La Porte in the last 10 years were also built in the last 10 years. There is an alarming low amount of new construction homes in the city of La Porte. Sadly, La Porte is missing out on the opportunity to attract new residents and increase real estate values by not building more new homes.
Recently, under the leadership of Mayor Dermody several projects are in different approval stages or construction stages. The Banks is a mixed use development which will feature over 100 luxury apartments on Clear Lake. Additionally, there are several subdivisions for single family homes currently under consideration.
Pros Of Buying A House For Sale In La Porte Indiana
- Affordable home prices
- Wide spectrum of homes for sale regarding price points and features
- Low property taxes
Cons Of Buying A House For Sale In La Porte Indiana
- Newer homes are hard to come by
- Many homes with small lots
- Not enough corporate logos in the city and a small business community which struggles
About La Porte Indiana Real Estate
Housing Affordability In La Porte, Indiana
The La Porte real estate market offers homebuyers affordable homes for sale in Northwest Indiana. The overall value combined with availability amenities makes La Porte a much better value than other nearby larger cities such as Valparaiso or Chesterton, Indiana. Also, La Porte has more amenities than nearby small towns like Westville or Wanatah.
La Porte, Indiana Houses For Sale
Single family homes, or houses, make up about 95% of La Porte, Indiana real estate. The typical house for sale in La Porte has three bedrooms, one bathroom, and about 1,740 finished square feet. La Porte has a lot of older homes. Due to this, it can be harder to find a home with modern interior features like a main bedroom suite, open floor plan, or walk-in closets. However, there are areas with newer, larger homes.
Recently, looking back over a 12-month period the average sale price for a house for sale in La Porte, Indiana was $221,799, and the median sale price was $180,000. Truly, there are homes for sale in La Porte to meet any budget. From small homes attractive to first time buyers in the lower $100s all the way up to multi-million dollar super luxury properties.
La Porte, Indiana Condos For Sale
20 to 25 condos are sold each year in La Porte, Indiana. Condos for sale typically have two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and about 1,450 finished square feet. Over a recent 12-month period the average sale price for a condo for sale in La Porte was $303,064. The median sale price was $252,250. There are waterfront condos on Pine Lake, too.
Niche La Porte Indiana Real Estate
La Porte has a wider diversity of real estate than any other city or town in Northwest Indiana. Like legit, it’s amazing what you can find there. Here’s the skinny on some of the hottest real estate in La Porte, Indiana.
Lakefront Houses For Sale In La Porte, Indiana
La Porte has a lot of waterfront properties. These include homes surrounding Pine Lake, Clear Lake, and Stone Lake. Pine Lake is the focus, though. This is a 540 acre all-sports, public access lake. Homes bordering the lake have direct access to the water, too. You can click here to learn more about lakefront homes for sale in La Porte.
Millionaire’s Row – Historic Homes Of Michigan & Indiana Ave.
I have heard more than once, but can not find reliable evidence of this statement: “At some time in the late 1800s, La Porte, Indiana had more millionaires per capita, or as a percentage of its population, than any other city of town in America.” Is it true? Who knows, but there is a place you can look.
Take a drive down Michigan and Indiana Ave and you will see one heck of a long stretch of old monster sized Victorian style homes. I mean they are massive, like legit, one after another huge homes. La Porte was a manufacturing powerhouse of a town in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries. There were titans of industry around town for sure. Their legacies remain in some of the envious castles built along these thoroughfares. Yes, these homes do come on the market sometimes, too!
Galena Township
Galena Township is home to some of the most expensive rural real estate in Northwest Indiana. The area is gorgeous. The terrain is hilly with plenty of areas of old growth forests, too. The population density is low and so are the internet speeds. But, it is gorgeous. In the past two years there have been several multi-million dollar home sales in Galena Township. Seriously, if you want to get “out there” check out Galena Township. Simply amazing.
Conclusion
La Porte, Indiana is one of the best places to live in Northwest Indiana. The city has affordable home prices, diverse real estate, a robust school system, and access to quality jobs. This city of less than 30,000 people has a tremendous amount of natural amenities like parks and lakes to enjoy. The city is a little light on dining, entertainment, and shopping options. However, other nearby cities can fill this void nicely.
If you are interested in buying a home for sale in La Porte, Indiana the Quadwalls Real Estate Team can help you. You can start searching for homes for sale in La Porte, Indiana, here.
But, if you really want to amplify your home search let us help. In 3 minutes you can tell us exactly what you are looking for, and we will help you find it. Click here to complete the Quadwalls HomeFinder Assistant.
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