The rise of Northwest Indiana in the Chicagoland area (South Bend: college, taxes)

[midwest1]

https://www.ibrc.indiana.edu/ibr/2023/outlook/gary.html

This article documents the rather rapid change in trajectory for the Gary/NWI region.

Population is growing at above the national average and a massive boom in new businesses is occurring.

Red State Chicagoland seems to be outperforming blue state Chicagoland.

[midwest1]

A quote from the article

During the decade between 2009 and 2019, the number of total business establishments rose by 103, with Northwest Indiana adding on average a net of just 10 new businesses per year. In contrast, over the last three years, Northwest Indiana has added a net of 1,398 new businesses, an increase of 9.2% or an average of 466 new businesses per year. For comparison, over the same time, Cook County, Illinois saw an increase of only 0.6%.

[mas23]

It's a blue region in a red state though....

[Rusty Nailz]

Northwest Indiana is the armpit of Chicago

[midwest1]

Originally Posted by Rusty Nailz

Northwest Indiana is the armpit of Chicago

It is by far....in the form of the Indiana Dunes National Park/State Parks....the MOST beautiful section of Chicagoland


I grew up on the North Shore..did the whole North Side after college thing in the 90's and used to think like you.

It is almost like the mills/industry blind the rest of Chicagoland to the insane natural beauty and biodiversity of NWI.

Oh, and lower taxes!!!!

[midwest1]

Kinda surprised that the fact that what was for decades the most stagnant rust-belt-esque part of Chicagoland is now growing FASTER than the national average .......illicits nothing but some mild snark.

You can continue to dismiss NWI but it is rapidly emerging as Chicagoland's vibrant growth leader. Ignore that if you'd like, doesn't change the fact that the metro is rapidly recalibrating.

[MarianRavenwood]

Sure I know lots of people who left Chicago for Indiana. They all hate it and want to move back. Low taxes aren't everything and the dunes don't do enough to make up for it.

[midwest1]

LMFAO......

Then why is Northwest Indiana starting to boom?!?

Michigan City, Valparaiso, Griffith, Crown Point, Hammond ..etc etc etc are all on fire.

I live in Miller Beach and we are seeing massive reinvestment in Gary.

The Renaissance of the Region is gonna make Evanston look like a quaint North Shore suburb by comparison within a decade.

Mark my word.

(At their peak, Gary/Hammond/East Chicago population I believe was 400,000 )

[midwest1]

In fact....I will go so far as to predict....

Within a decade you will start to hear Chicago-Gary Metro more and more as Indiana continues to boom.

Northwest Indiana 's rise will actually benefit the City way more than Lake/McHenry/Kane/Will/DuPage do.....

The South Shore Line from Millennium Station all the way to South Bend will become Chicagoland's closest approximation to a European/Asian train corridor

IMHO

[glenninindy]

I'm also in Miller Beach and I'll believe it when I see it...