Bear Lake, Indiana Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 144, Bear Lake's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

Bear Lake is a small community located in Indiana. The total population is 144. It ranks as the 787th most populous out of 967 Census-designated places in Indiana.

Age Demographics

The median age in Bear Lake is 59.4 years. This is 56% higher than the state median of 38.1 years. 14.6% of residents are 75 or older, suggesting a significant retirement-age population with implications for healthcare services and senior housing.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Bear Lake is $29,135. This is 60% lower than the state median of $71,957. It is also 64% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 21.5%. This is 74% higher than the state poverty rate of 12.3%. With more than one in five residents living below the poverty line, economic hardship is a significant challenge for the community. The unemployment rate is 39.7%. This is 829% higher than the state rate of 4.3%. The median home value is $106,900. Housing costs are 51% lower than the state median of $218,200. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.7x. 100.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 42% higher than the state average of 70.5%.

Race & Ethnicity

Bear Lake has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 93.8% of all residents. Asian residents account for 6.3%. The Asian population is significantly higher than the state average (6.3% vs 2.6%).

Education

10.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 65% lower than the state rate of 29.5%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 92.4%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Bear Lake, Indiana is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against Indiana state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 967 Census-designated places in Indiana. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.