Chain-O-Lakes, Indiana Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 490, Chain-O-Lakes'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

Chain-O-Lakes is a small community located in Indiana. The total population is 490. It ranks as the 514th most populous out of 967 Census-designated places in Indiana.

Age Demographics

The median age in Chain-O-Lakes is 52.8 years. This is 39% higher than the state median of 38.1 years. 18.8% 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 Chain-O-Lakes is $88,018. This is 22% higher than the state median of $71,957. It is also 9% higher than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 5.1%. This is 59% lower than the state poverty rate of 12.3%. The survey records no unemployed residents in Chain-O-Lakes, which reflects the size of the sample rather than a labor market without joblessness. The median home value is $266,800. Housing costs are 22% higher than the state median of $218,200. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.0x. 100.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 42% higher than the state average of 70.5%.

Race & Ethnicity

Chain-O-Lakes has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 93.3% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 4.3%. The Hispanic or Latino population (4.3%) is well below the state average of 8.6%.

Education

17.2% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 42% 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 96.8%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Chain-O-Lakes, 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.