Indiana Population, Economy, Jobs & Key Trends | Data Lab
This report connects multiple official indicators with a time tree for Indiana from 1985 to 2024, showing long-run change and transition points that a single-metric Insight does not provide.
What changed in this region
Indiana primary energy production rises strongly after an early low, reaches a later peak and then moves lower again. Total energy consumption trends downward over the long run after its historical high period. Population, household income and home value rise persistently, while unemployment declines after an early high. Manufacturing, logistics, university research and the Lake Michigan conservation corridor provide important context for the different speeds and directions of these indicators.
What changed at a glance
Primary production recovers strongly from an early low, reaches a later peak and then declines, with the recent rebound weakening in the latest observation.
Total consumption remains above the early level but trends lower over the long run after its historical peak period.
Population grows gradually while household income and home value rise more strongly in the later part of the series.
The labor measure moves down for many observations after an early high and reaches its lowest point at the end of the series.
Events & policy to read alongside the data
Events and policies are shown as period context; the report does not claim causation without authoritative evidence.
Indianapolis, northwest Indiana and the interstate network connect manufacturing, freight and commuting and provide important context for energy use and regional growth.
Purdue and Indiana University create major engineering, agriculture, health, science and public-service capacity in different parts of the state.
Indiana Dunes illustrates the close proximity of steel and transportation corridors to Lake Michigan ecosystems and protected public land.
The voluntary clean-energy portfolio framework and Next Level Roads are major examples of state policy addressing power resources and transport infrastructure.
Regional profile
Start with the regional profile and key indicators, then continue through cities, places, local context and long-run change.
Attractions, nature & landmarks
Notable attractions, natural areas and landmarks in regional context.
Indiana Dunes National Park
Indiana Dunes National Park protects dunes, wetlands, prairies and forests along the southern shore of Lake Michigan beside a major industrial and metropolitan corridor.
National Park ServiceMcCormick's Creek State Park
McCormick's Creek State Park is Indiana's first state park and protects canyon, forest and stream landscapes as a foundational site in the state-park system.
Indiana Department of Natural ResourcesRegional life & infrastructure
Indiana Statehouse
The Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis is the center of state government and brings major legislative, executive and judicial functions together.
Indiana Department of AdministrationPurdue University
Purdue University in West Lafayette is Indiana's land-grant research university and a major center for engineering, agriculture, science, technology and extension.
Purdue UniversityIndiana University Bloomington
Indiana University Bloomington is one of the state's major public research universities and a long-running center of education, research, health, arts and public service.
Indiana University BloomingtonIndiana has a large manufacturing and logistics base, with Indianapolis, the interstate network and northwest Indiana's Great Lakes corridor connecting industry, commuting and freight.
Indiana Department of TransportationIndiana energy policy addresses conventional generation and clean-energy resources through utility portfolio rules and broader state energy planning.
Indiana Office of Energy DevelopmentChange summaries
Total primary energy production
Indiana's total primary energy production follows a large long-run cycle, expanding substantially in the middle of the series and then moving lower again more recently.
Total energy consumption
Indiana's total energy consumption rises above its early level but trends lower over the long run after the historical high period.
Population
Indiana's population rises in every observation, producing a moderate but persistent long-run growth pattern.
Median household income
Indiana's median household income dips slightly early in the series and then follows a sustained long-run rise.
Median home value
Indiana's median home value is flat to slightly lower early in the series, then turns upward and appreciates more quickly in recent observations.
Unemployment rate
Indiana's unemployment rate declines for a long period after an early high and continues improving without a large renewed spike in the ACS series.
Charts
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Detailed narrative
Indiana combines a manufacturing and logistics economy with major universities, the Indianapolis metropolitan area and a Lake Michigan industrial-conservation corridor. Population, household income and home value trend upward and unemployment falls, but the energy series follows a different path. Primary production moves through a large cycle, while total consumption eases over the long run after an earlier high.
Energy production and consumption follow different long-run paths
Indiana primary energy production declines early, then expands strongly into a later peak before moving lower again. The recent recovery from the pandemic-era low loses momentum in the latest observation.
Total energy consumption operates at a much larger scale but follows a different pattern, easing over the long run after its earlier high period. Manufacturing, logistics, buildings and transportation all contribute to that demand, so production and consumption should be read as separate parts of the state's energy structure.
Population grows gradually while housing appreciates faster
Population rises without a decline across the observed ACS series, but the pace is moderate. Median home value turns upward after early weakness and accelerates later, so statewide population growth alone does not explain the housing pattern.
The Indianapolis metro, northwest Indiana, university cities such as West Lafayette and Bloomington, and rural communities have different housing, employment and commuting systems. Local affordability can therefore vary considerably beneath the statewide trend.
Household income rises as the labor measure improves
Median household income dips slightly early and then follows a sustained upward path. Unemployment moves in the opposite long-run direction after an early high and reaches the lowest level of the observed series at the end.
Automotive and other manufacturing, logistics, health care, education and professional services all matter to Indiana's economy. The statewide labor and income series are most useful when read with that industry and metro context.
Government, universities, the Dunes and transport networks shape regional identity
The Indiana Statehouse represents the state's administrative center, while Purdue and Indiana University provide major research and education capacity. George Rogers Clark National Historical Park in Vincennes connects Indiana to the earlier history of the Northwest Territory.
Indiana Dunes and the state-park system show the long presence of public conservation inside an agricultural and industrial state. More recent energy and transportation policies add power supply, roads and bridges as major infrastructure themes in the modern regional story.
Data coverage and recent changes
This page combines 6 indicators across 5 topics from 2 data providers. 6 indicators support comparison across at least two periods, and available coverage runs from 1985 to 2024.
Recent data signals
- Median home value: 2023 201,600 US dollars → 2024 218,200 US dollars (+8.2%)
- Total primary energy production: 2023 811,448 Billion Btu → 2024 748,639 Billion Btu (-7.7%)
- Median household income: 2023 70,051 US dollars → 2024 71,957 US dollars (+2.7%)
- Population: 2023 6,811,752 persons → 2024 6,851,073 persons (+0.6%)
- Total energy consumption: 2023 2,553,684 Billion Btu → 2024 2,540,438 Billion Btu (-0.5%)
FAQ
Has Indiana's energy production increased continuously?
No. Primary production rises strongly after an early low but later declines, and the recent partial recovery weakens again in the latest observation.
Can home values rise faster than population?
Yes. Housing also responds to supply, financing conditions, construction costs, local demand and commuting patterns, so statewide population alone does not determine home-value change.
What matters for understanding Indiana beyond manufacturing?
Indianapolis government and logistics, Purdue and Indiana University's research roles, the Indiana Dunes along Lake Michigan, the state-park system and statewide transportation networks are all important parts of the regional picture.
Indiana combines moderate population growth, rising income and home values and lower unemployment with a large energy-production cycle and long-run easing in total consumption. Manufacturing, logistics, university research, Great Lakes conservation and transportation and power policy connect those different trends into a distinctive regional structure.
Data tables
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Coverage & methodology
Energy measures come from EIA SEDS, while population, income, housing and unemployment use multi-year American Community Survey estimates. Energy series combine multiple sources on a common heat-content basis, and adjacent ACS releases can overlap, so long-run direction and turning points are more useful than small short-term changes. Historical, place and policy context is based on authoritative public sources.
Sources
- US_EIA TEPRB
- US_EIA TETCB
- US_CENSUS_DATA_API B01003_001E
- US_CENSUS_DATA_API B19013_001E
- US_CENSUS_DATA_API B25077_001E
- US_CENSUS_DATA_API B23025_003E+B23025_005E
- Indiana Archives and Records Administration REGIONAL_EVENT
- Indiana Historical Bureau REGIONAL_EVENT
- Indiana Historical Bureau REGIONAL_EVENT
- Indiana Historical Bureau REGIONAL_EVENT
- Indiana Historical Bureau REGIONAL_EVENT
- Indiana Historical Bureau REGIONAL_EVENT
- Indiana Historical Bureau REGIONAL_EVENT
- Indiana Historical Bureau REGIONAL_EVENT
- Indiana Historical Bureau REGIONAL_EVENT
- Indiana Historical Bureau REGIONAL_EVENT
- Indiana Department of Transportation REGIONAL_EVENT
- Indiana Office of the Governor / Indiana Finance Authority REGIONAL_EVENT
- Indiana Department of Local Government Finance REGIONAL_EVENT
- Indiana Department of Labor REGIONAL_EVENT
- Indiana Family and Social Services Administration REGIONAL_EVENT
- Office of Governor Eric J. Holcomb REGIONAL_EVENT
- Indiana Economic Development Corporation REGIONAL_EVENT
- Indiana Department of Transportation REGIONAL_EVENT
Indiana Population: Slow but Persistent Long-Run Growth
Indiana’s ACS population estimate rises from 6,454,254 in 2011 to 6,851,073 in 2024, an increase of about 6.1 percent. Every observation in the supplied series is higher than the one before it. The strongest adjacent increase occurs from 6,696,893 in 2020 to 6,751,340 in 2021, roughly 0.8 percent, and the upward path continues through 2024. Because consecutive ACS five-year estimates overlap, these differences should not be treated as exact one-year population changes. The best interpretation is a state that has expanded steadily rather than explosively. Census QuickFacts also reports a July 2025 population estimate above 6.97 million, providing separate evidence that statewide growth has continued, although that annual estimate should not be merged mechanically with the ACS series.
Download report dataKey findings
The ACS population estimate increased from 6,454,254 in 2011 to 6,851,073 in 2024, about 6.1 percent.
The largest adjacent increase occurs from 2020 to 2021, about 0.8 percent, and no decline appears in the supplied sequence.
Statewide growth is moderate, but metropolitan and rural areas can experience very different housing, transportation, school, and health-service pressures.
A steady expansion in statewide scale
Indiana’s ACS population estimate increases in every observation from 2011 through 2024. The difference between the first and latest values is nearly 397,000 people, or about 6.1 percent. The pace is not exceptionally fast, but sustained growth over more than a decade increases the scale of potential demand for housing, roads, schools, health care, utilities, and other services.
These are ACS five-year estimates rather than annual population counts. Consecutive releases share several survey years, so they are best used to describe the level and broad direction of population change. Exact annual migration, births, deaths, and net population change should be studied with the Census Bureau’s annual population estimates.
Moderate growth through the 2010s
The estimate rises to 6,568,645 in 2015, 6,637,426 in 2018, and 6,696,893 in 2020. Adjacent increases are generally below one percent, giving the series the appearance of gradual accumulation rather than abrupt demographic expansion.
The statewide total combines different local economies. Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, Fort Wayne, northwest Indiana tied to the Chicago region, manufacturing centers, college communities, and rural counties can grow at different rates. A moderate statewide increase can therefore coincide with substantial local expansion in some places and slower or negative change in others.
The strongest adjacent gain appears around 2020-2021
The estimate rises from 6,696,893 in 2020 to 6,751,340 in 2021, the largest adjacent percentage increase in the supplied sequence at roughly 0.8 percent. Population then increases to 6,784,403 in 2022, 6,811,752 in 2023, and 6,851,073 in 2024.
The ACS series cannot identify which demographic component produced the stronger increase. Domestic migration, international migration, births, and deaths can all contribute, and those factors require separate annual estimates. The defensible conclusion is that the pace strengthened temporarily while the long-run direction remained positive.
Income and home values rise much faster than population
Across the same broad period, Indiana’s median household income increases about 48.7 percent and median owner-occupied home value about 77.0 percent, both far faster than population. This illustrates why population size alone cannot explain changes in household finances or housing-market prices.
Population growth can support demand, but household formation, supply, mortgage rates, construction costs, land conditions, and the geography of jobs also shape housing outcomes. The population and housing series are therefore useful together only when the relationship is treated as contextual rather than mechanically causal.
The latest readings still point upward
The 2024 ACS estimate of 6,851,073 is the highest value in the supplied series. Census QuickFacts separately reports a July 2025 estimate of 6,973,333. The methods differ, so the two figures should not be joined into one statistical series, but both point to continuing statewide growth rather than a recent population decline.
Future monitoring should focus on age structure, household formation, domestic and international migration, and county-level growth. If population gains become more concentrated around a few metropolitan areas, local housing, transportation, water, school, and health-care demand can change much faster than the statewide total suggests.
Related year mini reports
Official sources
Indiana Household Income: Long-Run Nominal Growth and a Strong 2021-2022 Step-Up
Indiana’s median household income rises from $48,393 in 2011 to $71,957 in 2024, a nominal increase of about 48.7 percent. The series slips slightly to a low of $48,248 in 2013, then moves upward consistently. The largest adjacent increase occurs from $61,944 in 2021 to $67,173 in 2022, about 8.4 percent, followed by further gains to $70,051 in 2023 and $71,957 in 2024. This is a nominal-dollar measure rather than an inflation-adjusted measure of purchasing power. Indiana’s income trend is therefore most useful when interpreted with BEA personal income and GDP, labor-market conditions, inflation, and housing costs. Home values rise faster than household income across the same broad period, making affordability a separate question from nominal income growth.
Download report dataKey findings
Median household income increased from $48,393 in 2011 to $71,957 in 2024, about 48.7 percent in nominal terms.
The series reaches its low in 2013 and records its largest adjacent gain from 2021 to 2022, about 8.4 percent.
Home values rise faster than household income, so real purchasing power and housing affordability require separate analysis.
A substantially higher household-income midpoint
Indiana’s median household income increases by roughly $23,600 between 2011 and 2024, from $48,393 to $71,957. The median represents the household at the center of the distribution and is less affected by a small number of very high incomes than an average would be.
The figures are nominal dollars. A 48.7 percent increase in the reported amount does not mean households can purchase 48.7 percent more goods and services. Housing, food, transportation, health care, and other costs determine how much of the nominal gain becomes a real improvement in financial capacity.
Persistent growth after the 2013 low
The median moves from $48,393 in 2011 to $48,374 in 2012 and $48,248 in 2013, the lowest observation in the supplied sequence. From there it rises to $50,433 in 2016, $56,303 in 2019, and $58,235 in 2020. The long-run story is therefore one of sustained nominal income expansion after a nearly flat early period.
Household income can change because of wages, employment, household composition, industry mix, and transfer income. The ACS median cannot isolate those drivers. BEA state personal-income and GDP data and BLS employment and wage statistics provide complementary views of Indiana’s broader economy.
The pronounced 2021-2022 increase
The median rises from $61,944 in 2021 to $67,173 in 2022, an increase of $5,229 or about 8.4 percent. This is the largest adjacent percentage gain in the supplied series. The upward movement continues to $70,051 in 2023 and $71,957 in 2024.
The acceleration is clear in nominal terms, but the period also includes large changes in prices and housing costs. The correct conclusion is faster growth in dollar income, not an equal improvement in real purchasing power. A consistent inflation adjustment would be needed to measure real change.
Home values rise faster than household income
From 2011 to 2024, median household income rises about 48.7 percent while median owner-occupied home value rises about 77.0 percent. The comparison does not calculate affordability directly, but it shows that the purchase-price side of the housing market moved much faster than the income midpoint.
Indiana’s economy also has a significant manufacturing base alongside logistics, health care, professional services, and metropolitan employment. Different wage and employment trends across those industries can produce substantial regional differences even when the statewide median continues to rise.
The 2024 high and what to watch next
The 2024 median of $71,957 is the highest observation in the supplied series. Nominal household income remains on an upward path after the large 2022 gain, and the latest data do not show a reversal. Historical growth, however, does not guarantee the same pace in future years.
Future assessment should combine ACS household income with BEA personal income, BLS wages and employment, inflation, and housing costs. Manufacturing and logistics centers, the Indianapolis region, university communities, and rural areas can have different income and cost structures, making statewide averages only a starting point.
Related year mini reports
Official sources
Indiana Employment: A Sustained Fall in Unemployment from the 2013 Peak
Indiana’s ACS-based unemployment rate rises from about 8.97 percent in 2011 to a series high of about 9.62 percent in 2013, then declines over the long run to about 4.28 percent in 2024, the lowest supplied observation. The drop from the peak is roughly 5.34 percentage points. The downward direction persists through the most recent ACS reading. BLS reports a seasonally adjusted Indiana unemployment rate of 3.3 percent in August 2026, providing a separate current view of a labor market that remains in a low-unemployment range. The two measures should not be merged because their survey methods and frequencies differ. Unemployment alone also does not describe labor-force participation, wages, hours, job quality, or industry-level employment changes.
Download report dataKey findings
The ACS unemployment rate peaks at about 9.62 percent in 2013 and falls to about 4.28 percent in 2024, a decline of roughly 5.34 percentage points.
The 2024 value is the lowest observation in the supplied ACS series, extending the long downward trend.
BLS reports 3.3 percent unemployment in August 2026, but total nonfarm employment was down 0.5 percent from a year earlier, illustrating why unemployment and job growth should be evaluated separately.
A much lower unemployment rate than at the early-series peak
Indiana’s ACS unemployment measure rises from about 8.97 percent in 2011 to 9.41 percent in 2012 and 9.62 percent in 2013. It then reverses direction and reaches about 4.28 percent in 2024. The decline of roughly 5.34 percentage points from the peak is a major long-run change.
Unemployment measures the share of people in the labor force who do not have a job and are seeking work. It does not show whether labor-force participation is rising, whether jobs are full time, what they pay, or how secure they are. Those additional measures are necessary for a complete labor-market assessment.
An almost uninterrupted decline after 2013
After the 2013 peak, the rate falls to 9.11 percent in 2014, 8.25 percent in 2015, 6.91 percent in 2016, 6.08 percent in 2017, 5.43 percent in 2018, and 5.04 percent in 2019. It continues lower in the 2020s, reaching 4.79, 4.64, 4.49, 4.30, and 4.28 percent through 2024.
A decline sustained over this many observations is stronger evidence of structural improvement than one unusually low reading. Still, falling unemployment can reflect employment growth, changes in participation, migration, age structure, or a combination of factors. Indiana’s manufacturing, logistics, health-care, education, and service industries can also move differently.
The mid-to-late 2010s bring the fastest improvement
The rate falls particularly quickly from about 6.91 percent in 2016 to 6.08 percent in 2017 and 5.43 percent in 2018. By 2019 it is near 5 percent, and the decline continues afterward. The pattern therefore looks less like a one-time cyclical rebound and more like a prolonged improvement in labor-market conditions.
The ACS five-year measure is not designed to capture monthly turning points. BLS monthly unemployment and payroll employment respond faster to changes in economic conditions. Using ACS for long-run structure and BLS for current momentum avoids creating a false single series.
Low unemployment can coexist with uneven job growth
BLS reports a seasonally adjusted Indiana unemployment rate of 3.3 percent in August 2026. At the same time, total nonfarm employment was 0.5 percent lower than a year earlier. Construction and education and health services showed gains, while leisure and hospitality and government were weaker. The combination demonstrates that a low unemployment rate does not mean every industry is expanding.
Indiana has a large manufacturing base alongside transportation and logistics, health care, education, and metropolitan services. Industry cycles and regional specialization can produce labor shortages in some occupations and weak hiring in others even when the statewide unemployment rate is low.
The latest ACS low and the current labor-market context
The 2024 ACS rate of about 4.28 percent is the lowest observation in the supplied series and slightly below the 2023 value. The long-run downward direction therefore remains intact through the latest ACS measurement. The lower BLS monthly rate in 2026 provides current context but should not be appended directly to the ACS sequence.
Future monitoring should combine unemployment with labor-force participation, the employment-population ratio, wages, payroll jobs, and industry detail. If unemployment stays low while payroll growth weakens, changes in labor supply and sector composition become especially important for interpreting whether the labor market is tightening, slowing, or restructuring.
Official sources
Indiana Home Values: Persistent Appreciation after 2014 and a Sharp Early-2020s Acceleration
Indiana’s median owner-occupied home value is nearly flat at the start of the series, moving from $123,300 in 2011 to a low of $122,700 in 2014, then rising steadily to $218,200 in 2024. The latest value is about 77.8 percent above the 2014 low and about 77.0 percent above the 2011 starting point. The largest adjacent increase occurs from $158,500 in 2021 to $183,600 in 2022, a jump of about 15.8 percent, followed by further increases to $201,600 in 2023 and $218,200 in 2024. The ACS figure is a statewide median estimate for owner-occupied housing, not a transaction-price index or a rent measure. Affordability therefore needs to be evaluated with household income, mortgage rates, housing supply, rents, and local market conditions.
Download report dataKey findings
Median owner-occupied home value rises from the 2014 low of $122,700 to $218,200 in 2024, about 77.8 percent.
The largest adjacent increase occurs from 2021 to 2022, when the median rises by about 15.8 percent.
Home values rise faster than median household income across 2011-2024, making housing affordability a separate issue from income growth.
A flat early period followed by a sustained rise
Indiana’s median owner-occupied home value changes very little early in the series: $123,300 in 2011, $123,400 in 2012, $122,800 in 2013, and a low of $122,700 in 2014. From that point, the direction changes and the median reaches $218,200 by 2024.
The ACS measure is an estimated statewide median for owner-occupied housing. It is not a repeat-sales price index and does not describe rental costs. Indianapolis and its suburbs, manufacturing communities, college towns, and rural counties can have very different price and supply conditions.
Appreciation accelerates after the mid-2010s
The median rebounds to $124,200 in 2015 and rises to $126,500 in 2016, $130,200 in 2017, $135,400 in 2018, and $141,700 in 2019. It then reaches $148,900 in 2020 and $158,500 in 2021, showing a gradual acceleration before the largest jump.
Population and income can support housing demand, but supply, construction and land costs, mortgage conditions, local jobs, and commuting patterns also matter. Because Indiana’s population grows much more slowly than home values, the housing trend cannot be explained by population alone.
The 2021-2022 price step-up
The median rises from $158,500 in 2021 to $183,600 in 2022, an increase of $25,100 or about 15.8 percent. This is the largest adjacent percentage gain in the supplied series. Values then rise further to $201,600 in 2023 and $218,200 in 2024.
The size of the change is notable, but the ACS median is not a transaction-price index for identical homes. Changes in the housing stock and survey structure can matter as well. Sales prices, inventory, building permits, rents, and mortgage rates are needed to explain the market mechanics behind the acceleration.
Home values outpace household income
From 2011 to 2024, Indiana’s median household income rises about 48.7 percent while median home value rises about 77.0 percent. The comparison does not directly calculate affordability, but it shows that the purchase-price side of the housing market increased faster than the household-income midpoint.
Mortgage rates can also change affordability even when price-to-income relationships appear stable. Local differences matter just as much: Indianapolis suburbs, manufacturing areas, university communities, and rural counties can experience very different inventories and price pressures.
The 2024 high and the affordability challenge
The 2024 median of $218,200 is the highest observation in the supplied series and stands $59,700 above the 2021 level. The latest sequence confirms that early-2020s appreciation was not limited to a single observation.
Future affordability analysis should combine home values with rents, mortgage rates, household income, construction, inventory, and county-level population growth. Appreciation can increase wealth for existing owners while raising the entry barrier for prospective buyers and increasing pressure on renters.
Related year mini reports
Official sources
Indiana Energy: Production Retreats from Its 2014 Peak while Industrial and Power Demand Remains Large
Indiana’s total primary energy production falls from 831,939 billion Btu in 1985 to a low of 643,786 billion Btu in 1995, then rises to a series peak of 1,110,120 billion Btu in 2014. Production subsequently declines to 748,639 billion Btu in 2024, about 32.6 percent below the peak and about 10.0 percent below 1985. Total energy consumption follows a different path, reaching a peak of 2,955,502 billion Btu in 2007 before easing to 2,540,438 billion Btu in 2024. Consumption is about 14.0 percent below the peak but still about 13.2 percent above 1985. EIA’s 2024 data show a large industrial energy load and continued coal dominance in the electric-power sector, making manufacturing demand and power-generation structure central to Indiana’s energy profile.
Download report dataKey findings
Primary energy production peaks at 1,110,120 billion Btu in 2014 and declines about 32.6 percent to 748,639 billion Btu in 2024.
Total energy consumption peaks at 2,955,502 billion Btu in 2007 and is about 14.0 percent lower at 2,540,438 billion Btu in 2024.
EIA data show both a large industrial energy load and continued coal dominance in the power sector, so fuel mix and manufacturing demand need to be analyzed together.
Production and consumption follow different scales and trajectories
Indiana’s total primary energy production declines from 831,939 billion Btu in 1985 to 748,639 billion Btu in 2024, about 10.0 percent. Total energy consumption moves in the opposite long-run direction, rising from 2,245,045 to 2,540,438 billion Btu, about 13.2 percent. Consumption remains much larger than in-state primary production.
Production measures primary energy originating inside Indiana, while consumption measures energy used across residential, commercial, industrial, transportation, and electric-power activities. Fuels and electricity cross state borders, so the two totals do not need to balance or reach turning points in the same years.
Production rises from the 1995 low to the 2014 peak
Primary energy production declines to 643,786 billion Btu in 1995, the lowest observation in the supplied series. It later rises to 871,643 in 2001, 818,979 in 2010, 960,233 in 2012, and 1,041,004 in 2013 before reaching the 2014 peak of 1,110,120 billion Btu.
The aggregate total suggests a substantial change in Indiana’s production system, but it cannot identify which fuels drove each movement. EIA SEDS fuel-level data on coal, natural gas, biofuels, and renewable resources are needed to separate the sources behind the long-run rise and later decline.
Production falls after 2014 and drops sharply in 2020
After the 2014 peak, production generally trends lower. It stands at 900,663 billion Btu in 2018 and 945,579 in 2019 before falling about 29.5 percent to 666,933 in 2020. Production partially recovers through 2023 but declines again to 748,639 billion Btu in 2024.
Consumption peaks earlier, at 2,955,502 billion Btu in 2007. It drops from 2,732,808 in 2019 to 2,502,235 in 2020, rebounds in 2021 and 2022, and then declines again in 2023 and 2024. The different peak years show why supply-side production and end-use demand should be analyzed separately.
Manufacturing demand and a coal-heavy power sector matter
EIA’s 2024 Indiana profile shows a large industrial share of end-use energy consumption, reflecting the importance of manufacturing and other energy-intensive activity. The 2024 electricity profile also identifies coal as Indiana’s primary electricity-generation energy source, while natural gas is the second major input to the power sector.
Electricity generation is only one part of the energy system. Transportation petroleum, industrial natural gas and other fuels, commercial buildings, and households all contribute to total consumption. A coal-heavy power mix therefore should not be used as a shortcut for the entire state energy balance.
Production is well below peak while consumption remains large
Primary energy production of 748,639 billion Btu in 2024 is about 32.6 percent below the 2014 peak and lower than the 2023 value. The partial recovery after 2020 has not returned production to its earlier high, leaving the recent supply-side level substantially below the mid-2010s maximum.
Total consumption of 2,540,438 billion Btu in 2024 is about 14.0 percent below the 2007 peak but still above the 1985 baseline. Future analysis should separate industrial production, energy intensity, generation mix, interstate electricity flows, transportation fuels, and building efficiency to explain why total consumption remains high while below its historical peak.