Long before Indiana became a state, long before the founding of Schererville, people called the area the "Crossroads," as several Native American trails intersected here, that later became routes for the wagons of settlers traveling west.
One of those settlers was Nicholas Scherer, who was born in 1830 at Scheuern,[10] today part of Tholey, Saarland, in southwestern Germany, who arrived in the U.S. in 1846. When he came to this place at the southern tip of Lake Michigan in 1865, he founded the community that bears his name.[11]
Today, trails still cross at Schererville, the modern trails of a motorized society, U.S. Highways 41 and 30. Nearby are newer trails, I-80/94 and I-65. All these are primary transcontinental routes and gives Schererville its slogan: "Crossroads of the Nation."
The town was named one of the "100 Best Places to Live in the U.S." by Money Magazine in 2007.
Schererville's former Town Council President, Perry Ferrini, died on December 13, 2009. The Town Council's new president became Jerry Tippy, and the vacant seat held by Perry was filled by Sharon Moore on January 9, 2010.
The town of Schererville celebrated its sesquicentennial in September 2016.
Considered part of the Chicago metropolitan area and located just 30 miles from Chicago, Schererville is considered a suburb of this municipality. Many residents commute daily for school and work.[13]
According to the 2010 census, Schererville has a total area of 14.763 square miles (38.24 km2), of which 14.71 square miles (38.10 km2) (or 99.64%) is land and 0.053 square miles (0.14 km2) (or 0.36%) is water.[14]
One of Schererville's neighborhoods, Briar Ridge, spans both Schererville and adjacent Dyer.
The ridge south of Route 30 is the Glenwood Shoreline.
Demographics
2010 census
As of the census[15] of 2010, there were 29,243 people, 11,883 households, and 7,981 families living in the town. The population density was 1,988.0 inhabitants per square mile (767.6/km2). There were 12,393 housing units at an average density of 842.5 per square mile (325.3/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 86.8% White, 5.4% African American, 0.2% Native American, 2.8% Asian, 2.9% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.6% of the population.
There were 11,883 households, of which 29.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.3% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 32.8% were non-families. 27.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.03.
The median age in the town was 40.9 years. 22.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.9% were from 25 to 44; 30.3% were from 45 to 64; and 14% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 48.5% male and 51.5% female.
As of 2010, the median income for a household in the town was $66,160 while the mean income for a household in the town was $77,738. The median income for a family was $84,507 and the mean income for a family was $92,404. The estimated per capita income for the town was $31,983. About 4.3% of families and 7.1% of the population were estimated to be below the poverty line.[16]
2000 census
As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 24,851 people, 9,660 households, and 6,829 families living in the town. The population density was 1,825.9 inhabitants per square mile (705.0/km2). There were 10,006 housing units at an average density of 735.2 per square mile (283.9/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 91.45% White, 2.14% African American, 0.11% Native American, 2.56% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 2.03% from other races, and 1.66% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.34% of the population.
There were 9,660 households, out of which 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.0% were married couples living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.3% were non-families. 24.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.3% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 30.6% from 25 to 44, 26.1% from 45 to 64, and 10.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $59,243, and the median income for a family was $70,474. Males had a median income of $50,732 versus $30,745 for females. The per capita income for the town was $28,528. About 1.4% of families and 3.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.9% of those under age 18 and 2.2% of those age 65 or over.
Commuters to nearby Chicago rely on local South Shore Line with train service from Millennium Station in Chicago to the South Bend International Airport in South Bend, IN. In 2014 an extensive expansion and improvement project was started to improve reliability, frequency and efficiency for daily commuters. Completion of this upgraded service is expected in 2024.
^U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics 2010, Table DP-1, 2010 Demographic Profile Data. U.S. Census website. Retrieved June 14, 2014.