Wells County, Indiana
Formed in 1837 and named for Captain William Wells, a scout for General Anthony Wayne
County Seat: Bluffton
Largest City: Bluffton (2010 population: 9,897)
Population per Square Mile: 74.69
Square Miles: 370.00
Go to county's in.gov site
| Population over Time | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Yesterday (2000) | 27,600 | 55 | 0.5% | 6,080,485 |
| Today (2010) | 27,636 | 58 | 0.4% | 6,483,802 |
| Tomorrow (2015 projection)* | 28,081 | 58 | 0.4% | 6,581,875 |
| Percent Change 2000 to Today | 0.1% | 61 | | 6.6% |
*Projection based on 2005 population estimate.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; Indiana Business Research Center
| Components of Population Change, 2008-2009 | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Net Domestic Migration | -254 | 74 | | -6,805 |
| Net International Migration | 1 | 76 | | 9,194 |
| Natural Increase (births minus deaths) | 93 | 49 | 0.3% | 32,591 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
| Population Estimates by Age, 2010 | Number | Rank in State | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| Preschool (0 to 4) | 1,810 | 57 | 6.5% | 6.7% |
| School Age (5 to 17) | 5,089 | 58 | 18.4% | 18.1% |
| College Age (18 to 24) | 2,190 | 58 | 7.9% | 10.0% |
| Young Adult (25 to 44) | 6,350 | 60 | 23.0% | 25.7% |
| Older Adult (45 to 64) | 7,857 | 57 | 28.4% | 26.5% |
| Seniors (65 and older) | 4,340 | 55 | 15.7% | 13.0% |
| Median Age | 40.2 | | | Median Age = 37.0 |
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; Indiana Business Research Center
| Population Estimates by Race and Hispanic Origin, 2010 | Number | Rank of | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| American Indian or Alaska Native Alone | 76 | 48 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Asian Alone | 107 | 54 | 0.4% | 1.6% |
| Black Alone | 96 | 64 | 0.3% | 9.1% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pac. Isl. Alone | 3 | 70 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| White | 26,902 | 58 | 97.3% | 84.3% |
| Two or More Race Groups | 244 | 61 | 0.9% | 2.0% |
| Non-Hispanic | 27,072 | 58 | 98.0% | 94.0% |
| Hispanic | 564 | 58 | 2.0% | 6.0% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
| Household Types | Number | Rank in State | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| Households in 2010 (Includes detail not shown below) | 10,780 | 57 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Married With Children | 2,408 | 54 | 22.3% | 19.9% |
| Married Without Children | 3,851 | 55 | 35.7% | 29.7% |
| Single Parents | 861 | 62 | 8.0% | 10.0% |
| Living Alone | 2,678 | 54 | 24.8% | 26.9% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2005-2009 5-year estimates.
| Housing | Number | Rank in State | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| Total Housing Units in 2009 (estimate) | 11,748 | 61 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Total Housing Units in 2010 (includes vacant units) | 11,659 | 61 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
Owner Occupied
(Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 8,499 | 54 | 72.9% | 62.5% |
| Median Value (2010) | $110,100 | 47 | | |
Renter Occupied
(Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 2,281 | 63 | 19.6% | 27.0% |
| Median Rent (2010) | $434 | 60 | | |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2005-2009 5-year estimates.
| Education | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| School Enrollment (2010/2011 Total Reported) | 4,944 | 54 | 0.4% | 1,122,909 |
| Public | 4,885 | 52 | 0.5% | 1,046,556 |
| Adults (25+ in 2010 ACS) | 18,521 | 57 | 0.4% | 4,165,617 |
| with High School diploma or higher | 89.4% | 12 | | 86.2% |
| with B.A. or higher degree | 14% | 54 | | 22.4% |
Sources: Indiana Department of Education; U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2005-2009 5-year estimates.
| Income and Poverty | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Per Capita Personal Income (annual) in 2009 | $31,191 | 46 | 91.7% | 34,022 |
| Median Household Income in 2010 | 45,492 | 35 | 102.0% | $44,616 |
| Poverty Rate in 2010 | 9.6% | 83 | 62.7% | 15.3% |
| Poverty Rate among Children under 18 | 14.5% | 79 | 67.1% | 21.6% |
| Welfare (TANF) Monthly Average Families in 2010 | 48 | 77 | 0.2% | 30,864 |
| Food Stamp Recipients in 2010 | 2,231 | 70 | 0.3% | 829,907 |
| Free and Reduced Fee Lunch Recipients in 2011 | 1,693 | 66 | 0.3% | 488,964 |
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis; U.S. Census Bureau; Indiana Family Social Services Administration; Indiana Department of Education
| Health and Vital Statistics | Number | Rank of | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Births, 2008 | 359 | 58 | 0.4% | 88,679 |
| Births to Teens, 2008 | 28 | 70 | 0.3% | 9,715 |
| Deaths, 2007 | 263 | 56 | 0.5% | 53,882 |
Source: Indiana State Department of Health
| Labor Force, 2010 | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Total Resident Labor Force | 13,810 | 55 | 0.4% | 3,142,265 |
| Employed | 12,491 | 55 | 0.4% | 2,822,693 |
| Unemployed | 1,319 | 62 | 0.4% | 319,572 |
| Annual Unemployment Rate | 9.6 | 65 | 94.1% | 10.2 |
| December 2011 Unemployment Rate | 8.0 | 46 | 92.0% | 8.7 |
Source: STATS Indiana, using data from the Indiana Department of Workforce Development
| Employment and Earnings by Industry, 2009 | Employment | Pct Dist.
in County | Earnings ($000) | Pct Dist.
In County | Avg. Earnings Per Job |
|---|
| Total by place of work | 14,203 | 100.0% | $509,458 | 100.0% | $35,870 |
| Wage and Salary | 11,111 | 78.2% | $362,526 | 71.2% | $32,628 |
| Farm Proprietors | 592 | 4.2% | $20,998 | 4.1% | $35,470 |
| Nonfarm Proprietors | 2,500 | 17.6% | $29,474 | 5.8% | $11,790 |
| Farm | 713 | 5.0% | $24,417 | 4.8% | $34,245 |
| Nonfarm | 13,490 | 95.0% | $485,041 | 95.2% | $35,956 |
| Private | 11,870 | 83.6% | $413,137 | 81.1% | $34,805 |
| Accommodation, Food Serv. | 619 | 4.4% | $6,842 | 1.3% | $11,053 |
| Arts, Ent., Recreation | 110 | 0.8% | $434 | 0.1% | $3,945 |
| Construction | 665 | 4.7% | $21,848 | 4.3% | $32,854 |
| Health Care, Social Serv. | 1,859 | 13.1% | $69,851 | 13.7% | $37,575 |
| Information | 118 | 0.8% | $3,916 | 0.8% | $33,186 |
| Manufacturing | 2,205 | 15.5% | $128,621 | 25.2% | $58,332 |
| Professional, Tech. Serv. | Data not available due to BEA non-disclosure requirements. |
| Retail Trade | 1,417 | 10.0% | $28,204 | 5.5% | $19,904 |
| Trans., Warehousing | 1,472 | 10.4% | $57,057 | 11.2% | $38,762 |
| Wholesale Trade | Data not available due to BEA non-disclosure requirements. |
| Other Private (not above) | 2,326* | 16.4%* | $52,532* | 10.3%* | $22,585* |
| Government | 1,620 | 11.4% | $71,904 | 14.1% | $44,385 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
* These totals do not include county data that are not available due to BEA non-disclosure requirements.
| Residential Building Permits, 2010 | Units | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State | Cost ($000) | State Cost ($000) |
|---|
| Total Permits Filed | 71 | 100.0% | 100.0% | $11,012 | $1,960,774 |
| Single-Family | 39 | 54.9% | 74.7% | $7,616 | $1,714,875 |
| 2-Family | 32 | 45.1% | 3.0% | 3,396 | $33,796 |
| 3- and 4-Family | 0 | 0.0% | 2.9% | $0 | $35,216 |
| 5+ Family | 0 | 0.0% | 19.4% | $0 | $176,887 |
Notes: Detail cost may not sum to total due to rounding. Greene County does not currently issue building permits, so it is excluded.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Largest Cities and Towns in Wells County
| Name | Population
in 2010 | Percent of County |
|---|
| Bluffton | 9,897 | 35.8% | | Markle | 448 | 1.6%* | | Ossian | 3,289 | 11.9% | | Poneto | 166 | 0.6% | | Uniondale | 310 | 1.1% | | Vera Cruz | 80 | 0.3% | | Zanesville | 473 | 1.7%* | | * This place crosses county lines, so only population in this county is shown. |
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