Whitley County, Indiana
Named for Colonel William Whitley, fallen hero of the War of 1812
County Seat: Columbia City
Largest City: Columbia City (2010 population: 8,750)
Population per Square Mile: 99.23
Square Miles: 335.50
Go to county's in.gov site
| Population over Time | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
| Yesterday (2000) | 30,707 | 52 | 0.5% | 6,080,485 |
| Today (2010) | 33,292 | 49 | 0.5% | 6,483,802 |
| Tomorrow (2015 projection)* | 34,803 | 46 | 0.5% | 6,581,875 |
| Percent Change 2000 to Today | 8.4% | 17 | | 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 | -49 | 32 | | -6,805 |
| Net International Migration | 14 | 53 | | 9,194 |
| Natural Increase (births minus deaths) | 142 | 39 | 0.4% | 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) | 2,084 | 49 | 6.3% | 6.7% |
| School Age (5 to 17) | 6,099 | 47 | 18.3% | 18.1% |
| College Age (18 to 24) | 2,573 | 53 | 7.7% | 10.0% |
| Young Adult (25 to 44) | 8,003 | 48 | 24.0% | 25.7% |
| Older Adult (45 to 64) | 9,884 | 44 | 29.7% | 26.5% |
| Seniors (65 and older) | 4,649 | 52 | 14.0% | 13.0% |
| Median Age | 40.1 | | | 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 | 92 | 42 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Asian Alone | 105 | 55 | 0.3% | 1.6% |
| Black Alone | 99 | 63 | 0.3% | 9.1% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pac. Isl. Alone | 7 | 47 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| White | 32,479 | 48 | 97.6% | 84.3% |
| Two or More Race Groups | 378 | 46 | 1.1% | 2.0% |
| Non-Hispanic | 32,777 | 49 | 98.5% | 94.0% |
| Hispanic | 515 | 61 | 1.5% | 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) | 13,001 | 46 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Married With Children | 2,852 | 44 | 21.9% | 19.9% |
| Married Without Children | 4,608 | 46 | 35.4% | 29.7% |
| Single Parents | 1,032 | 51 | 7.9% | 10.0% |
| Living Alone | 3,127 | 48 | 24.1% | 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) | 14,097 | 50 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Total Housing Units in 2010 (includes vacant units) | 14,281 | 48 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
Owner Occupied (Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 10,699 | 41 | 74.9% | 62.5% |
| Median Value (2010) | $123,500 | 27 | | |
Renter Occupied (Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 2,302 | 62 | 16.1% | 27.0% |
| Median Rent (2010) | $433 | 61 | | |
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) | 4,858 | 55 | 0.4% | 1,122,909 |
| Public | 4,858 | 53 | 0.5% | 1,046,556 |
| Adults (25+ in 2010 ACS) | 22,179 | 47 | 0.5% | 4,165,617 |
| with High School diploma or higher | 90.2% | 10 | | 86.2% |
| with B.A. or higher degree | 16.6% | 33 | | 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 | $31,341 | 43 | 92.1% | 34,022 |
| Median Household Income in 2010 | 49,989 | 15 | 112.0% | $44,616 |
| Poverty Rate in 2010 | 9.3% | 85 | 60.8% | 15.3% |
| Poverty Rate among Children under 18 | 13.4% | 86 | 62.0% | 21.6% |
| Welfare (TANF) Monthly Average Families in 2010 | 37 | 84 | 0.1% | 30,864 |
| Food Stamp Recipients in 2010 | 2,618 | 67 | 0.3% | 829,907 |
| Free and Reduced Fee Lunch Recipients in 2011 | 1,537 | 68 | 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 | 390 | 48 | 0.4% | 88,679 |
| Births to Teens, 2008 | 32 | 65 | 0.3% | 9,715 |
| Deaths, 2007 | 248 | 59 | 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 | 17,149 | 42 | 0.5% | 3,142,265 |
| Employed | 15,345 | 42 | 0.5% | 2,822,693 |
| Unemployed | 1,804 | 43 | 0.6% | 319,572 |
| Annual Unemployment Rate | 10.5 | 45 | 102.9% | 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 | 13,453 | 100.0% | $543,771 | 100.0% | $40,420 |
| Wage and Salary | 11,657 | 86.6% | $397,518 | 73.1% | $34,101 |
| Farm Proprietors | 717 | 5.3% | $20,444 | 3.8% | $28,513 |
| Nonfarm Proprietors | 1,079 | 8.0% | $14,246 | 2.6% | $13,203 |
| Farm | 816 | 6.1% | $23,536 | 4.3% | $28,843 |
| Nonfarm | 12,637 | 93.9% | $520,235 | 95.7% | $41,168 |
| Private | 10,976 | 81.6% | $442,462 | 81.4% | $40,312 |
| Accommodation, Food Serv. | 798 | 5.9% | $10,319 | 1.9% | $12,931 |
| Arts, Ent., Recreation | 90 | 0.7% | $1,378 | 0.3% | $15,311 |
| Construction | 532 | 4.0% | $23,345 | 4.3% | $43,882 |
| Health Care, Social Serv. | Data not available due to BEA non-disclosure requirements. |
| Information | 101 | 0.8% | $5,718 | 1.1% | $56,614 |
| Manufacturing | 3,985 | 29.6% | $230,770 | 42.4% | $57,910 |
| Professional, Tech. Serv. | Data not available due to BEA non-disclosure requirements. |
| Retail Trade | 1,594 | 11.8% | $31,656 | 5.8% | $19,859 |
| Trans., Warehousing | Data not available due to BEA non-disclosure requirements. |
| Wholesale Trade | 415 | 3.1% | $21,344 | 3.9% | $51,431 |
| Other Private (not above) | 1,591* | 11.8%* | $45,369* | 8.3%* | $28,516* |
| Government | 1,661 | 12.3% | $77,773 | 14.3% | $46,823 |
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 | 93 | 100.0% | 100.0% | $13,669 | $1,960,774 |
| Single-Family | 65 | 69.9% | 74.7% | $12,101 | $1,714,875 |
| 2-Family | 28 | 30.1% | 3.0% | 1,568 | $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 Whitley County
| Name | Population in 2010 | Percent of County |
|---|
| Churubusco | 1,796 | 5.5% | | Columbia City | 8,750 | 26.6% | | Larwill | 283 | 0.9% | | South Whitley | 1,751 | 5.3% | | Tri-Lakes | 1,421 | 4.3% |
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