Starke County, Indiana

Formed in 1850 and named after Revolutionary War General John Stark

County Seat: Knox

Largest City: Knox (2023 population: 3,599)

Population per Square Mile: 75.08

Square Miles: 309.10

Go to county's in.gov site

Population over Time	Number	Rank in State	Percent of State	Indiana
Yesterday (2020)	23,371	66	0.4%	6,484,050
Today (2023)	23,206	66	0.3%	6,862,199
Tomorrow (2030 projection)*	22,742	67	0.3%	7,013,509
Percent Change 2020 to Today	-0.7%	51		1.1%

*Projection based on 2020 Census population estimates.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; Indiana Business Research Center

Components of Population Change, 2022-2023	Number	Rank in State	Percent of State	Indiana
Net Domestic Migration	115	39		4,599
Net International Migration	15	52		17,869
Natural Increase (births minus deaths)	-127	79	-1.7%	7,508

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Population Estimates by Age, 2023	Number	Rank in State	Pct Dist. in County	Pct Dist. in State
Preschool (0 to 4)	1,271	66	5.5%	5.9%
School Age (5 to 17)	3,885	65	16.7%	17.2%
College Age (18 to 24)	1,672	67	7.2%	9.6%
Young Adult (25 to 44)	5,366	66	23.1%	25.8%
Older Adult (45 to 64)	6,125	68	26.4%	24.2%
Seniors (65 and older)	4,887	63	21.1%	17.2%
Median Age	42.8			Median Age = 38.2

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; Indiana Business Research Center

Population Estimates by Race and Hispanic Origin, 2023	Number	Rank of	Pct Dist. in County	Pct Dist. in State
American Indian or Alaska Native Alone	134	53	0.6%	0.5%
Asian Alone	99	70	0.4%	2.9%
Black Alone	160	75	0.7%	10.4%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pac. Isl. Alone	2	87	0.0%	0.1%
White	22,517	67	97.0%	83.7%
Two or More Race Groups	294	70	1.3%	2.5%
Hispanic or Latino Origin (can be of any race)
Non-Hispanic	22,187	67	95.6%	91.2%
Hispanic	1,019	53	4.4%	8.8%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Household Types	Number	Rank in State	Pct Dist. in County	Pct Dist. in State
Households in 2023 (Includes detail not shown below)	8,758	67	100.0%	100.0%
Married With Children	1,407	70	16.1%	18.1%
Married Without Children	2,916	69	33.3%	29.3%
Single Parents	681	69	7.8%	8.9%
Living Alone	2,555	63	29.2%	29.6%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

Housing	Number	Rank in State	Pct Dist. in County	Pct Dist. in State
Total Housing Units in 2023 (estimate)	11,330	63	100.0%	100.0%
Total Housing Units in 2023 (includes vacant units)	11,214	63	100.0%	100.0%
Owner Occupied (Pct. distribution based on all housing units)	7,334	65	65.4%	63.9%
Median Value (2023)	$148,400	63
Renter Occupied (Pct. distribution based on all housing units)	1,424	78	12.7%	26.9%
Median Rent (2023)	$519	83

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

Education	Number	Rank in State	Percent of State	Indiana
School Enrollment (2023/2024 Total Reported)	3,272	68	0.3%	1,124,877
Public	3,130	69	0.3%	1,032,265
Adults (25+ in 2023 ACS)	16,301	66	0.4%	4,559,304
with High School diploma or higher	85.8%	82		90.2%
with B.A. or higher degree	12.6%	88		28.8%

Sources: Indiana Department of Education; U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

Income and Poverty	Number	Rank in State	Percent of State	Indiana
Per Capita Personal Income (annual) in 2023	$44,313	89	72.4%	61,243
Median Household Income in 2022	58,523	73	87.7%	$66,768
Poverty Rate in 2022	12.6%	40	100.8%	12.5%
Poverty Rate among Children under 18	18.3%	24	118.8%	15.4%
Welfare (TANF) Monthly Average Families in 2024	11	67	0.2%	4,813
Food Stamp Recipients in 2024	2,390	48	0.4%	608,295
Free and Reduced Fee Lunch Recipients in 2023/2024	1,823	64	0.4%	497,203

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, 2021	238	67	0.3%	79,946
Births to Teens, 2021	12	64	0.3%	3,845
Deaths, 2019	284	64	0.4%	66,005

Source: Indiana State Department of Health

Labor Force, 2023	Number	Rank in State	Percent of State	Indiana
Total Resident Labor Force	9,673	68	0.3%	3,401,387
Employed	9,274	68	0.3%	3,288,017
Unemployed	399	58	0.4%	113,370
Annual Unemployment Rate	4.1	4	124.2%	3.3
November 2024 Unemployment Rate	5.1	7	121.4%	4.2

Source: STATS Indiana, using data from the Indiana Department of Workforce Development

Employment and Earnings by Industry, 2023	Employment	Pct Dist. in County	Earnings ($000)	Pct Dist. In County	Avg. Earnings Per Job
Total by place of work	6,809	100.0%	$327,006	100.0%	$48,026
Wage and Salary	4,393	64.5%	$204,057	62.4%	$46,450
Farm Proprietors	413	6.1%	$24,764	7.6%	$59,961
Nonfarm Proprietors	2,003	29.4%	$47,004	14.4%	$23,467
Farm	470	6.9%	$27,955	8.5%	$59,479
Nonfarm	6,339	93.1%	$299,051	91.5%	$47,176
Private	5,365	78.8%	$246,734	75.5%	$45,990
Accommodation, Food Serv.	429	6.3%	$8,076	2.5%	$18,825
Arts, Ent., Recreation	83	1.2%	$1,110	0.3%	$13,373
Construction	402	5.9%	$19,214	5.9%	$47,796
Health Care, Social Serv.	506	7.4%	$26,456	8.1%	$52,285
Information	49	0.7%	$2,531	0.8%	$51,653
Manufacturing	668	9.8%	$47,996	14.7%	$71,850
Professional, Tech. Serv.	176	2.6%	$6,146	1.9%	$34,920
Retail Trade	775	11.4%	$24,490	7.5%	$31,600
Trans., Warehousing	Data not available due to BEA non-disclosure requirements.
Wholesale Trade	149	2.2%	$0	0.0%	$0
Other Private (not above)	1,780*	26.1%*	$79,672*	24.4%*	$44,760*
Government	974	14.3%	$52,317	16.0%	$53,714

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, 2023	Units	Pct Dist. in County	Pct Dist. in State	Cost ($000)	State Cost ($000)
Total Permits Filed	74	100.0%	100.0%	$17,151	$7,695,489
Single-Family	68	91.9%	63.0%	$16,651	$5,961,199
2-Family	0	0.0%	2.0%	0	$99,053
3- and 4-Family	6	8.1%	0.9%	$500	$40,460
5+ Family	0	0.0%	34.2%	$0	$1,594,777

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 Starke County

Name	Population in 2023	Percent of County
Hamlet	772	3.3%
Knox	3,599	15.5%
North Judson	1,813	7.8%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau annual population estimates