1. Worldmark Encyclopedia of the States
  2. Indiana
  3. Population

Indiana

Population

Indiana ranked 14th in population in the US with an estimated total of 6,159,068 in 2002, an increase of 1.3% since 2000. Between 1990 and 2000, Indiana's population grew from 5,544,159 to 6,080,485, an increase of 9.7%. The population is projected to reach 6,215,000 by 2005 and 6.5 million by 2025. The population density in 2000 was 169.5 persons per sq mi.

In 2000 the median age was 35.2. Persons under 18 years old accounted for 25.9% of the population while 12.4% were age 65 or older.

Although the French founded the first European settlement in Indiana in 1717, the census population was no more than 5,641 in 1800, when the Indiana Territory was established. Settlers flocked to the state during the territorial period, and the population rose to 24,520 by 1810. After Indiana became a state in 1816, its population grew even more rapidly, reaching 147,178 in 1820 and 988,416 in 1850. At the outbreak of the Civil War, Indiana had 1,350,428 inhabitants and ranked 5th in population among the states.

Indiana was relatively untouched by the great waves of European immigration that swept the US from 1860 to 1880. In 1880, when the state's population was 1,978,301, Indiana had fewer foreign-born residents (about 7% of its population) than any other northern state. Indiana doubled its 1900 population to 5,193,669 by the time of the 1970 census.

Indianapolis, the capital and largest city, expanded its boundaries in 1970 to coincide with those of Marion County, thereby increasing its area to 388 sq mi (1,005 sq km) and its

Indiana Counties, County Seats, and County Areas and Populations
Indiana Counties, County Seats, and County Areas and Populations

Indiana Counties, County Seats, and County Areas and Populations

COUNTY COUNTY SEAT LAND AREA (SQ MI) POPULATION (2002 EST.) COUNTY COUNTY SEAT LAND AREA (SQ MI) POPULATION (2002 EST.)
Adams Decatur 340 33,500 Madison Anderson 453 132,068
Allen Fort Wayne 659 337,512 Marion Indianapolis 396 863,429
Bartholomew Columbus 409 71,636 Marshall Plymouth 444 45,735
Benton Fowler 407 9,207 Martin Shoals 339 10,370
Blackford Hardford City 166 13,804 Miami Peru 369 36,199
Boone Lebanon 424 48,277 Monroe Bloomington 385 121,229
Brown Nashville 312 15,211 Montgomery Crawfordsville 505 37,957
Carroll Delphi 372 20,226 Morgan Martinsville 409 67,791
Cass Logansport 414 40,752 Newton Kentland 401 14,360
Clark Jeffersonville 376 98,198 Noble Albion 413 47,209
Clay Brazil 360 26,357 Ohio Rising Sun 87 5,804
Clinton Frankfort 405 33,972 Orange Paoli 408 19,433
Crawford English 307 11,076 Owen Spencer 386 22,541
Davies Washington 432 29,851 Parke Rockville 444 17,262
Dearborn Lawrenceburg 307 47,333 Perry Cannelton 481 18,827
Decatur Greensburg 373 24,515 Pike Petersburg 341 12,908
Dekalb Auburn 364 40,525 Porter Valparaiso 419 150,403
Delaware Muncie 392 118,197 Posey Mt.vernon 410 26,990
Dubois Jasper 429 40,015 Pulaski Winamac 435 13,731
Elkhart Goshen 466 186,465 Putnam Greencastle 482 36,440
Fayette Connersville 215 25,249 Randolph Winchester 454 27,191
Floyd New Albany 150 71,633 Ripley Versailles 447 27,525
Fountain Covington 398 17,700 Rush Rushville 408 17,918
Franklin Brookville 385 22,585 St. Joseph South Bend 459 267,120
Fulton Rochester 369 20,728 Scott Scottsburg 192 23,334
Gibson Princeton 490 32,590 Shelby Shelbyville 412 43,674
Grant Marion 415 72,189 Spencer Rockport 400 20,353
Greene Bloomfield 546 33,155 Starke Knox 309 22,832
Hamilton Noblesville 398 205,610 Steuben Angola 308 33,429
Hancock Greenfield 307 58,343 Sullivan Sullivan 452 21,825
Harrison Corydon 486 35,244 Switzerland Vevay 224 9,410
Hendricks Danville 409 114,301 Tippecanoe Lafayette 502 152,001
Henry New Castle 395 47,983 Tipton Tipton 261 16,534
Howard Kokomo 293 84,838 Union Liberty 163 7,440
Huntington Huntington 366 38,243 Vanderburgh Evansville 236 171,744
Jackson Brownstown 514 41,557 Vermillion Newport 260 16,499
Jasper Rensselaer 561 30,815 Vigo Terre Haute 405 105,078
Jay Portland 384 21,630 Wabash Wabash 398 34,655
Jefferson Madison 363 32,113 Warren Williamsport 366 8,747
Jennings Vernon 378 28,192 Warrick Boonville 391 53,624
Johnson Franklin 321 121,604 Washington Salem 516 27,618
Knox Vincennes 520 38,531 Wayne Richmond 404 70,547
Kosciusko Warsaw 540 74,794 Wells Bluffton 370 27,796
Lagrange Lagrange 380 35,410 White Monticello 506 24,985
Lake Crown Point 501 487,016 Whitley Columbia City 336 31,339
Laporte Laporte 600 110,384   ————— ——— ———
Lawrence Bedford 452 46,097   Totals 35,932 6,159,068

population by some 50% (the city and county limits also include four self-governing communities). The estimated population was 783,612 in 2002, and the Indianapolis metropolitan area had an estimated population of 1,536,665 in 1999. Other cities with 2002 populations estimated at more than 100,000 were Fort Wayne, 210,070; Evansville, 119,081; South Bend, 106,558; and Gary, 100,945. All of these cities suffered population declines in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s.