Howard County, Indiana
Formed in 1844 and named for T.A. Howard, Indiana representative to Congress
County Seat: Kokomo
Largest City: Kokomo (2021 population: 59,691)
Population per Square Mile: 285.52
Square Miles: 293.10
Go to county's in.gov site
| Population over Time | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Yesterday (2010) | 82,748 | 18 | 1.3% | 6,484,050 |
| Today (2021) | 83,687 | 18 | 1.2% | 6,813,532 |
| Tomorrow (2030 projection)* | 79,522 | 22 | 1.1% | 7,143,795 |
| Percent Change 2010 to Today | 1.1% | 34 | | 5.1% |
*Projection based on 2010 Census counts.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; Indiana Business Research Center
| Components of Population Change, 2020-2021 | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Net Domestic Migration | 332 | 17 | | 5,230 |
| Net International Migration | 23 | 23 | | 15,490 |
| Natural Increase (births minus deaths) | -297 | 87 | -29.0% | 1,024 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
| Population Estimates by Age, 2021 | Number | Rank in State | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| Preschool (0 to 4) | 5,137 | 19 | 6.1% | 6.0% |
| School Age (5 to 17) | 14,085 | 21 | 16.8% | 17.3% |
| College Age (18 to 24) | 6,707 | 20 | 8.0% | 9.7% |
| Young Adult (25 to 44) | 19,934 | 21 | 23.8% | 25.7% |
| Older Adult (45 to 64) | 21,323 | 19 | 25.5% | 24.9% |
| Seniors (65 and older) | 16,501 | 18 | 19.7% | 16.4% |
| Median Age | 40.8 | | | Median Age = 38.1 |
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; Indiana Business Research Center
| Population Estimates by Race and Hispanic Origin, 2021 | Number | Rank of | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| American Indian or Alaska Native Alone | 384 | 20 | 0.5% | 0.4% |
| Asian Alone | 1,126 | 21 | 1.3% | 2.7% |
| Black Alone | 6,907 | 16 | 8.3% | 10.2% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pac. Isl. Alone | 49 | 24 | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| White | 72,705 | 20 | 86.9% | 84.2% |
| Two or More Race Groups | 2,516 | 18 | 3.0% | 2.3% |
| Non-Hispanic | 80,461 | 18 | 96.1% | 92.3% |
| Hispanic | 3,226 | 25 | 3.9% | 7.7% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
| Household Types | Number | Rank in State | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| Households in 2021 (Includes detail not shown below) | 34,674 | 18 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Married With Children | 5,198 | 25 | 15.0% | 18.2% |
| Married Without Children | 10,549 | 19 | 30.4% | 29.8% |
| Single Parents | 2,995 | 19 | 8.6% | 9.2% |
| Living Alone | 10,836 | 18 | 31.3% | 29.1% |
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 2021 (estimate) | 39,768 | 18 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Total Housing Units in 2021 (includes vacant units) | 39,485 | 18 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
Owner Occupied
(Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 25,114 | 18 | 63.6% | 62.9% |
| Median Value (2021) | $116,600 | 66 | | |
Renter Occupied
(Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 9,560 | 18 | 24.2% | 27.2% |
| Median Rent (2021) | $636 | 25 | | |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
| Education | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| School Enrollment (2021/2022 Total Reported) | 13,347 | 22 | 1.2% | 1,120,155 |
| Public | 12,942 | 19 | 1.2% | 1,036,519 |
| Adults (25+ in 2021 ACS) | 57,426 | 18 | 1.3% | 4,501,214 |
| with High School diploma or higher | 90.9% | 27 | | 89.8% |
| with B.A. or higher degree | 20.8% | 30 | | 27.8% |
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 2021 | $47,031 | 73 | 83.2% | 56,497 |
| Median Household Income in 2021 | 56,268 | 67 | 89.7% | $62,723 |
| Poverty Rate in 2021 | 11.9% | 38 | 98.3% | 12.1% |
| Poverty Rate among Children under 18 | 16.5% | 41 | 105.1% | 15.7% |
| Welfare (TANF) Monthly Average Families in 2022 | 77 | 11 | 1.9% | 3,933 |
| Food Stamp Recipients in 2022 | 10,828 | 12 | 1.8% | 611,203 |
| Free and Reduced Fee Lunch Recipients in 2021/2022 | 5,852 | 18 | 1.2% | 481,568 |
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, 2019 | 991 | 19 | 1.2% | 80,859 |
| Births to Teens, 2017 | 78 | 13 | 1.5% | 5,152 |
| Deaths, 2019 | 1,121 | 17 | 1.7% | 66,005 |
Source: Indiana State Department of Health
| Labor Force, 2021 | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Total Resident Labor Force | 34,727 | 24 | 1.0% | 3,321,548 |
| Employed | 32,591 | 24 | 1.0% | 3,203,166 |
| Unemployed | 2,136 | 14 | 1.8% | 118,382 |
| Annual Unemployment Rate | 6.2 | 1 | 172.2% | 3.6 |
| December 2022 Unemployment Rate | 4.3 | 2 | 179.2% | 2.4 |
Source: STATS Indiana, using data from the Indiana Department of Workforce Development
| Employment and Earnings by Industry, 2021 | Employment | Pct Dist.
in County | Earnings ($000) | Pct Dist.
In County | Avg. Earnings Per Job |
|---|
| Total by place of work | 45,192 | 100.0% | $2,599,701 | 100.0% | $57,526 |
| Wage and Salary | 37,853 | 83.8% | $1,958,052 | 75.3% | $51,728 |
| Farm Proprietors | 364 | 0.8% | $28,168 | 1.1% | $77,385 |
| Nonfarm Proprietors | 6,975 | 15.4% | $143,526 | 5.5% | $20,577 |
| Farm | 445 | 1.0% | $31,783 | 1.2% | $71,422 |
| Nonfarm | 44,747 | 99.0% | $2,567,918 | 98.8% | $57,387 |
| Private | 39,663 | 87.8% | $2,289,544 | 88.1% | $57,725 |
| Accommodation, Food Serv. | 4,201 | 9.3% | $98,987 | 3.8% | $23,563 |
| Arts, Ent., Recreation | 427 | 0.9% | $4,139 | 0.2% | $9,693 |
| Construction | 1,978 | 4.4% | $109,030 | 4.2% | $55,121 |
| Health Care, Social Serv. | 5,571 | 12.3% | $354,272 | 13.6% | $63,592 |
| Information | 246 | 0.5% | $14,569 | 0.6% | $59,224 |
| Manufacturing | 9,923 | 22.0% | $1,003,074 | 38.6% | $101,086 |
| Professional, Tech. Serv. | 1,337 | 3.0% | $63,333 | 2.4% | $47,369 |
| Retail Trade | 5,404 | 12.0% | $179,857 | 6.9% | $33,282 |
| Trans., Warehousing | 1,262 | 2.8% | $56,362 | 2.2% | $44,661 |
| Wholesale Trade | 919 | 2.0% | $77,927 | 3.0% | $84,795 |
| Other Private (not above) | 8,269* | 18.3%* | $324,800* | 12.5%* | $39,279* |
| Government | 5,084 | 11.2% | $278,374 | 10.7% | $54,755 |
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, 2021 | Units | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State | Cost ($000) | State Cost ($000) |
|---|
| Total Permits Filed | 190 | 100.0% | 100.0% | $46,559 | $7,583,249 |
| Single-Family | 188 | 98.9% | 74.4% | $46,239 | $6,692,956 |
| 2-Family | 2 | 1.1% | 2.4% | 320 | $117,031 |
| 3- and 4-Family | 0 | 0.0% | 0.4% | $0 | $30,324 |
| 5+ Family | 0 | 0.0% | 22.7% | $0 | $742,937 |
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 Howard County
| Name | Population
in 2021 | Percent of County |
|---|
| Greentown | 2,373 | 2.8% |
| Kokomo | 59,691 | 71.3% |
| Russiaville | 1,318 | 1.6% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau annual population estimates
Hoosiers by the Numbers