Wells County, Indiana
Formed in 1837 and named for Captain William Wells, a scout for General Anthony Wayne
County Seat: Bluffton
Largest City: Bluffton (2017 population: 10,030)
Population per Square Mile: 76.02
Square Miles: 368.10
Go to county's in.gov site
| Population over Time | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Yesterday (2010) | 27,636 | 58 | 0.4% | 6,484,125 |
| Today (2017) | 27,984 | 56 | 0.4% | 6,660,082 |
| Tomorrow (2020 projection)* | 27,977 | 58 | 0.4% | 6,852,121 |
| Percent Change 2010 to Today | 1.3% | 27 | | 2.7% |
*Projection based on 2010 Census counts.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; Indiana Business Research Center
| Components of Population Change, 2016-2017 | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Net Domestic Migration | 36 | 28 | | -1,639 |
| Net International Migration | 20 | 34 | | 9,067 |
| Natural Increase (births minus deaths) | 90 | 33 | 0.5% | 19,482 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
| Population Estimates by Age, 2017 | Number | Rank in State | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| Preschool (0 to 4) | 1,752 | 53 | 6.3% | 6.3% |
| School Age (5 to 17) | 5,114 | 54 | 18.3% | 17.3% |
| College Age (18 to 24) | 2,166 | 58 | 7.7% | 9.9% |
| Young Adult (25 to 44) | 6,369 | 59 | 22.8% | 25.3% |
| Older Adult (45 to 64) | 7,578 | 58 | 27.1% | 25.9% |
| Seniors (65 and older) | 5,005 | 55 | 17.9% | 15.4% |
| Median Age | 40.3 | | | Median Age = 37.7 |
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; Indiana Business Research Center
| Population Estimates by Race and Hispanic Origin, 2017 | Number | Rank of | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| American Indian or Alaska Native Alone | 85 | 61 | 0.3% | 0.4% |
| Asian Alone | 184 | 51 | 0.7% | 2.4% |
| Black Alone | 185 | 60 | 0.7% | 9.7% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pac. Isl. Alone | 14 | 48 | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| White | 27,200 | 57 | 97.2% | 85.4% |
| Two or More Race Groups | 316 | 55 | 1.1% | 2.1% |
| Non-Hispanic | 27,076 | 57 | 96.8% | 93.0% |
| Hispanic | 908 | 46 | 3.2% | 7.0% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
| Household Types | Number | Rank in State | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| Households in 2017 (Includes detail not shown below) | 10,944 | 56 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Married With Children | 2,230 | 56 | 20.4% | 18.8% |
| Married Without Children | 4,068 | 52 | 37.2% | 30.0% |
| Single Parents | 951 | 54 | 8.7% | 9.6% |
| Living Alone | 2,851 | 56 | 26.1% | 28.3% |
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 2017 (estimate) | 11,871 | 59 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Total Housing Units in 2017 (includes vacant units) | 11,805 | 59 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
Owner Occupied
(Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 8,689 | 53 | 73.6% | 61.2% |
| Median Value (2017) | $121,000 | 36 | | |
Renter Occupied
(Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 2,255 | 61 | 19.1% | 27.7% |
| Median Rent (2017) | $505 | 53 | | |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
| Education | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| School Enrollment (2016/2017 Total Reported) | 4,867 | 53 | 0.4% | 1,110,866 |
| Public | 4,867 | 51 | 0.5% | 1,048,879 |
| Adults (25+ in 2017 ACS) | 18,701 | 57 | 0.4% | 4,369,451 |
| with High School diploma or higher | 91.3% | 10 | | 88.3% |
| with B.A. or higher degree | 18.6% | 35 | | 25.3% |
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 2017 | $40,476 | 41 | 89.6% | 45,150 |
| Median Household Income in 2017 | 55,221 | 32 | 102.0% | $54,134 |
| Poverty Rate in 2017 | 8.6% | 83 | 64.7% | 13.3% |
| Poverty Rate among Children under 18 | 11.7% | 83 | 65.7% | 17.8% |
| Welfare (TANF) Monthly Average Families in 2017 | 13 | 80 | 0.2% | 6,790 |
| Food Stamp Recipients in 2017 | 1,481 | 76 | 0.2% | 656,297 |
| Free and Reduced Fee Lunch Recipients in 2016/2017 | 1,746 | 63 | 0.4% | 495,330 |
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, 2016 | 369 | 53 | 0.4% | 83,063 |
| Births to Teens, 2016 | 15 | 70 | 0.3% | 5,294 |
| Deaths, 2016 | 278 | 63 | 0.4% | 63,492 |
Source: Indiana State Department of Health
| Labor Force, 2017 | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Total Resident Labor Force | 14,158 | 55 | 0.4% | 3,320,409 |
| Employed | 13,741 | 55 | 0.4% | 3,203,351 |
| Unemployed | 417 | 64 | 0.4% | 117,058 |
| Annual Unemployment Rate | 2.9 | 77 | 82.9% | 3.5 |
| December 2018 Unemployment Rate | 2.8 | 73 | 82.4% | 3.4 |
Source: STATS Indiana, using data from the Indiana Department of Workforce Development
| Employment and Earnings by Industry, 2017 | Employment | Pct Dist.
in County | Earnings ($000) | Pct Dist.
In County | Avg. Earnings Per Job |
|---|
| Total by place of work | 14,629 | 100.0% | $615,499 | 100.0% | $42,074 |
| Wage and Salary | 11,439 | 78.2% | $432,858 | 70.3% | $37,841 |
| Farm Proprietors | 523 | 3.6% | $10,700 | 1.7% | $20,459 |
| Nonfarm Proprietors | 2,667 | 18.2% | $54,324 | 8.8% | $20,369 |
| Farm | 706 | 4.8% | $15,761 | 2.6% | $22,324 |
| Nonfarm | 13,923 | 95.2% | $599,738 | 97.4% | $43,075 |
| Private | 12,493 | 85.4% | $534,168 | 86.8% | $42,757 |
| Accommodation, Food Serv. | 642 | 4.4% | $9,988 | 1.6% | $15,558 |
| Arts, Ent., Recreation | 115 | 0.8% | $951 | 0.2% | $8,270 |
| Construction | 743 | 5.1% | $34,647 | 5.6% | $46,631 |
| Health Care, Social Serv. | 1,621 | 11.1% | $66,656 | 10.8% | $41,120 |
| Information | Data not available due to BEA non-disclosure requirements. |
| Manufacturing | 2,707 | 18.5% | $174,095 | 28.3% | $64,313 |
| Professional, Tech. Serv. | Data not available due to BEA non-disclosure requirements. |
| Retail Trade | 1,373 | 9.4% | $34,025 | 5.5% | $24,782 |
| Trans., Warehousing | 1,512 | 10.3% | $74,695 | 12.1% | $49,401 |
| Wholesale Trade | 526 | 3.6% | $38,044 | 6.2% | $72,327 |
| Other Private (not above) | 2,599* | 17.8%* | $78,563* | 12.8%* | $30,228* |
| Government | 1,430 | 9.8% | $65,570 | 10.7% | $45,853 |
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, 2017 | Units | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State | Cost ($000) | State Cost ($000) |
|---|
| Total Permits Filed | 64 | 100.0% | 100.0% | $15,732 | $4,583,500 |
| Single-Family | 58 | 90.6% | 74.2% | $15,005 | $4,038,599 |
| 2-Family | 6 | 9.4% | 2.0% | 727 | $62,844 |
| 3- and 4-Family | 0 | 0.0% | 0.4% | $0 | $13,000 |
| 5+ Family | 0 | 0.0% | 23.4% | $0 | $469,056 |
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 2017 | Percent of County |
|---|
| Bluffton | 10,030 | 35.8% |
| Markle | 452 | 1.6%* |
| Ossian | 3,360 | 12.0% |
| Poneto | 168 | 0.6% |
| Uniondale | 310 | 1.1% |
| Vera Cruz | 86 | 0.3% |
| Zanesville | 480 | 1.7%* |
| * This place crosses county lines, so only population in this county is shown. |
Hoosiers by the Numbers