Wells County, Indiana
Formed in 1837 and named for Captain William Wells, a scout for General Anthony Wayne
County Seat: Bluffton
Largest City: Bluffton (2021 population: 10,318)
Population per Square Mile: 76.60
Square Miles: 368.10
Go to county's in.gov site
Population over Time | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
Yesterday (2010) | 27,637 | 58 | 0.4% | 6,484,050 |
Today (2021) | 28,197 | 56 | 0.4% | 6,813,532 |
Tomorrow (2030 projection)* | 27,834 | 58 | 0.4% | 7,143,795 |
Percent Change 2010 to Today | 2.0% | 26 | | 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 | 27 | 59 | | 5,230 |
Net International Migration | 2 | 64 | | 15,490 |
Natural Increase (births minus deaths) | -15 | 27 | -1.5% | 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) | 1,752 | 54 | 6.2% | 6.0% |
School Age (5 to 17) | 5,257 | 51 | 18.6% | 17.3% |
College Age (18 to 24) | 2,099 | 59 | 7.4% | 9.7% |
Young Adult (25 to 44) | 6,695 | 56 | 23.7% | 25.7% |
Older Adult (45 to 64) | 7,131 | 58 | 25.3% | 24.9% |
Seniors (65 and older) | 5,263 | 55 | 18.7% | 16.4% |
Median Age | 40.0 | | | 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 | 87 | 67 | 0.3% | 0.4% |
Asian Alone | 184 | 51 | 0.7% | 2.7% |
Black Alone | 283 | 57 | 1.0% | 10.2% |
Native Hawaiian and Other Pac. Isl. Alone | 9 | 63 | 0.0% | 0.1% |
White | 27,275 | 57 | 96.7% | 84.2% |
Two or More Race Groups | 359 | 56 | 1.3% | 2.3% |
Non-Hispanic | 27,209 | 57 | 96.5% | 92.3% |
Hispanic | 988 | 52 | 3.5% | 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) | 11,120 | 56 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
Married With Children | 2,555 | 42 | 23.0% | 18.2% |
Married Without Children | 3,792 | 54 | 34.1% | 29.8% |
Single Parents | 728 | 67 | 6.5% | 9.2% |
Living Alone | 3,074 | 55 | 27.6% | 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) | 11,994 | 58 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
Total Housing Units in 2021 (includes vacant units) | 11,913 | 58 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
Owner Occupied (Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 8,624 | 54 | 72.4% | 62.9% |
Median Value (2021) | $140,200 | 43 | | |
Renter Occupied (Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 2,496 | 55 | 21.0% | 27.2% |
Median Rent (2021) | $571 | 46 | | |
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) | 5,114 | 51 | 0.5% | 1,120,155 |
Public | 5,114 | 48 | 0.5% | 1,036,519 |
Adults (25+ in 2021 ACS) | 19,007 | 57 | 0.4% | 4,501,214 |
with High School diploma or higher | 93.2% | 9 | | 89.8% |
with B.A. or higher degree | 18% | 51 | | 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 | $49,953 | 50 | 88.4% | 56,497 |
Median Household Income in 2021 | 66,102 | 21 | 105.4% | $62,723 |
Poverty Rate in 2021 | 7.6% | 82 | 62.8% | 12.1% |
Poverty Rate among Children under 18 | 11.0% | 80 | 70.1% | 15.7% |
Welfare (TANF) Monthly Average Families in 2022 | 10 | 70 | 0.3% | 3,933 |
Food Stamp Recipients in 2022 | 1,498 | 72 | 0.2% | 611,203 |
Free and Reduced Fee Lunch Recipients in 2021/2022 | 1,667 | 64 | 0.3% | 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 | 335 | 54 | 0.4% | 80,851 |
Births to Teens, 2017 | 24 | 53 | 0.5% | 5,152 |
Deaths, 2019 | 290 | 62 | 0.4% | 66,005 |
Source: Indiana State Department of Health
Labor Force, 2021 | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
---|
Total Resident Labor Force | 13,851 | 55 | 0.4% | 3,355,642 |
Employed | 13,496 | 55 | 0.4% | 3,225,060 |
Unemployed | 355 | 63 | 0.3% | 130,582 |
Annual Unemployment Rate | 2.6 | 72 | 66.7% | 3.9 |
January 2023 Unemployment Rate | 2.8 | 71 | 82.4% | 3.4 |
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 | 14,354 | 100.0% | $747,712 | 100.0% | $52,091 |
Wage and Salary | 11,110 | 77.4% | $513,283 | 68.6% | $46,200 |
Farm Proprietors | 504 | 3.5% | $50,779 | 6.8% | $100,752 |
Nonfarm Proprietors | 2,740 | 19.1% | $61,559 | 8.2% | $22,467 |
Farm | 665 | 4.6% | $55,289 | 7.4% | $83,141 |
Nonfarm | 13,689 | 95.4% | $692,423 | 92.6% | $50,582 |
Private | 12,322 | 85.8% | $618,846 | 82.8% | $50,223 |
Accommodation, Food Serv. | 556 | 3.9% | $11,620 | 1.6% | $20,899 |
Arts, Ent., Recreation | 97 | 0.7% | $433 | 0.1% | $4,464 |
Construction | 780 | 5.4% | $46,037 | 6.2% | $59,022 |
Health Care, Social Serv. | Data not available due to BEA non-disclosure requirements. |
Information | Data not available due to BEA non-disclosure requirements. |
Manufacturing | 2,651 | 18.5% | $184,436 | 24.7% | $69,572 |
Professional, Tech. Serv. | Data not available due to BEA non-disclosure requirements. |
Retail Trade | 1,460 | 10.2% | $43,079 | 5.8% | $29,506 |
Trans., Warehousing | 1,517 | 10.6% | $86,042 | 11.5% | $56,719 |
Wholesale Trade | Data not available due to BEA non-disclosure requirements. |
Other Private (not above) | 1,848* | 12.9%* | $72,119* | 9.6%* | $39,025* |
Government | 1,367 | 9.5% | $73,577 | 9.8% | $53,824 |
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 | 56 | 100.0% | 100.0% | $13,708 | $7,583,249 |
Single-Family | 56 | 100.0% | 74.4% | $13,708 | $6,692,956 |
2-Family | 0 | 0.0% | 2.4% | 0 | $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 Wells County
Name | Population in 2021 | Percent of County |
---|
Bluffton | 10,318 | 36.6% |
Markle | 493 | 1.7%* |
Ossian | 3,271 | 11.6% |
Poneto | 173 | 0.6% |
Uniondale | 272 | 1.0% |
Vera Cruz | 69 | 0.2% |
Zanesville | 470 | 1.7%* |
* This place crosses county lines, so only population in this county is shown. |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau annual population estimates