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% | 6,805,985 |
| Tomorrow (2030 projection)* | 27,834 | 58 | 0.4% | 7,143,795 |
| Percent Change 2010 to Today | 2.0% | 26 | | 5.0% |
*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 | | 14,280 |
| Net International Migration | 2 | 64 | | 4,756 |
| Natural Increase (births minus deaths) | -15 | 27 | -2.2% | 692 |
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 2020 (Includes detail not shown below) | 11,122 | 56 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Married With Children | 2,363 | 50 | 21.2% | 18.3% |
| Married Without Children | 4,068 | 52 | 36.6% | 29.8% |
| Single Parents | 856 | 60 | 7.7% | 9.3% |
| Living Alone | 2,997 | 55 | 26.9% | 29.0% |
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 2020 (includes vacant units) | 11,923 | 59 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
Owner Occupied
(Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 8,613 | 54 | 72.2% | 62.3% |
| Median Value (2020) | $132,500 | 43 | | |
Renter Occupied
(Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 2,509 | 57 | 21.0% | 27.4% |
| Median Rent (2020) | $549 | 45 | | |
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 2020 ACS) | 19,022 | 57 | 0.4% | 4,466,180 |
| with High School diploma or higher | 92.2% | 12 | | 89.3% |
| with B.A. or higher degree | 18.7% | 42 | | 27.2% |
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 2020 | 66,597 | 23 | 109.5% | $60,794 |
| Poverty Rate in 2020 | 8.2% | 77 | 70.7% | 11.6% |
| Poverty Rate among Children under 18 | 10.7% | 74 | 71.8% | 14.9% |
| Welfare (TANF) Monthly Average Families in 2021 | 14 | 71 | 0.2% | 6,453 |
| Food Stamp Recipients in 2021 | 1,513 | 72 | 0.2% | 636,675 |
| 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% | 80,859 |
| 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% | 3,321,548 |
| Employed | 13,496 | 55 | 0.4% | 3,203,166 |
| Unemployed | 355 | 63 | 0.3% | 118,382 |
| Annual Unemployment Rate | 2.6 | 72 | 72.2% | 3.6 |
| October 2022 Unemployment Rate | 2.3 | 79 | 82.1% | 2.8 |
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
Hoosiers by the Numbers