Wells County, Indiana
Formed in 1837 and named for Captain William Wells, a scout for General Anthony Wayne
County Seat: Bluffton
Largest City: Bluffton (2019 population: 10,147)
Population per Square Mile: 76.87
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% | 6,484,051 |
| Today (2019) | 28,296 | 56 | 0.4% | 6,731,010 |
| Tomorrow (2030 projection)* | 27,834 | 58 | 0.4% | 7,143,795 |
| Percent Change 2010 to Today | 2.4% | 24 | | 3.8% |
*Projection based on 2010 Census counts.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; Indiana Business Research Center
| Components of Population Change, 2018-2019 | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Net Domestic Migration | 109 | 22 | | 3,997 |
| Net International Migration | 31 | 33 | | 14,379 |
| Natural Increase (births minus deaths) | 75 | 29 | 0.4% | 18,536 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
| Population Estimates by Age, 2019 | Number | Rank in State | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| Preschool (0 to 4) | 1,755 | 53 | 6.2% | 6.2% |
| School Age (5 to 17) | 5,204 | 51 | 18.4% | 17.1% |
| College Age (18 to 24) | 2,151 | 58 | 7.6% | 9.8% |
| Young Adult (25 to 44) | 6,600 | 56 | 23.3% | 25.5% |
| Older Adult (45 to 64) | 7,316 | 58 | 25.9% | 25.2% |
| Seniors (65 and older) | 5,270 | 54 | 18.6% | 16.1% |
| Median Age | 40.0 | | | Median Age = 37.9 |
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; Indiana Business Research Center
| Population Estimates by Race and Hispanic Origin, 2019 | Number | Rank of | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| American Indian or Alaska Native Alone | 84 | 66 | 0.3% | 0.4% |
| Asian Alone | 189 | 49 | 0.7% | 2.6% |
| Black Alone | 249 | 55 | 0.9% | 9.9% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pac. Isl. Alone | 12 | 57 | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| White | 27,415 | 57 | 96.9% | 84.8% |
| Two or More Race Groups | 347 | 52 | 1.2% | 2.2% |
| Non-Hispanic | 27,356 | 56 | 96.7% | 92.7% |
| Hispanic | 940 | 50 | 3.3% | 7.3% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
| Household Types | Number | Rank in State | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| Households in 2019 (Includes detail not shown below) | 10,888 | 57 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Married With Children | 2,382 | 51 | 21.9% | 18.5% |
| Married Without Children | 4,009 | 51 | 36.8% | 29.7% |
| Single Parents | 943 | 54 | 8.7% | 9.3% |
| Living Alone | 2,710 | 59 | 24.9% | 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 2019 (estimate) | 11,969 | 59 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Total Housing Units in 2019 (includes vacant units) | 11,871 | 59 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
Owner Occupied
(Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 8,586 | 53 | 72.3% | 61.5% |
| Median Value (2019) | $127,600 | 43 | | |
Renter Occupied
(Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 2,302 | 62 | 19.4% | 27.5% |
| Median Rent (2019) | $550 | 40 | | |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
| Education | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| School Enrollment (2019/2020 Total Reported) | 5,035 | 52 | 0.5% | 1,111,333 |
| Public | 5,035 | 50 | 0.5% | 1,050,614 |
| Adults (25+ in 2019 ACS) | 18,973 | 57 | 0.4% | 4,430,493 |
| with High School diploma or higher | 92.2% | 9 | | 88.8% |
| with B.A. or higher degree | 18.2% | 39 | | 26.5% |
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 2019 | $42,857 | 50 | 88.0% | 48,678 |
| Median Household Income in 2019 | 61,636 | 24 | 107.0% | $57,617 |
| Poverty Rate in 2019 | 7.4% | 85 | 62.2% | 11.9% |
| Poverty Rate among Children under 18 | 10.3% | 80 | 68.2% | 15.1% |
| Welfare (TANF) Monthly Average Families in 2020 | 13 | 81 | 0.2% | 6,657 |
| Food Stamp Recipients in 2020 | 1,414 | 78 | 0.2% | 659,095 |
| Free and Reduced Fee Lunch Recipients in 2019/2020 | 1,891 | 62 | 0.4% | 507,739 |
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, 2017 | 328 | 56 | 0.4% | 82,170 |
| Births to Teens, 2017 | 24 | 53 | 0.5% | 5,152 |
| Deaths, 2017 | 342 | 51 | 0.5% | 65,602 |
Source: Indiana State Department of Health
| Labor Force, 2019 | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Total Resident Labor Force | 14,514 | 55 | 0.4% | 3,387,366 |
| Employed | 14,123 | 55 | 0.4% | 3,275,056 |
| Unemployed | 391 | 64 | 0.3% | 112,310 |
| Annual Unemployment Rate | 2.7 | 75 | 81.8% | 3.3 |
| December 2020 Unemployment Rate | 2.9 | 77 | 72.5% | 4.0 |
Source: STATS Indiana, using data from the Indiana Department of Workforce Development
| Employment and Earnings by Industry, 2019 | Employment | Pct Dist.
in County | Earnings ($000) | Pct Dist.
In County | Avg. Earnings Per Job |
|---|
| Total by place of work | 14,674 | 100.0% | $670,270 | 100.0% | $45,677 |
| Wage and Salary | 11,417 | 77.8% | $470,836 | 70.2% | $41,240 |
| Farm Proprietors | 512 | 3.5% | $20,443 | 3.0% | $39,928 |
| Nonfarm Proprietors | 2,745 | 18.7% | $61,103 | 9.1% | $22,260 |
| Farm | 705 | 4.8% | $25,646 | 3.8% | $36,377 |
| Nonfarm | 13,969 | 95.2% | $644,624 | 96.2% | $46,147 |
| Private | 12,567 | 85.6% | $569,471 | 85.0% | $45,315 |
| Accommodation, Food Serv. | 632 | 4.3% | $10,760 | 1.6% | $17,025 |
| Arts, Ent., Recreation | 105 | 0.7% | $291 | 0.0% | $2,771 |
| Construction | 782 | 5.3% | $38,397 | 5.7% | $49,101 |
| Health Care, Social Serv. | 1,595 | 10.9% | $66,892 | 10.0% | $41,939 |
| Information | Data not available due to BEA non-disclosure requirements. |
| Manufacturing | 2,680 | 18.3% | $176,217 | 26.3% | $65,753 |
| Professional, Tech. Serv. | Data not available due to BEA non-disclosure requirements. |
| Retail Trade | 1,381 | 9.4% | $37,316 | 5.6% | $27,021 |
| Trans., Warehousing | 1,588 | 10.8% | $84,750 | 12.6% | $53,369 |
| Wholesale Trade | Data not available due to BEA non-disclosure requirements. |
| Other Private (not above) | 1,946* | 13.3%* | $66,231* | 9.9%* | $34,034* |
| Government | 1,402 | 9.6% | $75,153 | 11.2% | $53,604 |
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, 2019 | Units | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State | Cost ($000) | State Cost ($000) |
|---|
| Total Permits Filed | 53 | 100.0% | 100.0% | $11,578 | $4,988,366 |
| Single-Family | 49 | 92.5% | 73.1% | $11,076 | $4,298,385 |
| 2-Family | 4 | 7.5% | 1.6% | 502 | $48,202 |
| 3- and 4-Family | 0 | 0.0% | 0.7% | $0 | $26,551 |
| 5+ Family | 0 | 0.0% | 24.6% | $0 | $615,228 |
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 2019 | Percent of County |
|---|
| Bluffton | 10,147 | 35.9% |
| Markle | 455 | 1.6%* |
| Ossian | 3,382 | 12.0% |
| Poneto | 193 | 0.7% |
| Uniondale | 315 | 1.1% |
| Vera Cruz | 86 | 0.3% |
| Zanesville | 492 | 1.7%* |
| * This place crosses county lines, so only population in this county is shown. |
Hoosiers by the Numbers