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% | 6,484,192 |
| Today (2019) | 28,296 | 56 | 0.4% | 6,732,219 |
| 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, 2018 | Number | Rank in State | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| Preschool (0 to 4) | 1,839 | 53 | 6.5% | 6.3% |
| School Age (5 to 17) | 5,143 | 52 | 18.2% | 17.2% |
| College Age (18 to 24) | 2,144 | 58 | 7.6% | 9.8% |
| Young Adult (25 to 44) | 6,450 | 59 | 22.9% | 25.4% |
| Older Adult (45 to 64) | 7,466 | 58 | 26.5% | 25.6% |
| Seniors (65 and older) | 5,164 | 54 | 18.3% | 15.8% |
| Median Age | 40.2 | | | Median Age = 37.9 |
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; Indiana Business Research Center
| Population Estimates by Race and Hispanic Origin, 2018 | Number | Rank of | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| American Indian or Alaska Native Alone | 82 | 64 | 0.3% | 0.4% |
| Asian Alone | 191 | 49 | 0.7% | 2.5% |
| Black Alone | 215 | 58 | 0.8% | 9.8% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pac. Isl. Alone | 12 | 53 | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| White | 27,364 | 56 | 97.0% | 85.1% |
| Two or More Race Groups | 342 | 51 | 1.2% | 2.1% |
| Non-Hispanic | 27,311 | 56 | 96.8% | 92.9% |
| Hispanic | 895 | 49 | 3.2% | 7.1% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
| Household Types | Number | Rank in State | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| Households in 2018 (Includes detail not shown below) | 10,874 | 56 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Married With Children | 2,347 | 52 | 21.6% | 18.6% |
| Married Without Children | 4,002 | 51 | 36.8% | 29.9% |
| Single Parents | 831 | 62 | 7.6% | 9.5% |
| Living Alone | 2,864 | 57 | 26.3% | 28.5% |
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 2018 (includes vacant units) | 11,843 | 59 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
Owner Occupied
(Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 8,648 | 53 | 73.0% | 61.3% |
| Median Value (2018) | $120,700 | 43 | | |
Renter Occupied
(Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 2,226 | 62 | 18.8% | 27.6% |
| Median Rent (2018) | $513 | 51 | | |
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 2018 ACS) | 18,826 | 57 | 0.4% | 4,399,815 |
| with High School diploma or higher | 91.1% | 15 | | 88.6% |
| with B.A. or higher degree | 18.1% | 38 | | 25.9% |
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 2018 | $42,730 | 41 | 90.6% | 47,149 |
| Median Household Income in 2018 | 60,010 | 23 | 107.7% | $55,725 |
| Poverty Rate in 2018 | 8.5% | 81 | 65.4% | 13.0% |
| Poverty Rate among Children under 18 | 12.0% | 75 | 68.6% | 17.5% |
| Welfare (TANF) Monthly Average Families in 2019 | 12 | 78 | 0.2% | 5,235 |
| Food Stamp Recipients in 2019 | 1,320 | 73 | 0.2% | 581,821 |
| 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 |
| April 2020 Unemployment Rate | 16.6 | 51 | 97.1% | 17.1 |
Source: STATS Indiana, using data from the Indiana Department of Workforce Development
| Employment and Earnings by Industry, 2018 | Employment | Pct Dist.
in County | Earnings ($000) | Pct Dist.
In County | Avg. Earnings Per Job |
|---|
| Total by place of work | 14,713 | 100.0% | $663,253 | 100.0% | $45,079 |
| Wage and Salary | 11,509 | 78.2% | $460,356 | 69.4% | $40,000 |
| Farm Proprietors | 514 | 3.5% | $30,712 | 4.6% | $59,751 |
| Nonfarm Proprietors | 2,690 | 18.3% | $56,122 | 8.5% | $20,863 |
| Farm | 733 | 5.0% | $37,138 | 5.6% | $50,666 |
| Nonfarm | 13,980 | 95.0% | $626,115 | 94.4% | $44,786 |
| Private | 12,567 | 85.4% | $558,192 | 84.2% | $44,417 |
| Accommodation, Food Serv. | 644 | 4.4% | $9,908 | 1.5% | $15,385 |
| Arts, Ent., Recreation | 108 | 0.7% | $581 | 0.1% | $5,380 |
| Construction | 746 | 5.1% | $36,607 | 5.5% | $49,071 |
| Health Care, Social Serv. | 1,630 | 11.1% | $68,160 | 10.3% | $41,816 |
| Information | Data not available due to BEA non-disclosure requirements. |
| Manufacturing | 2,679 | 18.2% | $175,867 | 26.5% | $65,647 |
| Professional, Tech. Serv. | Data not available due to BEA non-disclosure requirements. |
| Retail Trade | 1,369 | 9.3% | $35,385 | 5.3% | $25,847 |
| Trans., Warehousing | 1,602 | 10.9% | $80,176 | 12.1% | $50,047 |
| Wholesale Trade | 530 | 3.6% | $38,918 | 5.9% | $73,430 |
| Other Private (not above) | 1,633* | 11.1%* | $57,041* | 8.6%* | $34,930* |
| Government | 1,413 | 9.6% | $67,923 | 10.2% | $48,070 |
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