Whitley County, Indiana
Named for Colonel William Whitley, fallen hero of the War of 1812
County Seat: Columbia City
Largest City: Columbia City (2020 population: 9,416)
Population per Square Mile: 102.44
Square Miles: 335.60
Go to county's in.gov site
| Population over Time | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Yesterday (2010) | 33,287 | 49 | 0.5% | 6,484,050 |
| Today (2020) | 34,378 | 47 | 0.5% | 6,754,953 |
| Tomorrow (2030 projection)* | 36,577 | 45 | 0.5% | 7,143,795 |
| Percent Change 2010 to Today | 3.3% | 23 | | 4.2% |
*Projection based on 2010 Census counts.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; Indiana Business Research Center
| Components of Population Change, 2019-2020 | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Net Domestic Migration | 488 | 10 | | 1,323 |
| Net International Migration | 9 | 54 | | 8,743 |
| Natural Increase (births minus deaths) | 17 | 37 | 0.1% | 13,740 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
| Population Estimates by Age, 2020 | Number | Rank in State | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| Preschool (0 to 4) | 1,989 | 47 | 5.8% | 6.1% |
| School Age (5 to 17) | 5,825 | 45 | 16.9% | 17.0% |
| College Age (18 to 24) | 2,573 | 53 | 7.5% | 9.7% |
| Young Adult (25 to 44) | 8,151 | 46 | 23.7% | 25.7% |
| Older Adult (45 to 64) | 9,352 | 43 | 27.2% | 24.9% |
| Seniors (65 and older) | 6,488 | 46 | 18.9% | 16.5% |
| Median Age | 41.6 | | | Median Age = 38.0 |
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; Indiana Business Research Center
| Population Estimates by Race and Hispanic Origin, 2020 | Number | Rank of | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| American Indian or Alaska Native Alone | 137 | 46 | 0.4% | 0.4% |
| Asian Alone | 182 | 51 | 0.5% | 2.7% |
| Black Alone | 204 | 63 | 0.6% | 10.1% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pac. Isl. Alone | 14 | 54 | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| White | 33,355 | 46 | 97.0% | 84.5% |
| Two or More Race Groups | 486 | 43 | 1.4% | 2.2% |
| Non-Hispanic | 33,579 | 45 | 97.7% | 92.6% |
| Hispanic | 799 | 56 | 2.3% | 7.4% |
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) | 13,742 | 43 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Married With Children | 2,698 | 42 | 19.6% | 18.5% |
| Married Without Children | 5,026 | 41 | 36.6% | 29.7% |
| Single Parents | 1,149 | 41 | 8.4% | 9.3% |
| Living Alone | 3,499 | 46 | 25.5% | 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 2020 (estimate) | 15,152 | 48 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Total Housing Units in 2019 (includes vacant units) | 14,789 | 48 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
Owner Occupied
(Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 11,293 | 38 | 76.4% | 61.5% |
| Median Value (2019) | $143,100 | 27 | | |
Renter Occupied
(Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 2,449 | 57 | 16.6% | 27.5% |
| Median Rent (2019) | $521 | 50 | | |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
| Education | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| School Enrollment (2020/2021 Total Reported) | 4,756 | 54 | 0.4% | 1,112,460 |
| Public | 4,724 | 53 | 0.5% | 1,033,286 |
| Adults (25+ in 2019 ACS) | 23,372 | 45 | 0.5% | 4,430,493 |
| with High School diploma or higher | 91.8% | 14 | | 88.8% |
| with B.A. or higher degree | 20.7% | 29 | | 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 | $46,555 | 24 | 95.6% | 48,678 |
| Median Household Income in 2019 | 67,347 | 13 | 116.9% | $57,617 |
| Poverty Rate in 2019 | 7.7% | 83 | 64.7% | 11.9% |
| Poverty Rate among Children under 18 | 9.4% | 84 | 62.3% | 15.1% |
| Welfare (TANF) Monthly Average Families in 2020 | 10 | 86 | 0.2% | 6,657 |
| Food Stamp Recipients in 2020 | 1,464 | 76 | 0.2% | 659,095 |
| Free and Reduced Fee Lunch Recipients in 2019/2020 | 1,442 | 68 | 0.3% | 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 | 412 | 46 | 0.5% | 82,170 |
| Births to Teens, 2017 | 12 | 74 | 0.2% | 5,152 |
| Deaths, 2017 | 331 | 53 | 0.5% | 65,602 |
Source: Indiana State Department of Health
| Labor Force, 2020 | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Total Resident Labor Force | 17,155 | 45 | 0.5% | 3,319,010 |
| Employed | 16,139 | 45 | 0.5% | 3,082,982 |
| Unemployed | 1,016 | 50 | 0.4% | 236,028 |
| Annual Unemployment Rate | 5.9 | 67 | 83.1% | 7.1 |
| August 2021 Unemployment Rate | 4.0 | 23 | 100.0% | 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 | 17,820 | 100.0% | $879,940 | 100.0% | $49,379 |
| Wage and Salary | 13,765 | 77.2% | $629,935 | 71.6% | $45,764 |
| Farm Proprietors | 589 | 3.3% | $14,898 | 1.7% | $25,294 |
| Nonfarm Proprietors | 3,466 | 19.5% | $74,284 | 8.4% | $21,432 |
| Farm | 704 | 4.0% | $17,661 | 2.0% | $25,087 |
| Nonfarm | 17,116 | 96.0% | $862,279 | 98.0% | $50,379 |
| Private | 15,533 | 87.2% | $778,324 | 88.5% | $50,108 |
| Accommodation, Food Serv. | 1,000 | 5.6% | $16,300 | 1.9% | $16,300 |
| Arts, Ent., Recreation | 218 | 1.2% | $1,516 | 0.2% | $6,954 |
| Construction | 951 | 5.3% | $60,277 | 6.9% | $63,383 |
| Health Care, Social Serv. | Data not available due to BEA non-disclosure requirements. |
| Information | Data not available due to BEA non-disclosure requirements. |
| Manufacturing | 5,662 | 31.8% | $413,971 | 47.0% | $73,114 |
| Professional, Tech. Serv. | Data not available due to BEA non-disclosure requirements. |
| Retail Trade | 1,639 | 9.2% | $49,584 | 5.6% | $30,253 |
| Trans., Warehousing | Data not available due to BEA non-disclosure requirements. |
| Wholesale Trade | Data not available due to BEA non-disclosure requirements. |
| Other Private (not above) | 2,274* | 12.8%* | $75,079* | 8.5%* | $33,016* |
| Government | 1,583 | 8.9% | $83,955 | 9.5% | $53,035 |
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, 2020 | Units | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State | Cost ($000) | State Cost ($000) |
|---|
| Total Permits Filed | 92 | 100.0% | 100.0% | $26,823 | $5,872,297 |
| Single-Family | 92 | 100.0% | 76.2% | $26,823 | $5,209,930 |
| 2-Family | 0 | 0.0% | 2.5% | 0 | $83,895 |
| 3- and 4-Family | 0 | 0.0% | 0.8% | $0 | $25,965 |
| 5+ Family | 0 | 0.0% | 20.6% | $0 | $552,508 |
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 Whitley County
| Name | Population
in 2020 | Percent of County |
|---|
| Churubusco | 1,999 | 5.8% |
| Columbia City | 9,416 | 27.4% |
| Larwill | 288 | 0.8% |
| South Whitley | 1,745 | 5.1% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau annual population estimates
Hoosiers by the Numbers