Whitley County, Indiana
Named for Colonel William Whitley, fallen hero of the War of 1812
County Seat: Columbia City
Largest City: Columbia City (2021 population: 9,990)
Population per Square Mile: 102.59
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 (2021) | 34,430 | 47 | 0.5% | 6,805,985 |
| Tomorrow (2030 projection)* | 36,577 | 45 | 0.5% | 7,143,795 |
| Percent Change 2010 to Today | 3.4% | 22 | | 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 | 128 | 38 | | 14,280 |
| Net International Migration | 3 | 59 | | 4,756 |
| Natural Increase (births minus deaths) | -19 | 28 | -2.7% | 692 |
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 2020 (Includes detail not shown below) | 13,822 | 43 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Married With Children | 2,478 | 46 | 17.9% | 18.3% |
| Married Without Children | 5,204 | 38 | 37.7% | 29.8% |
| Single Parents | 1,211 | 41 | 8.8% | 9.3% |
| Living Alone | 3,330 | 50 | 24.1% | 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) | 14,938 | 45 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Total Housing Units in 2020 (includes vacant units) | 14,911 | 48 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
Owner Occupied
(Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 11,258 | 40 | 75.5% | 62.3% |
| Median Value (2020) | $151,900 | 25 | | |
Renter Occupied
(Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 2,564 | 56 | 17.2% | 27.4% |
| Median Rent (2020) | $598 | 30 | | |
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 2020 ACS) | 23,594 | 45 | 0.5% | 4,466,180 |
| with High School diploma or higher | 91.4% | 18 | | 89.3% |
| with B.A. or higher degree | 22.4% | 26 | | 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 2020 | $49,256 | 25 | 94.9% | 51,926 |
| 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 2021 | 11 | 82 | 0.2% | 6,453 |
| Food Stamp Recipients in 2021 | 1,473 | 74 | 0.2% | 636,675 |
| 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, 2019 | 377 | 50 | 0.5% | 80,859 |
| Births to Teens, 2017 | 12 | 74 | 0.2% | 5,152 |
| Deaths, 2019 | 344 | 47 | 0.5% | 66,005 |
Source: Indiana State Department of Health
| Labor Force, 2021 | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Total Resident Labor Force | 17,253 | 44 | 0.5% | 3,321,548 |
| Employed | 16,793 | 44 | 0.5% | 3,203,166 |
| Unemployed | 460 | 50 | 0.4% | 118,382 |
| Annual Unemployment Rate | 2.7 | 63 | 75.0% | 3.6 |
| May 2022 Unemployment Rate | 2.0 | 72 | 80.0% | 2.5 |
Source: STATS Indiana, using data from the Indiana Department of Workforce Development
| Employment and Earnings by Industry, 2020 | Employment | Pct Dist.
in County | Earnings ($000) | Pct Dist.
In County | Avg. Earnings Per Job |
|---|
| Total by place of work | 17,123 | 100.0% | $926,716 | 100.0% | $54,121 |
| Wage and Salary | 13,444 | 78.5% | $645,414 | 69.6% | $48,008 |
| Farm Proprietors | 583 | 3.4% | $30,994 | 3.3% | $53,163 |
| Nonfarm Proprietors | 3,096 | 18.1% | $83,164 | 9.0% | $26,862 |
| Farm | 687 | 4.0% | $33,562 | 3.6% | $48,853 |
| Nonfarm | 16,436 | 96.0% | $893,154 | 96.4% | $54,341 |
| Private | 14,897 | 87.0% | $807,508 | 87.1% | $54,206 |
| Accommodation, Food Serv. | Data not available due to BEA non-disclosure requirements. |
| Arts, Ent., Recreation | Data not available due to BEA non-disclosure requirements. |
| Construction | 960 | 5.6% | $64,893 | 7.0% | $67,597 |
| Health Care, Social Serv. | Data not available due to BEA non-disclosure requirements. |
| Information | Data not available due to BEA non-disclosure requirements. |
| Manufacturing | 5,453 | 31.8% | $422,729 | 45.6% | $77,522 |
| Professional, Tech. Serv. | Data not available due to BEA non-disclosure requirements. |
| Retail Trade | 1,735 | 10.1% | $57,158 | 6.2% | $32,944 |
| 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) | 1,551* | 9.1%* | $50,866* | 5.5%* | $32,796* |
| Government | 1,539 | 9.0% | $85,646 | 9.2% | $55,650 |
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 | 115 | 100.0% | 100.0% | $35,060 | $7,583,249 |
| Single-Family | 111 | 96.5% | 74.4% | $34,310 | $6,692,956 |
| 2-Family | 4 | 3.5% | 2.4% | 750 | $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 Whitley County
| Name | Population
in 2021 | Percent of County |
|---|
| Churubusco | 1,868 | 5.4% |
| Columbia City | 9,990 | 29.0% |
| Larwill | 273 | 0.8% |
| South Whitley | 1,816 | 5.3% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau annual population estimates
Hoosiers by the Numbers