Whitley County, Indiana
Named for Colonel William Whitley, fallen hero of the War of 1812
County Seat: Columbia City
Largest City: Columbia City (2018 population: 9,155)
Population per Square Mile: 101.53
Square Miles: 335.60
Go to county's in.gov site
| Population over Time | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Yesterday (2010) | 33,290 | 49 | 0.5% | 6,484,061 |
| Today (2018) | 34,074 | 47 | 0.5% | 6,695,497 |
| Tomorrow (2030 projection)* | 36,577 | 45 | 0.5% | 7,143,795 |
| Percent Change 2010 to Today | 2.4% | 24 | | 3.3% |
*Projection based on 2010 Census counts.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; Indiana Business Research Center
| Components of Population Change, 2017-2018 | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Net Domestic Migration | 201 | 13 | | 4,044 |
| Net International Migration | 10 | 46 | | 14,959 |
| Natural Increase (births minus deaths) | 91 | 28 | 0.5% | 18,568 |
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) | 2,074 | 46 | 6.1% | 6.3% |
| School Age (5 to 17) | 5,825 | 45 | 17.1% | 17.2% |
| College Age (18 to 24) | 2,546 | 52 | 7.5% | 9.8% |
| Young Adult (25 to 44) | 8,068 | 45 | 23.7% | 25.4% |
| Older Adult (45 to 64) | 9,437 | 44 | 27.7% | 25.6% |
| Seniors (65 and older) | 6,124 | 47 | 18.0% | 15.8% |
| Median Age | 41.4 | | | 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 | 147 | 41 | 0.4% | 0.4% |
| Asian Alone | 195 | 47 | 0.6% | 2.5% |
| Black Alone | 155 | 69 | 0.5% | 9.8% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pac. Isl. Alone | 14 | 49 | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| White | 33,128 | 46 | 97.2% | 85.1% |
| Two or More Race Groups | 435 | 45 | 1.3% | 2.1% |
| Non-Hispanic | 33,325 | 45 | 97.8% | 92.9% |
| Hispanic | 749 | 58 | 2.2% | 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) | 13,548 | 44 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Married With Children | 2,614 | 45 | 19.3% | 18.6% |
| Married Without Children | 5,211 | 39 | 38.5% | 29.9% |
| Single Parents | 1,090 | 44 | 8.0% | 9.5% |
| Living Alone | 3,284 | 49 | 24.2% | 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 2018 (estimate) | 14,887 | 48 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Total Housing Units in 2018 (includes vacant units) | 14,672 | 48 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
Owner Occupied
(Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 11,266 | 38 | 76.8% | 61.3% |
| Median Value (2018) | $138,700 | 26 | | |
Renter Occupied
(Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 2,282 | 61 | 15.6% | 27.6% |
| Median Rent (2018) | $503 | 61 | | |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
| Education | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| School Enrollment (2018/2019 Total Reported) | 4,787 | 55 | 0.4% | 1,117,590 |
| Public | 4,787 | 53 | 0.5% | 1,054,903 |
| Adults (25+ in 2018 ACS) | 23,262 | 45 | 0.5% | 4,399,815 |
| with High School diploma or higher | 92.7% | 8 | | 88.6% |
| with B.A. or higher degree | 20.9% | 25 | | 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 | $44,528 | 27 | 94.4% | 47,149 |
| Median Household Income in 2018 | 67,758 | 9 | 121.6% | $55,725 |
| Poverty Rate in 2018 | 7.1% | 87 | 54.6% | 13.0% |
| Poverty Rate among Children under 18 | 9.5% | 86 | 54.3% | 17.5% |
| Welfare (TANF) Monthly Average Families in 2018 | 13 | 80 | 0.2% | 6,032 |
| Food Stamp Recipients in 2018 | 1,366 | 72 | 0.2% | 605,854 |
| Free and Reduced Fee Lunch Recipients in 2018/2019 | 1,449 | 68 | 0.3% | 514,915 |
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, 2018 | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Total Resident Labor Force | 17,645 | 45 | 0.5% | 3,381,713 |
| Employed | 17,141 | 45 | 0.5% | 3,265,580 |
| Unemployed | 504 | 52 | 0.4% | 116,133 |
| Annual Unemployment Rate | 2.9 | 69 | 85.3% | 3.4 |
| December 2019 Unemployment Rate | 2.5 | 70 | 83.3% | 3.0 |
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 | 17,488 | 100.0% | $821,428 | 100.0% | $46,971 |
| Wage and Salary | 13,438 | 76.8% | $591,762 | 72.0% | $44,036 |
| Farm Proprietors | 607 | 3.5% | $6,535 | 0.8% | $10,766 |
| Nonfarm Proprietors | 3,443 | 19.7% | $69,770 | 8.5% | $20,264 |
| Farm | 738 | 4.2% | $9,958 | 1.2% | $13,493 |
| Nonfarm | 16,750 | 95.8% | $811,470 | 98.8% | $48,446 |
| Private | 15,157 | 86.7% | $733,825 | 89.3% | $48,415 |
| Accommodation, Food Serv. | 958 | 5.5% | $15,247 | 1.9% | $15,915 |
| Arts, Ent., Recreation | 191 | 1.1% | $1,457 | 0.2% | $7,628 |
| Construction | 929 | 5.3% | $57,368 | 7.0% | $61,752 |
| Health Care, Social Serv. | 1,186 | 6.8% | $47,883 | 5.8% | $40,374 |
| Information | 155 | 0.9% | $7,509 | 0.9% | $48,445 |
| Manufacturing | 5,474 | 31.3% | $387,311 | 47.2% | $70,755 |
| Professional, Tech. Serv. | Data not available due to BEA non-disclosure requirements. |
| Retail Trade | 1,669 | 9.5% | $46,780 | 5.7% | $28,029 |
| Trans., Warehousing | Data not available due to BEA non-disclosure requirements. |
| Wholesale Trade | 515 | 2.9% | $32,377 | 3.9% | $62,868 |
| Other Private (not above) | 1,664* | 9.5%* | $47,794* | 5.8%* | $28,722* |
| Government | 1,593 | 9.1% | $77,645 | 9.5% | $48,741 |
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, 2018 | Units | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State | Cost ($000) | State Cost ($000) |
|---|
| Total Permits Filed | 184 | 100.0% | 100.0% | $33,992 | $4,879,857 |
| Single-Family | 133 | 72.3% | 76.4% | $30,097 | $4,269,197 |
| 2-Family | 4 | 2.2% | 2.0% | 280 | $49,353 |
| 3- and 4-Family | 0 | 0.0% | 0.2% | $0 | $6,163 |
| 5+ Family | 47 | 25.5% | 21.4% | $3,615 | $555,144 |
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 2018 | Percent of County |
|---|
| Churubusco | 1,863 | 5.5% |
| Columbia City | 9,155 | 26.9% |
| Larwill | 287 | 0.8% |
| South Whitley | 1,759 | 5.2% |
Hoosiers by the Numbers