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% | 6,813,532 |
| Tomorrow (2030 projection)* | 36,577 | 45 | 0.5% | 7,143,795 |
| Percent Change 2010 to Today | 3.4% | 22 | | 5.1% |
*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 | | 5,230 |
| Net International Migration | 3 | 59 | | 15,490 |
| Natural Increase (births minus deaths) | -19 | 28 | -1.9% | 1,024 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
| Population Estimates by Age, 2021 | Number | Rank in State | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| Preschool (0 to 4) | 1,966 | 46 | 5.7% | 6.0% |
| School Age (5 to 17) | 5,923 | 44 | 17.2% | 17.3% |
| College Age (18 to 24) | 2,565 | 53 | 7.4% | 9.7% |
| Young Adult (25 to 44) | 8,195 | 45 | 23.8% | 25.7% |
| Older Adult (45 to 64) | 9,272 | 44 | 26.9% | 24.9% |
| Seniors (65 and older) | 6,509 | 43 | 18.9% | 16.4% |
| Median Age | 41.4 | | | Median Age = 38.1 |
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; Indiana Business Research Center
| Population Estimates by Race and Hispanic Origin, 2021 | Number | Rank of | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| American Indian or Alaska Native Alone | 141 | 44 | 0.4% | 0.4% |
| Asian Alone | 186 | 50 | 0.5% | 2.7% |
| Black Alone | 220 | 62 | 0.6% | 10.2% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pac. Isl. Alone | 13 | 57 | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| White | 33,337 | 46 | 96.8% | 84.2% |
| Two or More Race Groups | 533 | 43 | 1.5% | 2.3% |
| Non-Hispanic | 33,562 | 45 | 97.5% | 92.3% |
| Hispanic | 868 | 55 | 2.5% | 7.7% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
| Household Types | Number | Rank in State | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| Households in 2021 (Includes detail not shown below) | 13,725 | 42 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Married With Children | 2,446 | 48 | 17.8% | 18.2% |
| Married Without Children | 5,129 | 39 | 37.4% | 29.8% |
| Single Parents | 1,111 | 45 | 8.1% | 9.2% |
| Living Alone | 3,327 | 50 | 24.2% | 29.1% |
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 2021 (includes vacant units) | 14,768 | 46 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
Owner Occupied
(Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 11,344 | 39 | 76.8% | 62.9% |
| Median Value (2021) | $163,800 | 23 | | |
Renter Occupied
(Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 2,381 | 58 | 16.1% | 27.2% |
| Median Rent (2021) | $619 | 30 | | |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
| Education | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| School Enrollment (2021/2022 Total Reported) | 5,759 | 43 | 0.5% | 1,120,155 |
| Public | 5,720 | 41 | 0.6% | 1,036,519 |
| Adults (25+ in 2021 ACS) | 23,707 | 45 | 0.5% | 4,501,214 |
| with High School diploma or higher | 92.1% | 16 | | 89.8% |
| with B.A. or higher degree | 23.1% | 25 | | 27.8% |
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 2021 | $53,969 | 24 | 95.5% | 56,497 |
| Median Household Income in 2021 | 64,146 | 31 | 102.3% | $62,723 |
| Poverty Rate in 2021 | 7.3% | 87 | 60.3% | 12.1% |
| Poverty Rate among Children under 18 | 9.5% | 85 | 60.5% | 15.7% |
| Welfare (TANF) Monthly Average Families in 2022 | 6 | 85 | 0.2% | 3,933 |
| Food Stamp Recipients in 2022 | 1,213 | 80 | 0.2% | 611,203 |
| Free and Reduced Fee Lunch Recipients in 2021/2022 | 1,735 | 59 | 0.4% | 481,568 |
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% | 80,851 |
| 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% | 3,355,642 |
| Employed | 16,793 | 44 | 0.5% | 3,225,060 |
| Unemployed | 460 | 50 | 0.4% | 130,582 |
| Annual Unemployment Rate | 2.7 | 63 | 69.2% | 3.9 |
| January 2023 Unemployment Rate | 2.9 | 65 | 85.3% | 3.4 |
Source: STATS Indiana, using data from the Indiana Department of Workforce Development
| Employment and Earnings by Industry, 2021 | Employment | Pct Dist.
in County | Earnings ($000) | Pct Dist.
In County | Avg. Earnings Per Job |
|---|
| Total by place of work | 17,786 | 100.0% | $1,026,187 | 100.0% | $57,696 |
| Wage and Salary | 13,785 | 77.5% | $730,617 | 71.2% | $53,001 |
| Farm Proprietors | 579 | 3.3% | $35,245 | 3.4% | $60,872 |
| Nonfarm Proprietors | 3,422 | 19.2% | $81,334 | 7.9% | $23,768 |
| Farm | 675 | 3.8% | $37,640 | 3.7% | $55,763 |
| Nonfarm | 17,111 | 96.2% | $988,547 | 96.3% | $57,773 |
| Private | 15,574 | 87.6% | $898,924 | 87.6% | $57,720 |
| Accommodation, Food Serv. | 980 | 5.5% | $18,099 | 1.8% | $18,468 |
| Arts, Ent., Recreation | 219 | 1.2% | $2,303 | 0.2% | $10,516 |
| Construction | 989 | 5.6% | $61,854 | 6.0% | $62,542 |
| Health Care, Social Serv. | 1,148 | 6.5% | $58,533 | 5.7% | $50,987 |
| Information | 114 | 0.6% | $6,452 | 0.6% | $56,596 |
| Manufacturing | 5,781 | 32.5% | $476,614 | 46.4% | $82,445 |
| Professional, Tech. Serv. | Data not available due to BEA non-disclosure requirements. |
| Retail Trade | 1,649 | 9.3% | $59,892 | 5.8% | $36,320 |
| Trans., Warehousing | Data not available due to BEA non-disclosure requirements. |
| Wholesale Trade | 574 | 3.2% | $49,313 | 4.8% | $85,911 |
| Other Private (not above) | 2,957* | 16.6%* | $109,493* | 10.7%* | $37,028* |
| Government | 1,537 | 8.6% | $89,623 | 8.7% | $58,310 |
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