Whitley County, Indiana
Named for Colonel William Whitley, fallen hero of the War of 1812
County Seat: Columbia City
Largest City: Columbia City (2017 population: 9,044)
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% | 6,484,192 |
| Today (2018) | 34,074 | 47 | 0.5% | 6,691,878 |
| Tomorrow (2020 projection)* | 35,333 | 47 | 0.5% | 6,852,121 |
| Percent Change 2010 to Today | 2.4% | 24 | | 3.2% |
*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 | | 3,555 |
| Net International Migration | 10 | 46 | | 9,227 |
| Natural Increase (births minus deaths) | 91 | 28 | 0.5% | 19,211 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
| Population Estimates by Age, 2017 | Number | Rank in State | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| Preschool (0 to 4) | 1,999 | 47 | 5.9% | 6.3% |
| School Age (5 to 17) | 5,769 | 47 | 17.1% | 17.3% |
| College Age (18 to 24) | 2,574 | 53 | 7.6% | 9.9% |
| Young Adult (25 to 44) | 7,992 | 46 | 23.7% | 25.3% |
| Older Adult (45 to 64) | 9,514 | 45 | 28.2% | 25.9% |
| Seniors (65 and older) | 5,908 | 47 | 17.5% | 15.4% |
| Median Age | 41.4 | | | Median Age = 37.7 |
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; Indiana Business Research Center
| Population Estimates by Race and Hispanic Origin, 2017 | Number | Rank of | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| American Indian or Alaska Native Alone | 138 | 41 | 0.4% | 0.4% |
| Asian Alone | 165 | 55 | 0.5% | 2.4% |
| Black Alone | 139 | 70 | 0.4% | 9.7% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pac. Isl. Alone | 12 | 54 | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| White | 32,896 | 46 | 97.5% | 85.4% |
| Two or More Race Groups | 406 | 45 | 1.2% | 2.1% |
| Non-Hispanic | 33,077 | 46 | 98.0% | 93.0% |
| Hispanic | 679 | 59 | 2.0% | 7.0% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
| Household Types | Number | Rank in State | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| Households in 2017 (Includes detail not shown below) | 13,469 | 43 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Married With Children | 2,634 | 46 | 19.6% | 18.8% |
| Married Without Children | 5,154 | 40 | 38.3% | 30.0% |
| Single Parents | 1,009 | 50 | 7.5% | 9.6% |
| Living Alone | 3,345 | 48 | 24.8% | 28.3% |
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 2017 (estimate) | 14,769 | 48 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Total Housing Units in 2017 (includes vacant units) | 14,596 | 47 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
Owner Occupied
(Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 10,711 | 42 | 73.4% | 61.2% |
| Median Value (2017) | $131,600 | 26 | | |
Renter Occupied
(Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 2,758 | 54 | 18.9% | 27.7% |
| Median Rent (2017) | $462 | 74 | | |
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 2017 ACS) | 23,080 | 45 | 0.5% | 4,369,451 |
| with High School diploma or higher | 91.1% | 12 | | 88.3% |
| with B.A. or higher degree | 19.5% | 31 | | 25.3% |
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 2017 | $42,715 | 25 | 94.6% | 45,150 |
| Median Household Income in 2017 | 60,126 | 18 | 111.1% | $54,134 |
| Poverty Rate in 2017 | 8.5% | 84 | 63.9% | 13.3% |
| Poverty Rate among Children under 18 | 10.4% | 86 | 58.4% | 17.8% |
| 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, 2016 | 306 | 58 | 0.5% | 63,492 |
Source: Indiana State Department of Health
| Labor Force, 2017 | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Total Resident Labor Force | 17,198 | 46 | 0.5% | 3,336,655 |
| Employed | 16,695 | 46 | 0.5% | 3,218,115 |
| Unemployed | 503 | 54 | 0.4% | 118,540 |
| Annual Unemployment Rate | 2.9 | 77 | 80.6% | 3.6 |
| February 2019 Unemployment Rate | 3.6 | 64 | 87.8% | 4.1 |
Source: STATS Indiana, using data from the Indiana Department of Workforce Development
| Employment and Earnings by Industry, 2017 | Employment | Pct Dist.
in County | Earnings ($000) | Pct Dist.
In County | Avg. Earnings Per Job |
|---|
| Total by place of work | 17,019 | 100.0% | $776,738 | 100.0% | $45,639 |
| Wage and Salary | 13,024 | 76.5% | $553,737 | 71.3% | $42,517 |
| Farm Proprietors | 617 | 3.6% | $4,467 | 0.6% | $7,240 |
| Nonfarm Proprietors | 3,378 | 19.8% | $68,510 | 8.8% | $20,281 |
| Farm | 726 | 4.3% | $7,160 | 0.9% | $9,862 |
| Nonfarm | 16,293 | 95.7% | $769,578 | 99.1% | $47,234 |
| Private | 14,699 | 86.4% | $694,214 | 89.4% | $47,229 |
| Accommodation, Food Serv. | 958 | 5.6% | $15,048 | 1.9% | $15,708 |
| Arts, Ent., Recreation | 205 | 1.2% | $1,822 | 0.2% | $8,888 |
| Construction | 916 | 5.4% | $53,933 | 6.9% | $58,879 |
| Health Care, Social Serv. | 1,155 | 6.8% | $47,713 | 6.1% | $41,310 |
| Information | 150 | 0.9% | $8,265 | 1.1% | $55,100 |
| Manufacturing | 5,230 | 30.7% | $360,048 | 46.4% | $68,843 |
| Professional, Tech. Serv. | 390 | 2.3% | $7,616 | 1.0% | $19,528 |
| Retail Trade | 1,596 | 9.4% | $43,761 | 5.6% | $27,419 |
| Trans., Warehousing | Data not available due to BEA non-disclosure requirements. |
| Wholesale Trade | 521 | 3.1% | $31,959 | 4.1% | $61,342 |
| Other Private (not above) | 3,030* | 17.8%* | $91,058* | 11.7%* | $30,052* |
| Government | 1,594 | 9.4% | $75,364 | 9.7% | $47,280 |
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, 2017 | Units | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State | Cost ($000) | State Cost ($000) |
|---|
| Total Permits Filed | 136 | 100.0% | 100.0% | $27,218 | $4,583,500 |
| Single-Family | 118 | 86.8% | 74.2% | $26,768 | $4,038,599 |
| 2-Family | 0 | 0.0% | 2.0% | 0 | $62,844 |
| 3- and 4-Family | 0 | 0.0% | 0.4% | $0 | $13,000 |
| 5+ Family | 18 | 13.2% | 23.4% | $450 | $469,056 |
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 2017 | Percent of County |
|---|
| Churubusco | 1,823 | 5.4% |
| Columbia City | 9,044 | 26.5% |
| Larwill | 284 | 0.8% |
| South Whitley | 1,750 | 5.1% |
Hoosiers by the Numbers