Starke County, Indiana
Formed in 1850 and named after Revolutionary War General John Stark
County Seat: Knox
Largest City: Knox (2021 population: 3,585)
Population per Square Mile: 75.61
Square Miles: 309.10
Go to county's in.gov site
| Population over Time | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Yesterday (2010) | 23,362 | 66 | 0.4% | 6,484,050 |
| Today (2021) | 23,372 | 65 | 0.3% | 6,813,532 |
| Tomorrow (2030 projection)* | 22,719 | 66 | 0.3% | 7,143,795 |
| Percent Change 2010 to Today | 0.0% | 41 | | 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 | 87 | 44 | | 5,230 |
| Net International Migration | 2 | 64 | | 15,490 |
| Natural Increase (births minus deaths) | -75 | 58 | -7.3% | 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) | 1,351 | 64 | 5.8% | 6.0% |
| School Age (5 to 17) | 4,033 | 65 | 17.3% | 17.3% |
| College Age (18 to 24) | 1,693 | 66 | 7.2% | 9.7% |
| Young Adult (25 to 44) | 5,410 | 66 | 23.1% | 25.7% |
| Older Adult (45 to 64) | 6,323 | 66 | 27.1% | 24.9% |
| Seniors (65 and older) | 4,562 | 64 | 19.5% | 16.4% |
| Median Age | 42.2 | | | 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 | 120 | 56 | 0.5% | 0.4% |
| Asian Alone | 65 | 79 | 0.3% | 2.7% |
| Black Alone | 144 | 75 | 0.6% | 10.2% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pac. Isl. Alone | 0 | 92 | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| White | 22,742 | 65 | 97.3% | 84.2% |
| Two or More Race Groups | 301 | 64 | 1.3% | 2.3% |
| Non-Hispanic | 22,336 | 67 | 95.6% | 92.3% |
| Hispanic | 1,036 | 49 | 4.4% | 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) | 8,474 | 67 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Married With Children | 1,400 | 67 | 16.5% | 18.2% |
| Married Without Children | 2,967 | 69 | 35.0% | 29.8% |
| Single Parents | 680 | 69 | 8.0% | 9.2% |
| Living Alone | 2,283 | 69 | 26.9% | 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) | 11,190 | 63 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Total Housing Units in 2021 (includes vacant units) | 11,114 | 63 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
Owner Occupied
(Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 7,057 | 65 | 63.5% | 62.9% |
| Median Value (2021) | $118,600 | 62 | | |
Renter Occupied
(Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 1,417 | 78 | 12.7% | 27.2% |
| Median Rent (2021) | $491 | 78 | | |
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) | 3,290 | 67 | 0.3% | 1,120,155 |
| Public | 3,143 | 67 | 0.3% | 1,036,519 |
| Adults (25+ in 2021 ACS) | 16,055 | 66 | 0.4% | 4,501,214 |
| with High School diploma or higher | 85.6% | 80 | | 89.8% |
| with B.A. or higher degree | 11.9% | 88 | | 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 | $42,083 | 90 | 74.5% | 56,497 |
| Median Household Income in 2021 | 57,994 | 59 | 92.5% | $62,723 |
| Poverty Rate in 2021 | 14.2% | 19 | 117.4% | 12.1% |
| Poverty Rate among Children under 18 | 20.8% | 15 | 132.5% | 15.7% |
| Welfare (TANF) Monthly Average Families in 2022 | 12 | 61 | 0.3% | 3,933 |
| Food Stamp Recipients in 2022 | 2,601 | 40 | 0.4% | 611,203 |
| Free and Reduced Fee Lunch Recipients in 2021/2022 | 1,692 | 61 | 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 | 265 | 64 | 0.3% | 80,851 |
| Births to Teens, 2017 | 16 | 68 | 0.3% | 5,152 |
| Deaths, 2019 | 284 | 64 | 0.4% | 66,005 |
Source: Indiana State Department of Health
| Labor Force, 2021 | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Total Resident Labor Force | 9,555 | 67 | 0.3% | 3,355,642 |
| Employed | 9,142 | 68 | 0.3% | 3,225,060 |
| Unemployed | 413 | 55 | 0.3% | 130,582 |
| Annual Unemployment Rate | 4.3 | 7 | 110.3% | 3.9 |
| January 2023 Unemployment Rate | 5.0 | 3 | 147.1% | 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 | 6,667 | 100.0% | $293,163 | 100.0% | $43,972 |
| Wage and Salary | 4,416 | 66.2% | $175,396 | 59.8% | $39,718 |
| Farm Proprietors | 417 | 6.3% | $27,109 | 9.2% | $65,010 |
| Nonfarm Proprietors | 1,834 | 27.5% | $43,850 | 15.0% | $23,909 |
| Farm | 480 | 7.2% | $29,006 | 9.9% | $60,429 |
| Nonfarm | 6,187 | 92.8% | $264,157 | 90.1% | $42,695 |
| Private | 5,224 | 78.4% | $214,774 | 73.3% | $41,113 |
| Accommodation, Food Serv. | 450 | 6.7% | $8,067 | 2.8% | $17,927 |
| Arts, Ent., Recreation | 73 | 1.1% | $1,001 | 0.3% | $13,712 |
| Construction | 381 | 5.7% | $15,588 | 5.3% | $40,913 |
| Health Care, Social Serv. | Data not available due to BEA non-disclosure requirements. |
| Information | 49 | 0.7% | $3,116 | 1.1% | $63,592 |
| Manufacturing | 629 | 9.4% | $41,641 | 14.2% | $66,202 |
| Professional, Tech. Serv. | 162 | 2.4% | $5,660 | 1.9% | $34,938 |
| Retail Trade | 774 | 11.6% | $22,101 | 7.5% | $28,554 |
| Trans., Warehousing | 242 | 3.6% | $16,553 | 5.6% | $68,401 |
| Wholesale Trade | 121 | 1.8% | $7,100 | 2.4% | $58,678 |
| Other Private (not above) | 1,729* | 25.9%* | $64,995* | 22.2%* | $37,591* |
| Government | 963 | 14.4% | $49,383 | 16.8% | $51,280 |
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, 2021 | Units | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State | Cost ($000) | State Cost ($000) |
|---|
| Total Permits Filed | 80 | 100.0% | 100.0% | $13,390 | $7,583,249 |
| Single-Family | 80 | 100.0% | 74.4% | $13,390 | $6,692,956 |
| 2-Family | 0 | 0.0% | 2.4% | 0 | $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 Starke County
| Name | Population
in 2021 | Percent of County |
|---|
| Hamlet | 765 | 3.3% |
| Knox | 3,585 | 15.3% |
| North Judson | 1,854 | 7.9% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau annual population estimates
Hoosiers by the Numbers