IN Depth Regional Profile

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Region:

Economic Growth Region 3

Counties include: Adams, Allen, DeKalb, Grant, Huntington, LaGrange, Noble, Steuben, Wabash, Wells, Whitley

Largest City: Fort Wayne (2024 population: 273,203)

Population per Square Mile: 184.4

Square Miles: 4,371.3

Population over Time	Number	Rank in State	Percent of State	Indiana
Yesterday (2020)	783,505	4	11.5%	6,785,528
Today (2025)	805,945	4	11.6%	6,973,333
Tomorrow (2030 projection)*	813,571	4	11.6%	7,013,509
Percent Change 2020 to Today	2.9%	3		2.8%

*Projection based on 2020 Census population estimates.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; Indiana Business Research Center

Components of Population Change, 2024-2025	Number	Rank of 12	Percent of State	Indiana
Net Domestic Migration	1,161	4		12,197
Net International Migration	1,183	5		17,852
Natural Increase (births minus deaths)	2,041	3	23.8%	8,561

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Population Estimates by Age, 2024	Number	Rank of 12	Pct Dist. in Region	Pct Dist. in State
Preschool (0 to 4)	51,486	3	6.4%	5.9%
School Age (5 to 17)	144,846	4	18.1%	17.0%
College Age (18 to 24)	73,328	3	9.1%	9.7%
Young Adult (25 to 44)	202,045	4	25.2%	25.9%
Older Adult (45 to 64)	187,217	4	23.3%	23.9%
Seniors (65 and older)	142,944	3	17.8%	17.5%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; Indiana Business Research Center

Population Estimates by Race and Hispanic Origin, 2024	Number	Rank of 12	Pct Dist. in Region	Pct Dist. in State
American Indian or Alaska Native Alone	4,016	5	0.5%	0.5%
Asian Alone	27,152	3	3.4%	3.1%
Black Alone	56,697	4	7.1%	10.6%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pac. Isl. Alone	737	3	0.1%	0.1%
White	692,227	2	86.3%	83.2%
Two or More Race Groups	21,037	3	2.6%	2.5%
Hispanic or Latino Origin (can be of any race)
Non-Hispanic	742,664	3	92.6%	90.9%
Hispanic	59,202	5	7.4%	9.1%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Household Types	Number	Rank of 12	Pct Dist. in Region	Pct Dist. in State
Households in 2024 (includes detail not shown below)	311,626	2	100.0%	100.0%
Married With Children	59,269	5	19.0%	17.9%
Married Without Children	93,316	1	29.9%	29.3%
Single Parents	27,918	1	9.0%	8.8%
Living Alone	90,382	2	29.0%	29.6%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

Housing	Number	Rank of 12	Pct Dist. in Region	Pct Dist. in State
Total Housing Units in 2024 (estimate)	345,735	4	100.0%	100.0%
Total Housing Units in 2024 (includes vacant units)	340,054	4	100.0%	100.0%
Owner Occupied (Pct. distribution based on all housing units)	229,909	3	67.6%	64.4%
Renter Occupied (Pct. distribution based on all housing units)	81,717	4	24.0%	26.9%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

Education	Number	Rank of 12	Percent of State	Indiana
School Enrollment (2024/2025 Total Reported)	126,070	4	11.1%	1,132,621
Public	111,695	4	10.8%	1,033,552

Sources: Indiana Department of Education; U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

Income and Poverty	Number	Rank of 12	Percent of State	Indiana
Per Capita Personal Income (annual) in 2023	$57,101	4	93.2%	$61,243
Welfare (TANF) Monthly Average Families in 2025	472	3	9.7%	4,863
Food Stamp Recipients in 2025	62,497	3	10.8%	578,293
Free and Reduced Fee Lunch Recipients in 2024/2025	53,996	4	11.1%	488,145

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 12	Percent of State	Indiana
Births, 2021	10,353	3	12.9%	79,946
Births to Teens, 2021	456	2	11.9%	3,845
Deaths, 2019	7,824	4	11.9%	66,005

Source: Indiana State Department of Health

Labor Force, 2024	Number	Rank of 12	Percent of State	Indiana
Total Resident Labor Force	392,888	4	11.3%	3,472,118
Employed	377,083	4	11.3%	3,332,175
Unemployed	15,805	4	11.3%	139,943
Annual Unemployment Rate	4.0	7	100.0%	4.0
January 2026 Unemployment Rate	3.6	2	109.1%	3.3

Source: STATS Indiana, using data from the Indiana Department of Workforce Development

Employment and Earnings by Industry, 2023	Employment	Pct Dist. in Region	Earnings ($000)	Pct Dist. In Region	Avg. Earnings Per Job
Total by place of work	487,715	100.0%	$31,142,817	100.0%	$63,855
Wage and Salary	384,298	78.8%	$21,949,737	70.5%	$57,116
Farm Proprietors	9,227	1.9%	$554,717	1.8%	$60,119
Nonfarm Proprietors	94,190	19.3%	$3,830,059	12.3%	$40,663
Farm	10,751	2.2%	$649,429	2.1%	$60,406
Nonfarm	476,964	97.8%	$30,493,388	97.9%	$63,932
Private	437,881	89.8%	$27,838,308	89.4%	$63,575
Accommodation, Food Serv.	30,588	6.3%	$837,347	2.7%	$27,375
Arts, Ent., Recreation	6,923	1.4%	$132,707	0.4%	$19,169
Construction	27,568	5.7%	$2,264,176	7.3%	$82,131
Health Care, Social Serv.	49,458*	10.1%*	$4,181,608*	13.4%*	$84,549*
Information	4,656	1.0%	$328,303	1.1%	$70,512
Manufacturing	87,889	18.0%	$7,625,539	24.5%	$86,763
Professional, Tech. Serv.	15,704*	3.2%*	$1,260,170*	4.0%*	$80,245*
Retail Trade	47,797	9.8%	$1,912,258	6.1%	$40,008
Trans., Warehousing	23,538*	4.8%*	$1,446,672*	4.6%*	$61,461*
Wholesale Trade	14,900*	3.1%*	$1,623,443*	5.2%*	$108,956*
Other Private (not above)	109,489*	22.4%*	$5,300,558*	17.0%*	$48,412*
Government	39,083	8.0%	$2,655,080	8.5%	$67,934

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, 2024	Units	Pct Dist. in Region	Pct Dist. in State	Cost ($000)	State Cost ($000)
Total Permits Filed	2,885	100.0%	100.0%	$875,010	$8,133,071
Single-Family	2,174	75.4%	75.4%	$740,423	$6,951,719
2-Family	30	1.0%	1.9%	$4,919	$100,498
3- and 4-Family	3	0.1%	0.8%	$539	$45,624
5+ Family	678	23.5%	21.9%	$129,129	$1,035,231

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 Economic Growth Region 3

Name	Population in 2024	Percent of Region
Auburn	13,989	1.7%
Bluffton	10,556	1.3%
Columbia City	10,185	1.3%
Fort Wayne	273,203	34.1%
Huntertown	11,481	1.4%
Huntington	17,033	2.1%
Kendallville	10,326	1.3%
Marion	28,216	3.5%
New Haven	16,200	2.0%
Wabash	10,275	1.3%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau annual population estimates