Population 83,752 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Howard County
Household size in Howard County
| Period | Howard County | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.36 | 2.57 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.40 | 2.59 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.36 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.35 | 2.54 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.00 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Howard County is a place of small households, averaging 2.35 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Households are largest in the northeast and smallest in the center. Howard County has smaller households than at least four in five Indiana counties.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Howard County
| Period | Howard County | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.5 | 37.5 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.9 | 38.4 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 42.0 | 39.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.6 | 39.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.2 | +1.7 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Howard County are younger than 40.6 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. The youngest areas are in the center, the oldest in the northeast.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Howard County
| Period | Howard County | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.6% | 11.8% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.3% | 12.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.6% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 13.4% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.8 pts | −0.1 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head nearly one in seven households in Howard County (13.4%), a bit above the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has risen 1.8 points, even as the national share fell. Howard County has a higher share of single-parent households than the great majority of Indiana counties.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Howard County
Renters in Howard County
| Period | Howard County | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 29.5% | 28.5% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 31.4% | 30.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 29.8% | 30.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 29.4% | 29.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.1 pts | +1.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Howard County own their homes; 29.4% rent, a little below the national share of 34.8%. More than a third of owners (36.9%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally. Rentals cluster in the center; owners are most common in the west.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Howard County
| Period | Howard County | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.8% | 11.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.0% | 11.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 12.4% | 10.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.0% | 9.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.8 pts | −2.0 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy in Howard County is close to the national rate: 11.0% of homes are empty, against 9.6%. The rate is higher than in Indiana as a whole (9.3%). Vacancy is down 0.8 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Howard County
| Period | Howard County | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1965 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1965 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1965 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1968 | 1977 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +5 | +6 |
Howard County is a place of older homes: half were built before 1968, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. The newest homes are mostly in the southwest, the oldest in the center.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Howard County
| Period | Howard County | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $656 | $763 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $685 | $819 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $771 | $903 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $948 | $1,146 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$292 | +$384 | +$606 |
Rent in Howard County runs $948 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $292 a month from 2006–10, a 45% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 29.2% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. Rents run highest in the south and lowest in the northwest.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Howard County
Bachelor's degrees in Howard County
| Period | Howard County | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.8% | 23.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 19.7% | 24.6% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 21.2% | 27.1% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 20.3% | 30.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +0.6 pts | +6.2 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Howard County: 20.3% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree has edged up 0.6 points since 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the southwest and least in the north.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Howard County
| Period | Howard County | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 86.3% | 86.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 88.6% | 87.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 89.4% | 88.7% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 91.3% | 89.9% | 89.3% |
| Change | +5.0 pts | +3.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Howard County is a bit above the national rate: 91.3% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The picture is much the same across Indiana. The share with a diploma has risen 5.0 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Howard County
| Period | Howard County | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.3% | 8.4% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 10.3% | 8.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.3% | 4.9% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.7% | 4.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.6 pts | −4.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Howard County is close to the national rate: 5.7% of the labor force, against 5.4%. The rate is higher than in Indiana overall (4.3%). Unemployment is down 4.6 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Howard County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Howard County | 2.35 | 40.6 | 13.4% | 29.4% | 11.0% | 1968 | $948 | 20.3% | 91.3% | 5.7% |
| Tipton County | 2.42 | 45.6 | 10.3% | 18.6% | 9.9% | 1963 | $861 | 24.2% | 90.9% | 2.6% |
| Carroll County | 2.57 | 42.6 | 8.2% | 17.8% | 13.6% | 1964 | $900 | 17.2% | 89.0% | 3.5% |
| Grant County | 2.30 | 40.4 | 13.9% | 27.3% | 11.1% | 1963 | $926 | 21.8% | 89.5% | 6.6% |
| Tippecanoe County | 2.32 | 33.8 | 9.6% | 46.6% | 12.5% | 1984 | $1,199 | 43.5% | 88.2% | 3.3% |
| Blackford County | 2.28 | 44.9 | 9.8% | 26.1% | 10.6% | 1958 | $757 | 15.2% | 90.4% | 3.7% |
| Jay County | 2.60 | 39.0 | 11.8% | 20.1% | 12.6% | 1959 | $781 | 13.0% | 85.5% | 4.2% |
| Benton County | 2.52 | 39.3 | 11.2% | 20.2% | 8.8% | 1955 | $778 | 19.9% | 88.5% | 4.1% |
| Warren County | 2.54 | 44.8 | 8.7% | 17.6% | 8.0% | 1976 | $817 | 17.7% | 92.6% | 4.1% |
| Mercer County | 2.62 | 40.2 | 7.9% | 20.4% | 9.8% | 1972 | $825 | 22.4% | 95.1% | 1.5% |
| Auglaize County | 2.44 | 41.8 | 9.6% | 21.9% | 6.5% | 1967 | $946 | 22.2% | 95.0% | 2.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Arecibo Municipio, PR · Wood County, WV · Bannock County, ID · Barrow County, GA · Bartholomew County, IN · Bedford County, VA · Campbell County, KY · Buchanan County, MO · Bullitt County, KY · Bulloch County, GA
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Howard County. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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