Owen County, Indiana | |
|---|---|
 Owen County Courthouse in Spencer, Indiana | |
 Seal | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofIndiana | |
| Coordinates:39°19′N86°50′W / 39.31°N 86.84°W /39.31; -86.84 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Indiana |
| Founded | December 21, 1818 (authorized) 1819 (organized) |
| Named after | Abraham Owen |
| Seat | Spencer |
| Largest town | Spencer |
| Area | |
• Total | 387.82 sq mi (1,004.4 km2) |
| • Land | 385.29 sq mi (997.9 km2) |
| • Water | 2.54 sq mi (6.6 km2) 0.65% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 21,321 |
• Estimate (2023) | 21,532 |
| • Density | 55.338/sq mi (21.366/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 8th |
| Website | Owen County Official Website |
| Indiana county number 60 | |
Owen County is acounty in theU.S. state ofIndiana. In 1920 theUnited States Census Bureau calculated themean center of U.S. population to fall within this county. As of the2020 United States census, it had a population of 21,321.[1] Itscounty seat isSpencer.[2] Owen County is part of theBloomington, Indiana metropolitan area.
In 1787, the fledgling United States defined theNorthwest Territory, which included the area of present-day Indiana. In 1800, Congress separatedOhio from the Northwest Territory, designating the rest of the land as theIndiana Territory.[3] PresidentThomas Jefferson choseWilliam Henry Harrison as the territory's first governor, andVincennes was established as the territorial capital.[4] After theMichigan Territory was separated and theIllinois Territory was formed, Indiana was reduced to its current size and geography.[3] By December 1816 the Indiana Territory was admitted to the Union as a state.
Starting in 1794, Native American titles to Indiana lands were extinguished by usurpation, purchase, or war and treaty. The United States acquired land from theNative Americans in the1809 treaty of Fort Wayne, and by thetreaty of St. Mary's in 1818 considerably more territory became property of the government. This included the future Owen County. White settlers had been moving into the future Owen County area since 1816.[5]
The area in present-day Owen County was first placed under local jurisdiction in 1790, whenKnox County was created. This all-encompassing county was repeatedly subdivided as its lands were occupied − in 1816 a portion was partitioned to createSullivan County, and on February 2, 1818, another area to the south was partitioned to createDaviess County. That same winter (December 21, 1818) the state legislature took portions from northern Daviess and eastern Sullivan to create Owen County; it was named forAbraham Owen, a colonel in the US Army who had died at theBattle of Tippecanoe in 1811. The boundaries of this new county were reduced in 1822 whenPutnam and in 1825 whenClay counties were created.
The first moves to organize the county's government were completed in 1819. In 1820 the first commissioners selectedSpencer, the county's largest settlement, as its seat of government.[6]
In 1920, theUnited States census reported Owen County as theCenter of Population for the US at a point 8 miles south-southeast ofSpencer, Indiana. The center moved the shortest distance since census data collecting began in 1790 (just under 10 miles) from its previous center inBloomington, Indiana. When the East experienced high rates of growth, as it did in the decades between 1890 and 1920, the Westward movement of the center slowed.[7]
Owen County's low hills were completely wooded before the nineteenth century. It is still largely tree-covered, but significant portions have been cleared and are dedicated to agriculture or urban use. Its highest point (934 feet/285 meters ASL) is a steep point 2.0 miles (3.2 km) south ofQuincy.[8] TheWhite River flows southwestward through the lower central part, entering fromMonroe County (its course delineates a portion of the border between Monroe and Owen counties), then continues its journey intoGreene County.[9]
According to the 2010 United States census, the county has a total area of 387.82 square miles (1,004.4 km2), of which 385.29 square miles (997.9 km2) (or 99.35%) is land and 2.54 square miles (6.6 km2) (or 0.65%) is water.
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In recent years, average temperatures in Spencer have ranged from a low of 15 °F (−9 °C) in January to a high of 84 °F (29 °C) in July, although a record low of −33 °F (−36 °C) was recorded in January 1994 and a record high of 107 °F (42 °C) was recorded in July 1954. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.56 inches (65 mm) in January to 4.97 inches (126 mm) in May.[11]
The county government is a constitutional body, and is granted specific powers by theConstitution of Indiana, and by theIndiana Code.
County Council: The fiscal body of the county government, consisting of seven members. Three are elected county-wide (at-large members) and four are elected from districts. District One includes Harrison, Montgomery, Taylor, and Wayne Townships including the Town of Gosport. District Two includes Washington Township including the Town of Spencer. District Three includes Jackson, Jennings, Lafayette, and Morgan Townships. District Four includes Clay, Franklin, Jefferson, and Marion Townships. All council members serve four-year terms with at-large members elected during Presidential election cycles and district members elected during the other election cycles. One council member serves as president and another as vice-president. The council sets salaries, the annual budget, and special spending. The council has limited authority to impose local taxes, in the form of an income and property tax that is subject to state level approval, excise taxes, and service taxes. Several local boards such as the Alcoholic Beverage Board and Library Board have a member or members appointed by the council.[12][13][14]
Board of Commissioners: The executive body of the county; its three members are elected county-wide to four-year terms, however each must reside in their respective districts, two of which are elected during Presidential election cycles and the other during the other election cycles. Each serves a four-year term. The District One member must reside in Harrison, Jackson, Jennings, Montgomery, Taylor, or Wayne Townships. The District Two member must reside in Clay, Franklin, or Washington Townships. The District Three member must reside in Jefferson, Lafayette, Marion, or Morgan Townships. One commissioner serves as president and another as vice-president. Commissioners execute acts legislated by the council, collect revenue, and manage the county government.[12][13]
Court: The county has a Circuit Court. The judge on the court is elected to a term of six years and must be a member of the Indiana Bar Association.[13][15]
County Officials: The county has other elected offices, includingsheriff,coroner,prosecutor,assessor,auditor,treasurer,recorder,surveyor andclerk of the circuit court. These officers are elected to four-year terms. Members elected to county government positions are required to declareparty affiliations and to be residents of the county.[13]
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1888 | 1,632 | 45.08% | 1,918 | 52.98% | 70 | 1.93% |
| 1892 | 1,569 | 43.51% | 1,738 | 48.20% | 299 | 8.29% |
| 1896 | 1,751 | 45.45% | 2,070 | 53.72% | 32 | 0.83% |
| 1900 | 1,706 | 44.28% | 2,057 | 53.39% | 90 | 2.34% |
| 1904 | 1,721 | 46.26% | 1,841 | 49.49% | 158 | 4.25% |
| 1908 | 1,726 | 44.53% | 2,023 | 52.19% | 127 | 3.28% |
| 1912 | 711 | 21.19% | 1,621 | 48.32% | 1,023 | 30.49% |
| 1916 | 1,585 | 44.67% | 1,812 | 51.07% | 151 | 4.26% |
| 1920 | 2,997 | 49.18% | 2,948 | 48.38% | 149 | 2.45% |
| 1924 | 2,627 | 47.41% | 2,670 | 48.19% | 244 | 4.40% |
| 1928 | 3,036 | 55.03% | 2,420 | 43.86% | 61 | 1.11% |
| 1932 | 2,423 | 38.86% | 3,639 | 58.35% | 174 | 2.79% |
| 1936 | 3,091 | 46.50% | 3,498 | 52.62% | 59 | 0.89% |
| 1940 | 3,709 | 54.00% | 3,121 | 45.44% | 38 | 0.55% |
| 1944 | 3,318 | 55.53% | 2,602 | 43.55% | 55 | 0.92% |
| 1948 | 3,002 | 51.14% | 2,738 | 46.64% | 130 | 2.21% |
| 1952 | 3,713 | 58.37% | 2,577 | 40.51% | 71 | 1.12% |
| 1956 | 3,685 | 58.48% | 2,581 | 40.96% | 35 | 0.56% |
| 1960 | 3,700 | 60.38% | 2,379 | 38.82% | 49 | 0.80% |
| 1964 | 2,788 | 45.26% | 3,339 | 54.20% | 33 | 0.54% |
| 1968 | 2,898 | 51.58% | 1,932 | 34.39% | 788 | 14.03% |
| 1972 | 3,896 | 69.25% | 1,708 | 30.36% | 22 | 0.39% |
| 1976 | 2,896 | 47.83% | 3,103 | 51.25% | 56 | 0.92% |
| 1980 | 3,632 | 58.47% | 2,325 | 37.43% | 255 | 4.10% |
| 1984 | 4,204 | 66.49% | 2,082 | 32.93% | 37 | 0.59% |
| 1988 | 3,837 | 60.30% | 2,484 | 39.04% | 42 | 0.66% |
| 1992 | 2,753 | 42.00% | 2,207 | 33.67% | 1,595 | 24.33% |
| 1996 | 3,056 | 48.77% | 2,244 | 35.81% | 966 | 15.42% |
| 2000 | 4,019 | 61.80% | 2,253 | 34.65% | 231 | 3.55% |
| 2004 | 5,000 | 65.75% | 2,536 | 33.35% | 68 | 0.89% |
| 2008 | 4,415 | 54.04% | 3,570 | 43.70% | 185 | 2.26% |
| 2012 | 5,062 | 62.39% | 2,823 | 34.80% | 228 | 2.81% |
| 2016 | 6,153 | 71.41% | 1,946 | 22.59% | 517 | 6.00% |
| 2020 | 7,286 | 73.47% | 2,420 | 24.40% | 211 | 2.13% |
| 2024 | 7,360 | 74.52% | 2,354 | 23.84% | 162 | 1.64% |
As of the2020 census, the county had a population of 21,321. The median age was 45.1 years. 21.2% of residents were under the age of 18 and 20.4% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 102.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 101.5 males age 18 and over.[17][18]
The racial makeup of the county was 93.6%White, 0.4%Black or African American, 0.2%American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%Asian, <0.1%Native Hawaiian andPacific Islander, 0.5% from some other race, and 4.9% fromtwo or more races.Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 1.4% of the population.[18]
<0.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.[19]
There were 8,645 households in the county, of which 27.1% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 51.7% were married-couple households, 19.1% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 21.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 26.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[17]
There were 9,795 housing units, of which 11.7% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 80.4% were owner-occupied and 19.6% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 5.9%.[17]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1820 | 838 | — | |
| 1830 | 4,017 | 379.4% | |
| 1840 | 8,359 | 108.1% | |
| 1850 | 12,106 | 44.8% | |
| 1860 | 14,376 | 18.8% | |
| 1870 | 16,137 | 12.2% | |
| 1880 | 15,901 | −1.5% | |
| 1890 | 15,040 | −5.4% | |
| 1900 | 15,149 | 0.7% | |
| 1910 | 14,053 | −7.2% | |
| 1920 | 12,760 | −9.2% | |
| 1930 | 11,351 | −11.0% | |
| 1940 | 12,090 | 6.5% | |
| 1950 | 11,763 | −2.7% | |
| 1960 | 11,400 | −3.1% | |
| 1970 | 12,163 | 6.7% | |
| 1980 | 15,841 | 30.2% | |
| 1990 | 17,281 | 9.1% | |
| 2000 | 21,786 | 26.1% | |
| 2010 | 21,575 | −1.0% | |
| 2020 | 21,321 | −1.2% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 21,532 | [20] | 1.0% |
| US Decennial Census[21] 1790-1960[22] 1900-1990[23] 1990-2000[24] 2010[25] | |||
As of the2010 United States census, there were 21,575 people, 8,486 households, and 5,992 families in the county.[26] The population density was 56.0 inhabitants per square mile (21.6/km2). There were 10,091 housing units at an average density of 26.2 per square mile (10.1/km2).[27] The racial makeup of the county was 97.9% white, 0.3% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.3% black or African American, 0.2% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.9% of the population.[26] In terms of ancestry, 28.7% wereGerman, 20.7% wereIrish, 8.9% wereEnglish, and 8.4% wereAmerican.[28]
Of the 8,486 households, 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.1% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.4% were non-families, and 24.0% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.96. The median age was 42.4 years.[26]
The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $52,343. Males had a median income of $40,668 versus $30,556 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,581. About 9.2% of families and 12.4% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 17.8% of those under age 18 and 8.1% of those age 65 or over.<ref">"Selected Economic Characteristics – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". US Census Bureau. Archived fromthe original on February 14, 2020. RetrievedJuly 10, 2015.</ref>
Places adjacent to Owen County, Indiana | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities ofOwen County, Indiana,United States | ||
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| Towns |  | |
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| Other communities | ||
| Ghost town | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
39°19′N86°50′W / 39.31°N 86.84°W /39.31; -86.84
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