![Lawrence Government building](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4a/Lawrence_Government_building.jpg)
Lawrence is a city in
Marion County, Indiana
Marion County is located in the U.S. state of Indiana. The 2020 United States census, 2020 United States census reported a population of 977,203, making it the largest county in the state and 51st List of the most populous counties in the United ...
, United States. It is one of four "
excluded cities" in Marion County. The city is home to
Fort Benjamin Harrison
Fort Benjamin Harrison was a U.S. Army post located in suburban Lawrence Township, Marion County, Indiana, northeast of Indianapolis, between 1906 and 1991. It is named for the 23rd United States president, Benjamin Harrison.
History
In 1901, ...
within
Fort Harrison State Park
Fort Harrison, sometimes called Fort Ben, is an Indiana state park located in Lawrence, Indiana, United States, and occupies part of the former site of Fort Benjamin Harrison. The park features a former Citizen's Military Training Camp, Civilian ...
. The population was 46,001 at the 2010 census.
The city is on the northeast side of
Indianapolis
Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...
and is currently growing at twice the rate of the rest of Indiana.
History
The municipality was platted in 1849 under the name Lanesville but other names were tried because there was already another Lanesville in Indiana. The name Jamestown, in honor of the town's founder James White, was used for a while, but in 1866 the Marion County Commissioners approved the name Lawrence, which is also the name of
the township in which it is located. Lawrence was named after the naval hero of the War of 1812, Captain
James Lawrence
James Lawrence (October 1, 1781 – June 4, 1813) was an officer of the United States Navy. During the War of 1812, he commanded in a single-ship action against , commanded by Philip Broke. He is probably best known today for his last words, ...
In 1929 the citizens of Lawrence voted to become an independent town, where they first established the town marshal, as well as other parts of government.
In 1969, Indianapolis and Marion County adopted a unified government structure known as
Unigov
Unigov is the colloquial name adopted by the city of Indianapolis, Indiana, to describe its consolidated city–county government. By an act of the Indiana General Assembly, Indianapolis consolidated with the government of Marion County in 197 ...
. Lawrence is one of four “excluded cities” and therefore retains its own municipal government. Its citizens vote not only for the mayor and council of Lawrence, but also for the
mayor of Indianapolis
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well as ...
and representatives on the
Indianapolis City-County Council
The City-County Council of Indianapolis and Marion County is the legislative body of the combined government of the city of Indianapolis and the county of Marion in the state of Indiana. The council was established as part of the consolidation of ...
.
Geography
Lawrence is located at (39.862739, −85.994264).
According to the 2010 census, Lawrence has a total area of , of which (or 99.46%) is land and (or 0.54%) is water.
Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cold winters. According to the
Köppen Climate Classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
system, Lawrence has a humid continental climate with hot summers and year around precipitation, abbreviated "Dfa" on climate maps.
Demographics
2010 census
At the
2010 United States Census
The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servin ...
, there were 46,001 people, 17,864 households, and 11,949 families in the city. The population density was . There were 19,515 housing units at an average density of . The
racial makeup
A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...
of the city was 63.2% White, 25.8% African American, 0.4% Native American, 1.4% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 5.7% from other races, and 3.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.2%.
Of the 17,864 households 38.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.2% were married couples living together, 17.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.1% were non-families. 27.6% of households were one person and 8% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.12.
The median age was 34.2 years. 28.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 29.3% were from 25 to 44; 24.9% were from 45 to 64; and 9.6% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.5% male and 52.5% female.
The median household income was $54,254 in Lawrence compared to the state median of $48,393. Roughly 31% of Lawrence residents have a bachelor's degree compared to 22.7% of all Indiana residents.
2000 census
At the
2000 United States Census
The United States census of 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 ce ...
, there were 38,915 people, 14,853 households, and 10,337 families in the city. The population density was . There were 16,292 housing units at an average density of . The
racial makeup
A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...
of the city was 78.58% White, 15.51% African American, 0.30% Native American, 1.80% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 1.86% from other races, and 1.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.73%.
Of the 14,853 households 39.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.1% were married couples living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.4% were non-families. 24.8% of households were one person and 5.9% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.13.
The population was diversified at 29.9% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 36.2% from 25 to 44, 18.0% from 45 to 64, and 8.2% 65 or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.3 males.
The median household income was $47,838 and the median family income was $56,609. Males had a median income of $38,924 versus $30,406 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,543. About 4.8% of families and 6.7% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 8.2% of those under age 18 and 5.1% of those age 65 or over.
Education
The Lawrence Township school district is the ninth largest and one of the fastest growing districts in the state. It operates four Early Learning Centers, eleven elementary magnet schools (grades 1–6), two middle schools (grades 7–8), two high schools (
Lawrence Central and
Lawrence North), a center for innovation and technology, and an alternative setting high school. In the 2018–2019 academic year there were 16,035 students with a high school graduation rate of 92.7%. Lawrence Township schools offer high ability programs,
Advanced Placement
Advanced Placement (AP) is a program in the United States and Canada created by the College Board which offers college-level curricula and examinations to high school students. American colleges and universities may grant placement and course ...
(AP and ACP),
International Baccalaureate Program
The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) is a two-year educational programme primarily aimed at 16-to-19-year-olds in 140 countries around the world. The programme provides an internationally accepted qualification for entry into ...
, vocational and career education programs, and bilingual programs. The district holds 45 state championships and 5 national titles in various inter-curricular competitions. Those titles include championships in basketball (Lawrence North - 2006) and marching band (Lawrence Central -1998, 2001 and 2004).
The diversity makeup of the district is .05% American Indian, 23.5% White, 45.3% Black, 6.9% Multiracial, 1.1% Asian, .05% Pacific Islander, and 23.1% Hispanic, as of the 2017–18 school year. Lawrence also has a
public library
A public library is a library that is accessible by the general public and is usually funded from public sources, such as taxes. It is operated by librarians and library paraprofessionals, who are also Civil service, civil servants.
There are ...
, a branch of the
Indianapolis Public Library
The Indianapolis Public Library (IndyPL), formerly known as the Indianapolis–Marion County Public Library, is the public library system serving the citizens of Marion County, Indiana, United States and its largest city, Indianapolis. The li ...
.
Notable residents
*
Mike Conley, basketball player
*
Greg Oden
Gregory Wayne Oden Jr. (born January 22, 1988) is an American former professional basketball player. Oden, a 7'0" (2.13m) center (basketball), center, played college basketball at Ohio State University for 2006–07 Ohio State Buckeyes men's bask ...
, basketball player
*
John Slagle, baseball player
*
Forrest Landis
Forrest Landis (born August 9, 1994) is an American former actor, skateboarder, producer and writer. He is perhaps best known for his roles of Mark Baker in ''Cheaper by the Dozen'' and Rhett Loud in ''Flightplan
''Flightplan'' is a 2005 m ...
, actor
*
Pat McAfee, sports radio host, All-Pro NFL Punter for the
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
References
External links
*
Lawrence Chamber of CommerceVisit Lawrence
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Cities in Indiana
Cities in Marion County, Indiana
Indianapolis metropolitan area