Eaton is a town in Union Township, Delaware County,

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

, along the

Mississinewa River The Mississinewa River is a tributary of the Wabash River in eastern Indiana and a small portion of western Ohio in the United States. It is long and is the third largest tributary behind the White and Little Wabash Rivers, only slightly larger t ...

. The population was 1,595 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Muncie, IN

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally incorporated as a city or tow ...

History

Eaton was laid out and

plat In the United States, a plat ( or ) (plan) is a cadastral map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. United States General Land Office surveyors drafted township plats of Public Lands Surveys to show the distance and bea ...

ted in 1854. The town incorporated as a village in 1873, soon after the railroad had been built through the neighborhood. The first discovery of

natural gas Natural gas (also called fossil gas or simply gas) is a naturally occurring mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons consisting primarily of methane in addition to various smaller amounts of other higher alkanes. Low levels of trace gases like carbo ...

in Indiana occurred in the town of Eaton in 1876. The discovery set off the Indiana Gas Boom, leading to two decades of rapid regional growth. Eaton-indiana-from-above

Geography

Eaton is located at (40.339675, -85.353746). According to the 2010 census, Eaton has a total area of , of which (or 98.4%) is land and (or 1.6%) is water.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of 2020, there were 1,595 people, 661 households, and 379 families living in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

was . There were 779 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 96.2%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 0.3%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.3% Native American or

Alaskan Native Alaska Natives (also known as Alaskan Natives, Native Alaskans, Indigenous Alaskans, Aboriginal Alaskans or First Alaskans) are the indigenous peoples of Alaska and include Iñupiat, Yupik, Aleut, Eyak, Tlingit, Haida, Tsimshian, and a numb ...

, 0.1% Asian, 0.4% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 0.3% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...

or Latino of any race were 1.1% of the population. There were 661 households, of which 22.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.7% were married couples living together, 23.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 28.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 6.9% were non-families. 51.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 3.01. 27.5% of the population had never been married. 41.7% of residents were

married Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

and not separated, 8.1% were

widowed A widow (female) or widower (male) is a person whose spouse has died. Terminology The state of having lost one's spouse to death is termed ''widowhood''. An archaic term for a widow is "relict," literally "someone left over". This word can so ...

, 18.9% were divorced, and 3.6% were separated. The median age in the town was 34.6. 6.8% of residents were under the age of 5; 22.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 77.3% were age 18 or older; and 17.6% were age 65 or older. 9.4% of the population were

veterans A veteran () is a person who has significant experience (and is usually adept and esteemed) and expertise in a particular occupation or field. A military veteran is a person who is no longer serving in a military. A military veteran that h ...

. The only language spoken at home was English at 100%. None of the population were foreign born. The median household income in Gaston was $45,385, 19.2% less than the median average for the state of

. 10.4% of the population were in poverty, including 13.9% of residents under the age of 18. The poverty rate for the town was 2.5% lower than that of the state. 17.0% of the population was

disabled Disability is the experience of any condition that makes it more difficult for a person to do certain activities or have equitable access within a given society. Disabilities may be cognitive, developmental, intellectual, mental, physical, ...

and 6.1% had no healthcare coverage. 40.8% of the population had attained a

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

or equivalent degree, 25.7% had attended

college A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offerin ...

but received no degree, 13.6% had attained an

Associate's degree An associate degree is an undergraduate degree awarded after a course of Tertiary education, post-secondary study lasting two to three years. It is a level of qualification above a high school diploma, GED, or matriculation, and below a bachelo ...

or higher, 6.4% had attained a

Bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

or higher, and 3.7% had a graduate or

professional A professional is a member of a profession or any person who works in a specified professional activity. The term also describes the standards of education and training that prepare members of the profession with the particular knowledge and ski ...

degree. 9.8% had no degree. 56.0% of Eaton residents were employed, working a mean of 39.7 hours per week. The median gross rent in Eaton was $648 and the homeownership rate was 73.6%. 118 housing units were vacant at a density of .

2010 census

As of the

of 2010, there were 1,805 people, 696 households, and 508 families living in the town. The

was . There were 824 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 97.8%

, 0.1%

, 0.3% Native American, 0.1% Asian, 0.4% from

, and 1.3% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.8% of the population. There were 696 households, of which 37.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.6% were married couples living together, 14.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 27.0% were non-families. 23.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.03. The median age in the town was 36.3 years. 27.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.7% were from 25 to 44; 23.9% were from 45 to 64; and 14.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 51.1% male and 48.9% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,603 people, 619 households, and 459 families living in the town. The population density was . There were 661 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 98.75%

, 0.25% Native American, 0.06% Asian, 0.12% from

, and 0.81% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.81% of the population. There were 619 households, out of which 40.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.2% were married couples living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.7% were non-families. 23.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.00. In the town, the population was spread out, with 30.6% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.4 males. The median income for a household in the town was $31,563, and the median income for a family was $35,625. Males had a median income of $31,573 versus $20,645 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the town was $13,833. About 9.5% of families and 11.1% 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 13.9% of those under age 18 and 3.5% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Eaton Elementary School

Eaton Elementary School is a public elementary school located here in Eaton, Indiana. The school is a part of the Delaware Community School Corporation that serves around 275 students in grades kindergarten to 5th grade. Their mascot is the Eaton Norsemen, formerly the Roadrunner. During the school year, the Latchkey program is offered before and after school to provide a safe and fun environment for students. During the summer months, Summer Blast, is offered for the same purposes.

Eaton Public Library

Eaton Public Library is a non-profit library funded wholly by memberships and donations. Through the support of volunteer staff, the library is open 7 days a week. The library offers family and individual memberships for the year, 3 months, or even just the day for an individual. Memberships are open to all residents of East-Central Indiana. The library currently does not have a website, though they can be found on Facebook and even through their online catalog.

References

{{authority control Towns in Delaware County, Indiana Towns in Indiana 1873 establishments in Indiana Populated places established in 1873