Roachdale is a town in Franklin and Jackson townships, Putnam County, in the U.S. state of

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 ...

. The population was 926 at the 2010 census.

History

Roachdale was platted in 1879, and named for Judge Roach, a railroad official. A post office has been in operation at Roachdale since 1880. Roachdale was incorporated in 1882 when the railroad was extended to that point.

Geography

Roachdale is located at (39.850405, -86.800392). According to the 2010 census, Roachdale has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

2010 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 inc ...

of 2010, there were 926 people, 356 households, and 240 families living in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: 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 term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was . There were 401 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 99.2%

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 ...

and 0.8% 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 for ...

or Latino of any race were 0.4% of the population. There were 356 households, of which 40.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.6% were

married couples 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 ...

living together, 14.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 32.6% were non-families. 26.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.16. The median age in the town was 35.6 years. 29.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.3% were from 25 to 44; 25.9% were from 45 to 64; and 13.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 49.7% male and 50.3% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 975 people, 388 households, and 268 families living in the town. The population density was . There were 418 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 99.28%

, 0.21%

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 ...

, 0.10% Native American, and 0.41% from two or more races. There were 388 households, out of which 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.1% were

living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.9% were non-families. 27.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.05. In the town, the population was spread out, with 27.7% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.5 males. The median income for a household in the town was $31,932, and the median income for a family was $39,792. Males had a median income of $31,688 versus $22,375 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 $17,112. About 9.6% of families and 12.6% 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 ...

, including 22.3% of those under age 18 and 10.7% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The town has a lending library, the Roachdale-Franklin Township Public Library.

Arts and culture

An annual tradition of roach races began in the town in 1981, as "a gimmick for the

Fourth of July Independence Day (colloquially the Fourth of July) is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the Declaration of Independence, which was ratified by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, establishing the United States ...

carnival". To insure large sizes the roaches are imported from

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

labs. Contestants put their insects in a plastic container that is placed on an oval track on a four by eight plywood board. The container is lifted at the start of the race and whichever roach reaches the perimeter of the board first is declared the winner of each heat. The popularity of the race resulted in its appearing on the television programs regionally on '' Across Indiana'' and nationally on ''

Good Morning America ''Good Morning America'' (often abbreviated as ''GMA'') is an American morning television program that is broadcast on ABC. It debuted on November 3, 1975, and first expanded to weekends with the debut of a Sunday edition on January 3, 1993. ...

''. In addition to being covered by ''

The Indianapolis Star ''The Indianapolis Star'' (also known as ''IndyStar'') is a morning daily newspaper that began publishing on June 6, 1903, in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It has been the only major daily paper in the city since 1999, when the '' Indiana ...

'' newspaper, the race was written up in ''

Ripley's Believe It or Not! ''Ripley's Believe It or Not!'' is an American franchise founded by Robert Ripley, which deals in bizarre events and items so strange and unusual that readers might question the claims. Originally a newspaper panel, the ''Believe It or Not'' fea ...

''. Many contestants dress their roaches by gluing paper top hats, saddles, or other apparel to their backs. At the end of racing the roaches are collected, sprayed with insecticide, and disposed of.

References

{{authority control Towns in Putnam County, Indiana Towns in Indiana