Henry County, Indiana

Henry County is a county located in east central Indiana, United States. As of 2020, the population was 48,914. The county seat and largest and only city is New Castle. Henry County is the main setting of the novel '' Raintree County'' by Ross Lockridge Jr.

History

Henry County was formed in 1822 from the Delaware New Purchase resulting from the Treaty of St. Mary's in 1818. It was named for Patriot Patrick Henry, governor of Virginia.

Geography

According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of , of which (or 99.25%) is land and (or 0.75%) is water.

Cities

* New Castle

Towns

Unincorporated areas

Townships

Reservoirs

* Castle Lake
* Giboney Lake
* Haven, Lake
* Summit Lake Reservoir
* Westwood Park Reservoir

Adjacent counties

* Delaware County (north)
* Randolph County (northeast)
* Wayne County (east)
* Fayette County (southeast)
* Rush County (south)
* Hancock County (southwest)
* Madison County (northwest)

Major highways

Sources: National Atlas, U.S. Census Bureau
* Interstate 70
* U.S. Route 35
* U.S. Route 36
* U.S. Route 40
* State Road 3
* State Road 38
* State Road 103
* State Road 109
* State Road 140
* State Road 234
* State Road 236

Climate and weather

In recent years, average temperatures in New Castle have ranged from a low of in January to a high of in July, although a record low of was recorded in January 1994 and a record high of was recorded in June 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from in January to in May.

Government

The county government is a constitutional body, and is granted specific powers by the Constitution of Indiana, and by the Indiana Code.

County Council: The county council is the legislative branch of the county government and controls all the spending and revenue collection in the county. Representatives are elected from county districts. The council members serve four-year terms. They are responsible for setting salaries, the annual budget, and special spending. The council also 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.

County Commissioners: The executive body of the county is made of a board of commissioners. The commissioners are elected county-wide, in staggered terms, and each serves a four-year term. One of the commissioners, typically the most senior, serves as president. The commissioners are charged with executing the acts legislated by the council, collecting revenue, and managing the day-to-day functions of the county government.

County Courts: The county maintains three courts. Circuit Court I, Circuit Court II and Circuit Court III. The judge on the court is elected to a term of four years and must be a member of the Indiana Bar Association. In some cases, court decisions can be appealed to the state level circuit court.

County Officials: The county has several other elected offices, including sheriff, coroner, auditor, treasurer, recorder, surveyor, and circuit court clerk Each of these elected officers serves a term of four years and oversees a different part of county government. Members elected to county government positions are required to declare party affiliations and to be residents of the county.

Henry County is part of Indiana's 6th congressional district; Indiana Senate district 28; and Indiana House of Representatives districts 54 and 56.

Demographics

2020 Census

As of the census of 2020, there were 48,914 people, 18,387 households, and 9,489 families living in the town. The population density was . There were 20,952 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 93.8% White, 2.2% African American, 1.1% Asian, 0.02% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 0.2% Native American or Alaska Native, 0.8% from other races, and 3.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.2% of the population.

There were 18,387 households, of which 20.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.7% were married couples living together, 25.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 17.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 7.6% were non-families. 42.7% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 2.96.

26.8% of the population had never been married. 48.0% of residents were married and not separated, 7.0% were widowed, 16.4% were divorced, and 1.8% were separated.

The median age in the town was 42.0. 5.0% of residents were under the age of 5; 20.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 79.3% were age 18 or older; and 18.9% were age 65 or older. 9.5% of the population were veterans.

The most common language spoken at home was English with 98.5% speaking it at home, 1.0% spoke Spanish at home, 0.2% spoke other Indo-European languages, 0.2% spoke an Asian or Pacific Islander language at home, and 0.1% spoke other languages. 0.5% of the population were foreign born.

The median household income in Henry County was $51,104, 9.0% less than the median average for the state of Indiana. 13.9% of the population were in poverty, including 19.3% of residents under the age of 18. The poverty rate for the town was 1% higher than that of the state. 18.5% of the population were disabled and 6.8% had no healthcare coverage. 43.8% of the population had attained a high school or equivalent degree, 21.1% had attended college but received no degree, 9.0% had attained an Associate's degree or higher, 10.7% had attained a Bachelor's degree or higher, and 5.6% had a graduate or professional degree. 9.8% had no degree. 50.7% of Henry County residents were employed, working a mean of 40.0 hours per week. The median gross rent in Henry County was $697 and the homeownership rate was 74.4%. 1,998 housing units were vacant at a density of .

2010 Census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 49,462 people, 19,077 households, and 13,020 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 21,288 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 95.7% white, 2.2% black or African American, 0.3% Asian, 0.1% American Indian, 0.4% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.4% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 19.9% were German, 13.3% were American, 11.8% were Irish, and 9.1% were English.

Of the 19,077 households, 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.1% were married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 31.8% were non-families, and 27.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.94. The median age was 41.4 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $52,701. Males had a median income of $42,628 versus $30,226 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,879. About 10.2% of families and 13.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.0% of those under age 18 and 8.8% of those age 65 or over.

Education

School districts include:
* Blue River Valley Schools
* C. A. Beard Memorial School Corporation
* Nettle Creek School Corporation
* New Castle Community School Corporation
* Shenandoah School Corporation
* South Henry School Corporation
* Union School Corporation

Recreation

* Summit Lake State Park

Westwood Park

Notable people

* Steve Alford, NCAA basketball coach and former player
* Kent Benson, Former NCAA and NBA basketball player
* Edward Black, Civil War soldier
* Omar Bundy, Major General, World War One
* Clessie Cummins, inventor
* John Charles Duncan, astronomer
* Thomas J. Graves, Medal of Honor recipient
* William Grose, Major General, Civil War
* Ira Hough, Medal of Honor recipient, 1864
* Robert Indiana, artist
* Arthur C. Mellette, first Governor of South Dakota
* Solomon Meredith, Major General, Civil War
* Edward E. Moore, Indiana state senator and Los Angeles City Council member
* Wilbur Wright, aviation pioneer
* William Zion, Medal of Honor recipient

See also

* National Register of Historic Places listings in Henry County, Indiana

References

Further reading

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External links

New Castle Henry County Chamber of Commerce

Henry County Convention & Visitors Bureau

Henry County Government Site

Henry County collection
Rare Books and Manuscripts, Indiana State Library

{{Authority control

Indiana counties
1822 establishments in Indiana
Populated places established in 1822