Rocky Ripple is a town in Marion County,

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

, United States. The population was 655 at the 2020 census. It was founded in 1927, and the town was incorporated as an "included town" as part of

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, India ...

in 1970. It is part of

Indianapolis Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...

, but retains a separate functioning town government under IC 36-3-1-11. Although not far from the city center, Rocky Ripple is a somewhat isolated area, located between the

Central Canal The central canal (also known as spinal foramen or ependymal canal) is the cerebrospinal fluid-filled space that runs through the spinal cord. The central canal lies below and is connected to the ventricular system of the brain, from which it r ...

and the White River; only two traffic-supporting bridges over the canal provide access to the town.

Geography

Rocky Ripple is located in northern Marion County. It is bordered to the north and west by the White River and to the southeast by the Central Canal. To the south it is bordered by athletic fields of

Butler University Butler University is a private university in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. Founded in 1855 and named after founder Ovid Butler, the university has over 60 major academic fields of study within six colleges in the arts, business, communic ...

. The town is north of

downtown Indianapolis Downtown Indianapolis is a neighborhood area in and the central business district of Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. Downtown is bordered by Interstate 65 in Indiana, Interstate 65, Interstate 70 in Indiana, Interstate 70, and the White ...

. According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

, Rocky Ripple has a total area of , all land. The vast majority of Rocky Ripple is located in a

floodplain A floodplain or flood plain or bottomlands is an area of land adjacent to a river. Floodplains stretch from the banks of a river channel to the base of the enclosing valley, and experience flooding during periods of high Discharge (hydrolog ...

. A 2017 study found that the existing Rocky Ripple

levee A levee ( or ), dike (American English), dyke (British English; see American and British English spelling differences#Miscellaneous spelling differences, spelling differences), embankment, floodbank, or stop bank is an elevated ridge, natural ...

is in a seriously deteriorated condition. The analysis indicates that the levee currently has a 5% or greater annual chance of overtopping (20 year level of protection) and there is about a 92% chance that the levee will be over-topped at least once over the next 50 years.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 606 people, 291 households, and 158 families living in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing 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 geog ...

was . There were 315 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 89.1%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 6.1%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.5% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 1.0% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 2.5% of the population. There were 291 households, of which 23.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.1% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 45.7% were non-families. 36.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.08 and the average family size was 2.75. The median age in the town was 40.3 years. 18.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 30.2% were from 25 to 44; 31.2% were from 45 to 64; and 13.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 49.3% male and 50.7% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 712 people, 322 households, and 183 families living in the town. The population density was . There were 329 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 87.64%

, 9.27%

, 0.14% Native American, 0.42% Asian, 0.28% from other races, and 2.25% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.69% of the population. There were 322 households, out of which 24.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.4% were

living together, 13.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.9% were non-families. 33.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.87. In the town, the population was spread out, with 20.9% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 33.0% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.7 males. The median income for a household in the town was $144,464, and the median income for a family was $150,500. Males had a median income of $62,500 versus $60,000 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the town was $52,691. About 1.1% of families and 2.4% 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 none of those under age 18 and 3.3% of those age 65 or over.

Notable events and venues

Hohlt Park is near the center of the town, and Wahpihani Park is in the northwest, adjacent to the town hall and the White River. The town hosts the annual Rock Ripple Festival, a popular summer event that focuses on the arts and serves as the main fundraiser for the Rocky Ripple Community Association.

References

External links

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Rocky Ripple weather
( NWS) {{authority control Towns in Marion County, Indiana Towns in Indiana Indianapolis metropolitan area