Decatur County, Indiana Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Decatur County, IN Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around averageHealthier than 78% of counties in Indiana
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C
Income Below average
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Decatur County | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 26,422 | 6,845,048 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 70.8 | 188.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.04% | 0.47% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.4 | 35.9 | 37.3 |
| Households | 10,712 | 2,713,821 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Decatur County grew by 5.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 26,422 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Decatur County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.2% of residents. That is 1.7 points above Indiana as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 5,371 20.3% -1.9 pts
- Millennials 29–44 5,299 20.1% -1.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 5,589 21.2% +1.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 4,550 17.2% +0.5 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Indiana, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.6% of the people living in Decatur County and men 49.4%.
- Women 50.6% Indiana 50.4%
- Men 49.4% Indiana 49.6%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Decatur County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Decatur County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Decatur County | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $71,462 | $71,967 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.21% | 4.54% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.6% | 4.3% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Decatur County is about 1% lower than in Indiana.
Housing
| Metric | Decatur County | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $202,778 | $142,738 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $861 | $1,062 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 76.1% | 70.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Decatur County is about 19.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $861 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Decatur County spend about 40 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 167 hours, about 7.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Decatur County | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 20.0 | 21.1 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 40.0 | 42.2 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 167 | 176 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,171 | $5,455 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 10.9% | 10.7% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 7,189 | 8,333 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,013 | 1,308 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Indiana:
Knox County (15.8 min), Howard County (15.9 min), Daviess County (16.3 min).
Slowest:
Crawford County (33.6 min), Brown County (32.6 min), Franklin County (31.9 min).
The average commute time in Decatur County is 20 minutes, shorter than the 21 minutes in Indiana.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Decatur County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Decatur County | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.0% | 26.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.42 | 2.45 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Indiana:
Hamilton County (0.4), Boone County (0.4), Monroe County (0.3).
Lowest:
LaGrange County (0.1), Crawford County (0.2), Switzerland County (0.2).
Health
Decatur County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Decatur County | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.3 | 77.4 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.9% | 17.1% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 21.5% | 22.4% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Indiana:
Hamilton County (0.8), Monroe County (0.8), Boone County (0.8).
Lowest:
LaGrange County (0.8), Daviess County (0.8), Switzerland County (0.8).
Decatur County, IN Compared With Nearby Counties
Decatur County, IN is the smallest of the 5 counties compared here, 26,422 residents against a local median of 37,180. Decatur County, IN's median home price, at $202,778, runs 57% above the $128,887 typical of the counties around it.
The counties themselves spread $79,501 on median home price, so Decatur County, IN sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Decatur County, IN has the highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decatur County, IN | 26,422 | $71,462 #3/5 | $202,778 #1/5 | 20.0 min #2/5 |
| Ripley County, IN | 29,095 | $69,592 | $92,272 | 21.7 min |
| Jennings County, IN | 27,562 | $70,375 | $109,091 | 22.9 min |
| Shelby County, IN | 45,265 | $72,014 | $171,773 | 21.3 min |
| Bartholomew County, IN | 83,536 | $79,839 | $148,683 | 17.6 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Decatur County, Indiana.
What is the population of Decatur County, Indiana?
About 26,422 people live in Decatur County, Indiana, in 10,712 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 38.4, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Decatur County, Indiana?
Averaged over its land area, Decatur County, Indiana has 71 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Decatur County, Indiana?
The median home costs 2.8 times the median household income ($202,778 against $71,462), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $861 a month takes about 14% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Decatur County, Indiana?
Unemployment in Decatur County, Indiana is only 2.6%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
What share of adults in Decatur County, Indiana have a college degree?
20.0% of adults in Decatur County, Indiana hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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