DeKalb County, Indiana Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
DeKalb 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 73% of counties in Indiana
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B
Income Around averageWealthier than 76% of counties in Indiana
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | DeKalb County | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 43,807 | 6,845,048 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 120.4 | 188.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.38% | 0.47% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 37.0 | 35.9 | 37.3 |
| Households | 17,096 | 2,713,821 | 130,235,071 |
Population in DeKalb County grew by 4.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 43,807 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in DeKalb County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.4% of residents. That is 1.9 points above Indiana as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 8,892 20.3% -1.9 pts
- Millennials 29–44 8,971 20.5% -0.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 9,382 21.4% +1.9 pts
- Boomers 61–79 7,258 16.6% -0.2 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 50.2% of the people living in DeKalb County and men 49.8%.
- Women 50.2% Indiana 50.4%
- Men 49.8% Indiana 49.6%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in DeKalb County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
DeKalb County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | DeKalb County | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $74,608 | $71,967 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.01% | 4.54% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.5% | 4.3% | 5.2% |
The median household income in DeKalb County is about 4% higher than in Indiana.
Housing
| Metric | DeKalb County | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $164,285 | $142,738 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $860 | $1,062 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 82.1% | 70.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in DeKalb County is about 15.9 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $860 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in DeKalb County spend about 37 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 152 hours, about 6.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | DeKalb County | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.3 | 21.1 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 36.5 | 42.2 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 152 | 176 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,718 | $5,455 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 5.0% | 10.7% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 8,017 | 8,333 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,480 | 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 DeKalb County is 18 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
DeKalb County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | DeKalb County | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.5% | 26.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.54 | 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
DeKalb County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | DeKalb County | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.0 | 77.4 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.3% | 17.1% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 21.9% | 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).
DeKalb County, IN Compared With Nearby Counties
DeKalb County, IN is typical in size for this group, 43,807 residents against a local median of 40,805, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. Where DeKalb County, IN breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 83% above the local median of $89,611 at $164,285.
The counties themselves spread $55,922 on median home price, so DeKalb County, IN sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. DeKalb County, IN has the highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DeKalb County, IN | 43,807 | $74,608 #3/6 | $164,285 #1/6 | 18.3 min #3/6 |
| Steuben County, IN | 34,726 | $74,906 | $65,909 | 17.0 min |
| Allen County, IN | 392,386 | $70,795 | $89,611 | 20.2 min |
| Noble County, IN | 47,495 | $71,042 | $79,285 | 22.3 min |
| Williams County, OH | 36,719 | $61,606 | $115,123 | 17.0 min |
| LaGrange County, IN | 40,805 | $83,276 | $121,830 | 20.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about DeKalb County, Indiana.
How big is DeKalb County, Indiana by population?
About 43,807 people live in DeKalb County, Indiana, in 17,096 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 37.0, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is DeKalb County, Indiana urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, DeKalb County, Indiana has 120 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Is DeKalb County, Indiana an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 2.2 times the median household income ($164,285 against $74,608), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $860 a month takes about 14% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in DeKalb County, Indiana have a college degree?
17.5% of adults in DeKalb County, Indiana hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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