Putnam County, Indiana Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Putnam 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 74% of counties in Indiana
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C
Income Below averageLess wealthy than 79% of counties in Indiana
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Putnam County | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 37,280 | 6,845,048 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 77.3 | 188.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.11% | 0.47% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 36.4 | 35.9 | 37.3 |
| Households | 14,142 | 2,713,821 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Putnam County grew by 0.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 37,280 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Putnam County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 24.6% of residents. That is 2.4 points above Indiana as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 9,175 24.6% +2.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 7,523 20.2% -1.0 pts
- Gen X 45–60 7,538 20.2% +0.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 6,532 17.5% +0.8 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 47.3% of the people living in Putnam County and men 52.7%.
- Women 47.3% Indiana 50.4%
- Men 52.7% Indiana 49.6%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Putnam County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Putnam County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Putnam County | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $77,280 | $71,967 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.88% | 4.54% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.1% | 4.3% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Putnam County is about 7% higher than in Indiana.
Housing
| Metric | Putnam County | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $204,327 | $142,738 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $883 | $1,062 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 75.4% | 70.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Putnam County is about 19.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $883 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Putnam County spend about 45 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 188 hours, about 7.8 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Putnam County | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 22.5 | 21.1 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 45.1 | 42.2 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 188 | 176 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,821 | $5,455 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 10.1% | 10.7% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 8,707 | 8,333 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 700 | 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 Putnam County is 23 minutes, longer 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
Putnam County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Putnam County | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.1% | 26.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.32 | 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
Putnam County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Putnam County | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.8 | 77.4 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.4% | 17.1% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 21.4% | 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).
Putnam County, IN Compared With Nearby Counties
Putnam County, IN is the 3rd largest of the 5 counties compared here, 37,280 residents against a local median of 32,360. There is no headline here. Every measure below sits within 15% of the median across the nearest counties, which makes Putnam County, IN an unremarkable member of its own neighbourhood rather than an outlier in it.
The largest of those small differences is commute, 11% below the local median at 22.5 min against 25.5 min. Putnam County, IN has the 2nd lowest commute of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Putnam County, IN | 37,280 | $77,280 #2/5 | $204,327 #4/5 | 22.5 min #2/5 |
| Hendricks County, IN | 183,344 | $101,287 | $213,414 | 23.5 min |
| Owen County, IN | 21,604 | $64,192 | $305,556 | 30.0 min |
| Montgomery County, IN | 38,312 | $71,247 | $95,757 | 18.0 min |
| Clay County, IN | 26,409 | $70,786 | $206,944 | 27.4 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Putnam County, Indiana.
How many people live in Putnam County, Indiana?
About 37,280 people live in Putnam County, Indiana, in 14,142 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 36.4, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Putnam County, Indiana?
Averaged over its land area, Putnam County, Indiana has 77 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 Putnam County, Indiana?
The median home costs 2.6 times the median household income ($204,327 against $77,280), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $883 a month takes about 14% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Putnam County, Indiana?
Unemployment in Putnam County, Indiana is only 3.1%, 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 Putnam County, Indiana have a college degree?
17.1% of adults in Putnam 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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