Vanderburgh County is a county in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2020, the population was 180,136.[2] The county seat is in Evansville.[3] While Vanderburgh County was the eighth-largest county in 2020 population in Indiana, it is also the eighth-smallest county in area and the smallest in southwestern Indiana, covering only 236 square miles (610 km2). Vanderburgh County forms the core of the Evansville metropolitan statistical area.
Vanderburgh County | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Seal | |
 Location within the U.S. state of Indiana | |
 Indiana's location within the U.S. | |
| Coordinates: 38°01′N 87°35′W / 38.02°N 87.58°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Indiana |
| Founded | January 7, 1818 |
| Named for | Henry Vanderburgh |
| Seat | Evansville |
| Largest city | Evansville |
| Area | |
• Total | 236.33 sq mi (612.1 km2) |
| • Land | 233.48 sq mi (604.7 km2) |
| • Water | 2.86 sq mi (7.4 km2) 1.21% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 180,136 |
• Estimate (2023) | 179,810  |
| • Density | 760/sq mi (290/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 8th |
| Website | www |
[1]
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History
editVanderburgh County was formed on January 7, 1818, from Gibson, Posey, and Warrick counties. It was named for Captain Henry Vanderburgh, Revolutionary War veteran and judge for the Indiana Territory.
Geography
editAccording to the 2010 census, the county has an area of 236.33 square miles (612.1 km2), of which 233.48 square miles (604.7 km2) (or 98.79%) is land and 2.86 square miles (7.4 km2) (or 1.21%) is water.[4]
Regional
editAdjacent counties
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Cities and towns
editCensus-designated places
editUnincorporated towns
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Townships
edit(2000 population)
Major highways
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Climate and weather
edit| Evansville, Indiana | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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In recent years, average temperatures in Evansville have ranged from a low of 25 °F (−4 °C) in January to a high of 91 °F (33 °C) in July, although a record low of −17 °F (−27 °C) was recorded in January 1985 and a record high of 109 °F (43 °C) was recorded in July 1954. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.96 inches (75 mm) in October to 4.78 inches (121 mm) in May.[5]
Government
editThe 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 fiscal branch of the county government that has the legislative responsibilities for the spending and revenue collection in the county. Four representatives are elected from county districts and three are elected at-large by the entire county. 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.[6][7]
Board of commissioners: The executive body of the county is made of a board of commissioners. The commissioners are elected county-wide but must live within the district of the seat they hold, 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.[6][7]
Court: The county has eight state trial courts of original jurisdiction. One circuit court and seven superior courts. The judges offices are non-partisan with terms of six years. A judge must be a member of the Indiana Bar Association. The judges are assisted by magistrates that are appointed. circuit court.[7]
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.[7]
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2024 | 41,056 | 55.61% | 31,727 | 42.97% | 1,046 | 1.42% |
| 2020 | 41,844 | 53.88% | 34,415 | 44.31% | 1,403 | 1.81% |
| 2016 | 40,496 | 55.19% | 28,530 | 38.88% | 4,349 | 5.93% |
| 2012 | 39,389 | 54.26% | 31,725 | 43.71% | 1,474 | 2.03% |
| 2008 | 37,512 | 48.15% | 39,423 | 50.60% | 978 | 1.26% |
| 2004 | 41,463 | 58.68% | 28,767 | 40.72% | 424 | 0.60% |
| 2000 | 35,846 | 54.13% | 29,222 | 44.13% | 1,153 | 1.74% |
| 1996 | 28,509 | 43.22% | 30,934 | 46.90% | 6,518 | 9.88% |
| 1992 | 30,271 | 39.39% | 33,799 | 43.99% | 12,770 | 16.62% |
| 1988 | 38,928 | 55.25% | 31,270 | 44.38% | 255 | 0.36% |
| 1984 | 40,994 | 56.68% | 31,049 | 42.93% | 287 | 0.40% |
| 1980 | 36,248 | 51.07% | 29,930 | 42.17% | 4,804 | 6.77% |
| 1976 | 37,975 | 51.87% | 34,911 | 47.69% | 325 | 0.44% |
| 1972 | 48,806 | 68.32% | 22,163 | 31.02% | 468 | 0.66% |
| 1968 | 38,231 | 49.28% | 31,326 | 40.38% | 8,020 | 10.34% |
| 1964 | 27,231 | 37.10% | 45,796 | 62.39% | 380 | 0.52% |
| 1960 | 41,068 | 52.90% | 36,330 | 46.80% | 237 | 0.31% |
| 1956 | 42,462 | 57.68% | 30,860 | 41.92% | 297 | 0.40% |
| 1952 | 42,010 | 58.20% | 29,718 | 41.17% | 459 | 0.64% |
| 1948 | 27,584 | 45.25% | 32,640 | 53.55% | 732 | 1.20% |
| 1944 | 30,684 | 46.87% | 34,440 | 52.61% | 338 | 0.52% |
| 1940 | 28,417 | 42.25% | 38,567 | 57.33% | 283 | 0.42% |
| 1936 | 14,725 | 25.79% | 41,490 | 72.68% | 870 | 1.52% |
| 1932 | 16,873 | 33.91% | 31,828 | 63.97% | 1,051 | 2.11% |
| 1928 | 29,067 | 59.44% | 19,646 | 40.17% | 192 | 0.39% |
| 1924 | 25,907 | 55.29% | 17,186 | 36.68% | 3,763 | 8.03% |
| 1920 | 19,357 | 52.39% | 13,904 | 37.63% | 3,685 | 9.97% |
| 1916 | 9,966 | 47.52% | 10,028 | 47.81% | 979 | 4.67% |
| 1912 | 4,839 | 27.37% | 7,219 | 40.83% | 5,624 | 31.81% |
| 1908 | 9,116 | 49.43% | 8,033 | 43.56% | 1,294 | 7.02% |
| 1904 | 8,624 | 51.65% | 5,885 | 35.25% | 2,187 | 13.10% |
| 1900 | 8,228 | 51.59% | 7,178 | 45.00% | 544 | 3.41% |
| 1896 | 8,068 | 52.74% | 7,132 | 46.62% | 97 | 0.63% |
| 1892 | 6,175 | 48.52% | 6,166 | 48.45% | 386 | 3.03% |
| 1888 | 6,027 | 50.23% | 5,889 | 49.08% | 82 | 0.68% |
Vanderburgh County is generally a Republican-leaning swing county in presidential elections. Only two Democratic candidates - George McGovern in 1972 and Hillary Clinton in 2016 - have failed to win 40 percent of the county's vote since 1928. The city of Evansville itself is a swing city; it voted for Donald Trump in 2016 by 4 points, and four years later for Joe Biden, also by 4 points.[9] In 2020, former Evansville mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel (a Democrat) carried the county in his bid for the office of Attorney General but lost statewide.
The county is located in the 8th congressional district, which was notoriously dubbed "The Bloody Eighth" because of its tendency to oust incumbents from both parties - since 1933, no Congressman has represented the district longer than 12 years in a row.[10]
Demographics
edit| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1820 | 1,798 | — | |
| 1830 | 2,611 | 45.2% | |
| 1840 | 6,250 | 139.4% | |
| 1850 | 11,414 | 82.6% | |
| 1860 | 20,552 | 80.1% | |
| 1870 | 33,145 | 61.3% | |
| 1880 | 42,193 | 27.3% | |
| 1890 | 59,809 | 41.8% | |
| 1900 | 71,769 | 20.0% | |
| 1910 | 77,438 | 7.9% | |
| 1920 | 92,293 | 19.2% | |
| 1930 | 113,320 | 22.8% | |
| 1940 | 130,783 | 15.4% | |
| 1950 | 160,422 | 22.7% | |
| 1960 | 165,794 | 3.3% | |
| 1970 | 168,772 | 1.8% | |
| 1980 | 167,515 | −0.7% | |
| 1990 | 165,058 | −1.5% | |
| 2000 | 171,922 | 4.2% | |
| 2010 | 179,703 | 4.5% | |
| 2020 | 180,136 | 0.2% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 179,810 | [11] | −0.2% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[12] 1790–1960[13] 1900–1990[14] 1990–2000[15] 2010[16] | |||
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 179,703 people, 74,454 households, and 45,118 families residing in the county.[17] The population density was 769.7 inhabitants per square mile (297.2/km2). There were 83,003 housing units at an average density of 355.5 per square mile (137.3/km2).[4] The racial makeup of the county was 86.2% white, 9.1% black or African American, 1.1% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 1.0% from other races, and 2.3% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.2% of the population.[17] In terms of ancestry, 32.3% were German, 18.3% were American, 11.7% were Irish, and 9.4% were English.[18]
Of the 74,454 households, 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.9% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 39.4% were non-families, and 32.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.93. The median age was 37.5 years.[17]
The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $57,076. Males had a median income of $42,663 versus $31,037 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,945. About 10.7% of families and 15.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.4% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those age 65 or over.[19]
Education
editThe entire county is in the Evansville-Vanderburgh School Corporation.[20]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Vanderburgh County, Indiana; Evansville city, Indiana". Census.gov. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
- ^ "Vanderburgh County, Indiana". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ a b "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
- ^ a b "Monthly Averages for Evansville, Indiana". The Weather Channel. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
- ^ a b Indiana Code. "Title 36, Article 2, Section 3". IN.gov. Retrieved September 16, 2008.
- ^ a b c d Indiana Code. "Title 2, Article 10, Section 2" (PDF). IN.gov. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 27, 2004. Retrieved September 16, 2008.
- ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved May 20, 2018.
- ^ Bloch, Matthew; Buchanan, Larry; Katz, Josh; Quealy, Kevin (July 25, 2018). "An Extremely Detailed Map of the 2016 Presidential Election". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- ^ Johnson, Dirk (October 10, 2000). "THE 2000 CAMPAIGN: AN INDIANA RACE; Conservatives Face Off in Quirky Populist District". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
- ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
- ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
- ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
- ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
- ^ "Vanderburgh County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 25, 2011.
- ^ a b c "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
- ^ "DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 14, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
- ^ "DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 14, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
- ^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Vanderburgh County, IN" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 23, 2022. Retrieved July 22, 2022. - Text list
External links
edit
Media related to Vanderburgh County, Indiana at Wikimedia Commons- Official Vanderburgh County website
