Population
The success of a regional economy depends in large part on the people who choose to live there. That choice may be the happenstance of being born there and desiring to stay, or a more deliberate one of choosing to re-locate from somewhere else.
Monitoring change in the size and movement of population is an important barometer of well-being. The barometer is a good metaphor for population change since it can presage more notable events, such as lackluster business attraction due to lack of workers.
Blackford County’s population estimate for 2006 was 13,603, down 3.2 percent from the 2000 Census total. During this same time period, Indiana’s total 2006 population estimate of 6,313,520 was up by 3.8 percent. Approximately 69 percent of Blackford County’s working residents work in the county.
| Population Over Time | |||||
| 1987 | 1992 | 1997 | 2002 | 2007 | |
| Total Population | 14,455 | 14,029 | 14,001 | 13,769 | 13,189 |
| Change Since 1987 | -426 | -454 | -686 | -1,266 | |
| Pct. Change Since 1987 | -2.9% | -3.1% | -4.7% | -8.8% | |
Source: US Census Bureau
| Components of Population Change 2006 to 2007 | ||
| Number | ||
| Net Domestic Migration | -84 | |
| International Migration | 1 | |
| Natural Increase (births minus deaths) | -8 | |
| Births | 148 | |
| Deaths | 156 | |
Source: US Census Bureau
|
Population Estimates by Age in 2006 | ||
| Number | Pct. Dist | |
| Preschool | 766 | 5.8% |
| School Age | 2,352 | 17.7% |
| College Age | 951 | 7.2% |
| Young Adult | 3,603 | 27.1% |
| Older Adult | 3,734 | 28.1% |
| Older (65 plus) | 2,197 | 16.5% |
Source: US Census Bureau
| Population Estimates by Race and Hispanic Origin in 2006 | ||
| Number | Pct. Dist | |
| American Ind. or Alaskan Native Alone | 52 | 0.4% |
| Asian Alone | 34 | 0.3% |
| Black Alone | 51 | 0.4% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pac. Isl. Alone | 0 | 0.0% |
| White Alone | 13,365 | 100.6% |
| Two or More Race Groups | 101 | 0.8% |
| Hispanic or Latino | ||
| Non-Hispanic or Latino | 13,520 | 101.8% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 83 | 0.6% |
Source: US Census Bureau
| Households in 2000 | ||
| Number | Pct. Dist | |
| Total Households | 5,690 | 100.0% |
| Family Households | 4,029 | 70.8% |
| Married with Children | 1,264 | 22.2% |
| Married without Children | 1,967 | 34.6% |
| Single Parents | 488 | 8.6% |
| Other | 310 | 5.4% |
| Non-family Households | 1,661 | 29.2% |
| Living Alone | 1,472 | 25.9% |
| Average Household Size | 2.46 | |
| Average Family Household Size | 3.48 | |
Source: US Census Bureau
| Population Counts by Decade and Current Year Estimate | |||
| Population | Numerical Chg. |
Pct. Chg. | |
| 1950 | 14,026 | NA | NA |
| 1960 | 14,792 | 766 | 5.5% |
| 1970 | 15,888 | 1,096 | 7.4% |
| 1980 | 15,570 | -318 | -2.0% |
| 1990 | 14,067 | -1,503 | -9.7% |
| April 2000 | 14,048 | -19 | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 13,189 | -859 | -6.1% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
| Population Projections | |||||
| 2005 | 2010 | 2015 | 2020 | 2025 | |
| Population Projections | 13,849 | 13,499 | 13,273 | 13,195 | 13,128 |
| Change Since 2005 | -350 | -576 | -654 | -721 | |
| Pct. Change Since 2005 | -2.5% | -4.2% | -4.7% | -5.2% | |
Source: Indiana Business Research Center