Who is Indiana?

Here is some interesting demographic information for those new to Indiana.

Population

There are approximately 6.6 million people in Indiana, which currently makes it about the 17th most populous state in the US. The population is about the same as Himachal Pradesh, or just the city of Hyderabad.

Yet, it’s the land size of Bihar. The population density (71 people/km2) is about the same as Jammu and Kashmir.

Race

Indiana is a whopping 85% white, 9.7% black, 7% latino, and 2.4% asian.

But, in 1990, it was 90% white, 7.8% black, and .7% asian.

[More about race relations in Indiana to come.]

Rural/Urban

The largest city in Indiana is Indianapolis with a population above 800,000. It is the 16th largest city in the US, and the third in the Midwest. However, there are only three other cities in the whole state that have more than 100,000 people (Fort Wayne and Evansville). For the most part, Indiana is still a very dispersed, rural area.

Heritage

Most white and black Hoosiers were born here. However, for some people their connection to European nations still remains strong, most notably Germany. This is seen most in south central Indiana where the German-American Bank is the most powerful in the region, and cities like Jasper and Evansville boast authentic German restaurants, street names, and architecture.

Cities with the largest Hispanic populations are in north west and north central Indiana like East Chicago, Hammond, Goshen, and Elkhart.

Only 5% of people are foreign born, mostly made up of Latino and Asians. 8.4% speak a language other than English at home.

Religion

Most of the state (72%) is Christian. The next largest group at 26% is “unaffiliated”, most of whom probably grew up in Christian homes. This leaves only 2% of the rest of the population as Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, or other.

Indiana is an intensely religious [read midwest Christian] state, which reflects in its social views, politics, and other areas.

[More to come on religion in Indiana.]

Economics

The median value of homes is $126,000 [roughly Rs. 85 lakh] across the state. However, for the wealthy suburbs of Indianapolis like Carmel or Fishers, that number jumps closer to $300,000 [Rs. 2.1 crore]. The average rent price across the state is $758/mo [Rs. 53k], but this covers lots of types of dwellings and areas, and will be higher near Indianapolis.

All told, housing is much more affordable in Indiana than many other parts of the country, particularly along the coasts.

The median income for an entire household in Indiana is $50,000/year [Rs. 35 lakh]. 14% officially live in poverty. It’s pretty tough to run a family on $50k/year, but most families make it work while living under some economic strain.

Education

88% of Hoosiers are high school graduates, but only 24% have a bachelor’s degree.

Public education is free (aside from some fees) for K-12 grade, and most families take advantage of that.

Colleges are either public (funded by the state government) or private. However, to attend a public college, you still must pay tuition fees. Last year, an Indiana resident would have paid around $24,000 for a single year of full-time classes (including room and board) at Indiana University (the largest public college).