Jasper County, Indiana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jasper County, Indiana
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Jasper County Courthouse in Rensselaer
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Location in the state of Indiana
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Indiana's location in the U.S.
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Indiana |
| Region | Northwest Indiana |
| Metro area | Chicago Metropolitan |
| Created | 7 February 1835 |
| Established | 15 March 1838 |
| Named for | Sgt. William Jasper |
| County seat | Rensselaer |
| Largest city | Rensselaer |
| Boroughs |
List
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| Government | |
| • Type | County |
| • Body | Board of Commissioners |
| Area | |
| • County | 561.39 sq mi (1,454.0 km2) |
| • Land | 559.62 sq mi (1,449.4 km2) |
| • Water | 1.76 sq mi (4.6 km2) |
| • Metro | 10,874 sq mi (28,160 km2) |
| Area rank | 3rd largest county in Indiana |
| • Region | 2,726 sq mi (7,060 km2) |
| Elevation | 696 ft (212 m) |
| Population
(2010)
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| • County | 33,478 |
| • Estimate
(2018)
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33,270 |
| • Rank | 54th largest county in Indiana 1,341st largest county in U.S. |
| • Density | 59.5/sq mi (23.0/km2) |
| • Metro | 9,522,434 |
| • Region | 819,537 |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (Central) |
| ZIP Codes |
46310, 46341, 46374, 46392, 47922, 47943, 47946, 47948, 47957, 47959, 47977-78, 47995
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| Area code | 219 |
| Congressional district | 4th |
| Indiana Senate districts | 5th and 7th |
| Indiana House of Representatives districts | 4th, 16th and 20th |
| FIPS code | 18-073 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0450494 |
| Interstate and U.S. Route |   
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| State Routes |      
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| Airport | Jasper County
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| Waterways | Iroquois River – Kankakee River
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| Amtrak station | Rensselaer |
| Website | www.jaspercountyin.gov |
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| Demographics (2010) | |||
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| White | Black | Asian | |
| 95.8% | 0.6% | 0.4% | |
| Islander | Native | Other | Hispanic (any race) |
| 0.0% | 0.2% | 3.0% | 5.4% |
Jasper County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2010, the population was 33,478. The county seat is Rensselaer.
Jasper County is included in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Contents
History
Jasper County was formed in 1838. It was named for Sgt. William Jasper, a famous scout for the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. Jasper became famous in 1776, during the bombardment of Fort Moultrie, for erecting a new flagstaff under fire after the American flag had been shot down. Jasper was killed during the Siege of Savannah in 1779. Jasper County's twin county, Newton County, was named after Jasper's friend and comrade, John Newton.
The Civil War
As early as 1825, the majority of the population were against slavery. By the time the federal government declared war, Jasper County was one of the few counties of Indiana that had a military organization under the law of 1855. The Civil War greatly affected Jasper County when they enlisted 935 soldiers on behalf of the Union. This large amount was considered an impressive amount at the time with the average population centered around 5,000 people. Although there were several companies from Indiana, the 9th Indiana Infantry Regiment produced Robert H. Milroy, the "Gray Eagle of the Army". Milroy became famous for suppressing Confederate mountain rangers, which caused the Confederate Congress to declare a $100,000 bounty on his head. The 9th Indiana Infantry Regiment later became known for its involvement in the Battle of Philippi, one of the earliest battles of the Civil War at Laurel Hill (now known as Laurel Mountain). In comparing the proportions of men able to fight, Indiana contributed more soldiers than any other state to the Union.
Geography
According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 561.39 square miles (1,454.0 km2), of which 559.62 square miles (1,449.4 km2) (or 99.68%) is land and 1.76 square miles (4.6 km2) (or 0.31%) is water. Until the middle of the 19th century when it was drained to make farmland, this county was part of the 2nd largest freshwater wetland in the US, with abundant flora and fauna. This is caused by the Iroquois River. The Iroquois River is one of the main tributaries of the Kankakee River and flows throughout Jasper County. This allowed it to act as a major water source for the community.
Major highways
Railroads
- CSX Transportation
- Norfolk Southern Railway
- Toledo, Peoria and Western Railway
Adjacent counties
Municipalities
The municipalities in Jasper County, and their populations as of the 2010 Census, are:
Cities
- Rensselaer – 5,859
Towns
Census-designated places
Townships
The 13 townships of Jasper County, with their populations as of the 2010 Census, are:
Climate and weather
| Weather chart for Rensselaer, Indiana | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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30
14
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1.7
36
19
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3.1
47
29
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3.5
60
39
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4.2
72
50
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4.3
81
60
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3.8
85
64
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3.5
83
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3.3
76
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3
64
41
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3.2
49
32
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2.7
36
21
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| temperatures in °F precipitation totals in inches source: The Weather Channel |
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Metric conversion
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In recent years, average temperatures in Rensselaer have ranged from a low of 14 °F (−10 °C) in January to a high of 85 °F (29 °C) in July, although a record low of −25 °F (−32 °C) was recorded in January 1985 and a record high of 104 °F (40 °C) was recorded in August 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.67 inches (42 mm) in February to 4.34 inches (110 mm) in June.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1840 | 1,267 | — | |
| 1850 | 3,540 | 179.4% | |
| 1860 | 4,291 | 21.2% | |
| 1870 | 6,354 | 48.1% | |
| 1880 | 9,464 | 48.9% | |
| 1890 | 11,185 | 18.2% | |
| 1900 | 14,292 | 27.8% | |
| 1910 | 13,044 | −8.7% | |
| 1920 | 13,961 | 7.0% | |
| 1930 | 13,388 | −4.1% | |
| 1940 | 14,397 | 7.5% | |
| 1950 | 17,031 | 18.3% | |
| 1960 | 18,842 | 10.6% | |
| 1970 | 20,429 | 8.4% | |
| 1980 | 26,138 | 27.9% | |
| 1990 | 24,960 | −4.5% | |
| 2000 | 30,043 | 20.4% | |
| 2010 | 33,478 | 11.4% | |
| 2018 (est.) | 33,270 | −0.6% | |
| US Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2013 |
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As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 33,478 people, 12,232 households, and 9,165 families in the county. The population density was 59.8 inhabitants per square mile (23.1/km2). There were 13,168 housing units at an average density of 23.5 per square mile (9.1/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 95.8% white, 0.6% black or African American, 0.4% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 2.0% from other races, and 1.0% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 5.4% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 27.6% were German, 16.5% were Irish, 9.6% were Dutch, 9.3% were English, 6.9% were American, and 6.0% were Polish.
Of the 12,232 households, 35.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.7% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 25.1% were non-families, and 20.9% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.07. The median age was 38.0 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $63,842. Males had a median income of $50,984 versus $32,313 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,676. About 7.7% of families and 9.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.1% of those under age 18 and 5.7% of those age 65 or over.
Religion
The Catholic church is the biggest denomination in the county with 4,341 members, the second largest is the Reformed Church in America with 1,502 members and 2 churches (First Church and American Reformed Church) the third is the United Methodist Church with 1,300 members, the fourth largest is the Christian Reformed Church in North America with 1,013 members in 3 congregations as of 2010.
Education
Residents of Jasper County attend public schools administered by four different districts in multiple counties:
- Kankakee Valley School Corporation [1]
High Schools
- Kankakee Valley High School [2]
- Rensselaer Central High School [3]
- Covenant Christian High School in DeMotte (grades 9-12)
Middle Schools
- Kankakee Valley Middle School [4]
- Rensselaer Central Middle School [5]
Elementary Schools
- DeMotte Christian Elementary School (Preschool through 8th)
- DeMotte Elementary School [6]
- Kankakee Valley Intermediate School [7]
- St. Augustine Catholic School
- Tri-County Primary School (K-2nd)
- Van Rensselaer Elementary School [8]
- Wheatfield Elementary School [9]
Colleges and Universities
- Saint Joseph's College closed
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 | Agnodice |
 | Aglaonice |
 | Mary the Jewess |
