Spencer, Indiana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Spencer, Indiana
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Owen County courthouse in Spencer
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Location of Spencer in Owen County, Indiana.
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| Country | United States |
| State | Indiana |
| County | Owen |
| Township | Washington |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.59 sq mi (4.13 km2) |
| • Land | 1.59 sq mi (4.13 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 564 ft (172 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 2,454 |
| • Density | 1,539.52/sq mi (594.30/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
47460
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| Area code(s) | 812 |
| FIPS code | 18-71972 |
| GNIS feature ID | 443934 |
| Website | http://www.spencer.in.gov/ |
Spencer is a town located in Owen County, Indiana, in the United States. It is the main town, also known as the county seat, for Owen County. In 2020, about 2,454 people lived there. Spencer is also part of the larger Bloomington metropolitan area.
Contents
History of Spencer
Spencer was officially planned out in 1820. It was named after Captain Spier Spencer. He was a brave soldier who died in the Battle of Tippecanoe. Spencer County, Indiana is also named after him.
A post office has been open in Spencer since 1821. The building used today was built in 1938. It was part of a program called the New Deal. This program helped create jobs during a tough economic time.
Historic Buildings and Places
Several buildings in Spencer are very old and important. They are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This list helps protect special places in the United States.
- The Allison-Robinson House
- The David Enoch Beem House
- The Owen County Courthouse
- The Spencer Public Library
- The Spencer Town Hall and Fire Station
Community Events
Spencer hosts fun events in its downtown area. These include "Christmas at the Square" during the holiday season. There is also the "Spencer Pride Festival" and the "Rev20 Christian Music Festival". These events bring the community together.
Geography and Climate
Spencer covers a total area of about 1.59 square miles (4.13 square kilometers). All of this area is land.
Understanding Spencer's Climate
The weather in Spencer has hot and humid summers. Winters are usually mild to cool. This type of weather is called a humid subtropical climate. On climate maps, it is shown as "Cfa".
| Climate data for Spencer, Indiana (Spencer) 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1946–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 73 (23) |
77 (25) |
85 (29) |
89 (32) |
95 (35) |
104 (40) |
107 (42) |
102 (39) |
104 (40) |
93 (34) |
84 (29) |
76 (24) |
107 (42) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 37.2 (2.9) |
41.7 (5.4) |
52.3 (11.3) |
64.4 (18.0) |
73.9 (23.3) |
82.1 (27.8) |
85.4 (29.7) |
84.4 (29.1) |
78.8 (26.0) |
66.9 (19.4) |
53.0 (11.7) |
41.9 (5.5) |
63.5 (17.5) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 28.7 (−1.8) |
32.1 (0.1) |
41.5 (5.3) |
52.5 (11.4) |
62.5 (16.9) |
71.2 (21.8) |
74.7 (23.7) |
73.2 (22.9) |
66.4 (19.1) |
54.5 (12.5) |
42.7 (5.9) |
33.4 (0.8) |
52.8 (11.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 20.2 (−6.6) |
22.6 (−5.2) |
30.6 (−0.8) |
40.6 (4.8) |
51.1 (10.6) |
60.2 (15.7) |
64.0 (17.8) |
62.0 (16.7) |
54.0 (12.2) |
42.1 (5.6) |
32.3 (0.2) |
25.0 (−3.9) |
42.1 (5.6) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −33 (−36) |
−23 (−31) |
−12 (−24) |
15 (−9) |
26 (−3) |
34 (1) |
39 (4) |
40 (4) |
28 (−2) |
14 (−10) |
−4 (−20) |
−24 (−31) |
−33 (−36) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.45 (88) |
2.64 (67) |
3.65 (93) |
5.34 (136) |
5.19 (132) |
5.82 (148) |
4.93 (125) |
3.58 (91) |
3.76 (96) |
3.86 (98) |
4.01 (102) |
3.46 (88) |
49.69 (1,262) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 6.9 (18) |
4.2 (11) |
1.5 (3.8) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.3 (0.76) |
2.8 (7.1) |
15.8 (40) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 11.7 | 9.8 | 11.1 | 12.9 | 13.0 | 11.8 | 10.3 | 7.7 | 7.8 | 9.1 | 9.9 | 11.0 | 126.1 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 3.9 | 2.8 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 2.4 | 10.2 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
Population and People
Spencer's population has changed over many years. Here's a quick look at how many people have lived in the town during different census years:
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1850 | 335 | — | |
| 1870 | 971 | — | |
| 1880 | 1,655 | 70.4% | |
| 1890 | 1,868 | 12.9% | |
| 1900 | 2,026 | 8.5% | |
| 1910 | 2,150 | 6.1% | |
| 1920 | 2,066 | −3.9% | |
| 1930 | 2,179 | 5.5% | |
| 1940 | 2,375 | 9.0% | |
| 1950 | 2,394 | 0.8% | |
| 1960 | 2,557 | 6.8% | |
| 1970 | 2,553 | −0.2% | |
| 1980 | 2,732 | 7.0% | |
| 1990 | 2,609 | −4.5% | |
| 2000 | 2,508 | −3.9% | |
| 2010 | 2,217 | −11.6% | |
| 2020 | 2,454 | 10.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2010 Census Details
In 2010, there were 2,217 people living in Spencer. These people lived in 1,008 homes. About half of these homes were families. The town had about 1,760 people per square mile.
Most people in Spencer were White (98.1%). A small number were from other racial groups. About 2.1% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
The average age in Spencer was about 41.8 years old.
- 20.1% of residents were under 18.
- 9.4% were between 18 and 24.
- 24.2% were between 25 and 44.
- 26.3% were between 45 and 64.
- 19.8% were 65 or older.
Slightly more than half of the residents were female (52.8%).
Education in Spencer
Spencer is home to Owen Valley Community High School (OVHS). This school has about 980 students and over 100 teachers. OVHS was built in 1971. It was created by combining several smaller schools from Owen County, Indiana.
The school's mascot is the Patriot. Their school colors are red, white, and blue. The school yearbook is called the Triad. The name "Triad" comes from the three schools that joined to form Owen Valley High School.
The town also has a public library. It is called the Owen County Public Library. It offers books and resources for everyone in the community.
Notable People from Spencer
To learn more about famous people who come from Spencer, you can visit the main article: List of people from Spencer, Indiana.
See also
In Spanish: Spencer (Indiana) para niños
