| Jefferson County, Indiana | |
![]() Location in the state of Indiana |
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![]() Indiana's location in the U.S. |
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| Seat | Madison |
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| Area - Total - Land - Water |
363 sq mi (940 km²) 361 sq mi (936 km²) 2 sq mi (4 km²), 0.44% |
| Population - (2000) - Density |
31,705 88/sq mi (34/km²) |
| Founded | 1811 |
| Named for | Thomas Jefferson |
| Congressional district | 9th |
| Time zone | Eastern: UTC-5/-4 |
![]() Jefferson County Courthouse in Madison, Indiana.
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Jefferson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2000, the population was 31,705. The county seat is Madison[1].
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Jefferson County was formed in 1811. It was named for Thomas Jefferson, principal draftsman of the Northwest Ordinance and President of the United States from 1801 through 1809.[2]
Jefferson County was one of Indiana's first counties and many important early Hoosiers hailed from Madison, including William Hendricks. Throughout the early history of the state, Madison was one of the leading cities competing with Vincennes and later New Albany to be the largest city in the state. The county fell into economic decline after the American Civil War as industry began to shift from southern Indiana to the northern part of the state.
On the evening of the May 20, 2009 the county courthouse caught fire. The fire began in the steeple of the courthouse which was under construction for the Madison's bicentennial anniversary. The roof of the dome had just been painted gold. Fire departments for across southern Indiana and northern Kentucky arrived to put out the fire which burnt for several hours, destroyed much of the inside of the building and the county records. The fire necessitated the evacuation of the nearby county jail, and effectively shutdown the downtown area of the city.[3] It was later determined the fire was accidentally started by workers who were welding on the metal roof dome.
The 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 legislative branch of the county government and controls all the spending and revenue collection in the county. Representatives are elected from county districts. 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.[4][5]
Board of Commissioners: The executive body of the county is made of a board of commissioners. The commissioners are elected county-wide, 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, the collection of revenue, and managing the day-to-day functions of the county government.[4][5]
Court: The county maintains a small claims court that can handle some civil cases. The judge on the court is elected to a term of four years and must be a member of the Indiana Bar Association. The judge is assisted by a constable who is also elected to terms of four years. In some cases, court decisions can be appealed to the state level circuit court.[5]
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 serve terms of four years and oversee different parts of the county government. Members elected to any county government position are required to declare a party affiliation and be a resident of the county.[5]
Jefferson County is part of Indiana's 9th congressional district and is represented in Congress by Democrat Baron Hill.[6]
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 363 square miles (940 km²), of which 361 square miles (936 km²) is land and 2 square miles (4 km²) (0.44%) is water.
Sources: National Atlas[7], U.S. Census Bureau[8]
| Jefferson County Population by year |
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2000 31,705 |
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As of the census[9] of 2000, there were 31,705 people, 12,148 households, and 8,430 families residing in the county. The population density was 88 people per square mile (34/km²). There were 13,386 housing units at an average density of 37 per square mile (14/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 96.19% White, 1.45% Black or African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.59% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.39% from other races, and 1.12% from two or more races. 1.05% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 26.0% were of German, 25.7% American, 11.7% English and 9.7% Irish ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 12,148 households out of which 32.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.00% were married couples living together, 10.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.60% were non-families. 25.70% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the county the population was spread out with 24.40% under the age of 18, 10.60% from 18 to 24, 28.50% from 25 to 44, 23.40% from 45 to 64, and 13.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 98.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.60 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $38,189, and the median income for a family was $45,712. Males had a median income of $31,618 versus $22,033 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,412. About 7.60% of families and 9.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.50% of those under age 18 and 8.40% of those age 65 or over.
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Jennings County | Ripley County | ![]() |
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| Scott County | Switzerland County | |||
| Clark County | Trimble County, Kentucky | Carroll County, Kentucky |
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Coordinates: 38°47′N 85°26′W / 38.79°N 85.44°W
| Jefferson County, Indiana view Community messages | |
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| Jefferson County, Indiana | |
| Map | |
| File:Map of Indiana highlighting Jefferson County.png Location in the state of Indiana |
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![]() Indiana's location in the USA |
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| Statistics | |
| Founded | 1811 |
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| Seat | Madison |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
sq mi ( km²) sq mi ( km²) sq mi ( km²), 0.44% |
| wikipedia:Population - (2000) - Density |
31705 |
| Time zone | Eastern : UTC{{{UTC offset}}}/{{{DST offset}}} |
| Named for: Thomas Jefferson | |
Jefferson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2000, the population was 31,705. The county seat is Madison6.
Contents |
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 940 km² (363 sq mi). 936 km² (361 sq mi) of it is land and 4 km² (2 sq mi) of it (0.44%) is water.
Jefferson County was formed in 1811. It was named for Thomas Jefferson, principal draftsman of the Northwest Ordinance and President of the United States from 1801 through 1809.
| Jefferson County Population by year |
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2000 31,705 |
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As of the census² of 2000, there were 31,705 people, 12,148 households, and 8,430 families residing in the county. The population density was 34/km² (88/sq mi). There were 13,386 housing units at an average density of 14/km² (37/sq mi). The racial makeup of the county was 96.19% White, 1.45% Black or African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.59% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.39% from other races, and 1.12% from two or more races. 1.05% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 26.0% were of German, 25.7% American, 11.7% English and 9.7% Irish ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 12,148 households out of which 32.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.00% were married couples living together, 10.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.60% were non-families. 25.70% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the county the population was spread out with 24.40% under the age of 18, 10.60% from 18 to 24, 28.50% from 25 to 44, 23.40% from 45 to 64, and 13.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 98.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.60 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $38,189, and the median income for a family was $45,712. Males had a median income of $31,618 versus $22,033 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,412. About 7.60% of families and 9.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.50% of those under age 18 and 8.40% of those age 65 or over.
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| This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at Jefferson County, Indiana. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this Familypedia wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons License. |
| County of country | United States + |
| County of subdivision1 | Indiana + |
| Short name | Jefferson County + |
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