Putnam County, Indiana

County in IN, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

37,280

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

38.4

years ∙ half population younger than 38.4, half older

Diversity Index

17.7%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

2.4%

foreign-born population

97.6%Native

2.4% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Putnam County is a county in Indiana, United States.

Location

County in IN, US

Co-ordinates

DEC39.665548° N, 86.853373° W

DMS39° 39′ 55.97″ N, 86° 51′ 12.14″ W

Population Density & area

77.59/sq mi (29.95/km²)

Total Area

482.7 sq mi (1,250.2 km²)

Land Area

480.5 sq mi (1,244.6 km²) · 99.55%

Water Area

2.2 sq mi (5.6 km²) · 0.45%

Demographics & Living

Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

52.9% male

Male 52.9%

Female 47.1%

males per 100 females

Putnam County 112.5

Indiana 98.4

United States 98

Nativity

2.4%

foreign-born population

97.6%Native

2.4% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Putnam County 2.4%

Indiana 6.3%

United States 14.1%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

38.4

years ∙ half population younger than 38.4, half older

Putnam County

38.4

Indiana

38.1

United States

38.9

Dependency ratio

57.9

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Putnam County 57.9

Indiana 66.7

United States 64.4

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Putnam County	Indiana	United States
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	19.3%	23.3%	22%
Working age (18-64)	63.4%	59.9%	60.8%
Senior (65+)	17.3%	16.8%	17.2%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	57.9	66.7	64.4
Child dependency ratio	30.5	38.8	36.1
Old-age dependency ratio	27.4	27.9	28.3

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

90.6%

Black

3.3%

Asian

1.3%

Hispanic

2.3%

Other

2.5%

Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.

Diversity Index

17.7%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Putnam County 17.7%

Indiana 41.4%

United States 61.4%

Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.

RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION

Race & Ethnicity

Percentage of Putnam County population

	Putnam County	Indiana	United States
Hispanic or Latino	2.3%	8.6%	19.3%
Mexican	1.1%	5.7%	11.3%
Puerto Rican	0.2%	0.8%	1.8%
Cuban	0%	0.1%	0.8%
Other Hispanic / Latino	0.9%	2%	5.5%
Not Hispanic or Latino	97.7%	91.4%	80.7%
One race	95.5%	87.6%	76.4%
White	90.6%	75.4%	57.4%
Black or African American	3.3%	9.1%	11.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0.1%	0.1%	0.5%
Asian	1.3%	2.6%	5.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0.2%
Some Other Race	0.3%	0.4%	0.6%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	2.2%	3.8%	4.3%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

69.2% family

Family 69.2%

Non family 30.8%

% family households

Putnam County 69.2%

Indiana 63.7%

United States 64.2%

Average household size

2.32

persons per household

Putnam County

2.32

Indiana

2.46

United States

2.53

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Putnam County population

	Putnam County	Indiana	United States
Total households	14,142	2,716,009	129,227,496
Average houshold size	2.32	2.46	2.53
Family households	9,789	1,729,978	82,990,528
Average family size	2.76	3.07	3.14
Married couple family	7,733	1,284,219	60,637,388
Other families	2,056	445,759	22,353,140
Male householder	949	137,811	6,572,819
Female householder	1,107	307,948	15,780,321
Non-family households	4,353	986,031	46,236,968
One-person households	3,733	803,751	37,140,836
Male householder	2,021	374,646	16,871,444
Senior (65+) living alone	603	109,929	5,225,110
Female householder	1,712	429,105	20,269,392
Senior (65+) living alone	943	217,057	10,089,070
Other living arrangements	620	182,280	9,096,132

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

15,268

housing units

Putnam County 15,268

Indiana 2,976,568

United States 143,775,355

Occupancy status

92.6% occupied

Occupied 92.6%

Vacant 7.4%

vacancy rate

Putnam County 7.4%

Indiana 8.8%

United States 10.1%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

80.6%

Single family houses

80.6%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

11.5%

Mobile homes

7.8%

Boat, RV, van, etc

0.1%

Median Year Built

1981

Half of houses were built before 1981, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

18.3%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

18.3%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

44.2%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

19.3%

Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Putnam County	Indiana	United States
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	5.8	5.9	5.5
1–3 rooms	7.5%	10.5%	15.1%
4–6 rooms	55.6%	51.4%	51.6%
7+ rooms	37%	38.2%	33.4%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	0.7%	1.7%	2.9%
1 bedroom	8.9%	9.2%	10.9%
2 bedrooms	25.8%	24.7%	25%
3 bedrooms	47.9%	43.3%	38.7%
4+ bedrooms	16.7%	21.1%	22.4%
At a glance
Median year built	1981	1977	1981
Total housing units	15,268	2,976,568	143,775,355

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

75.4% owners

Renter-occupied 24.6%

Owner-occupied 75.4%

homeownership rate

Putnam County 75.4%

Indiana 70.6%

United States 65.2%

Average household size

2.45

Owner-occupied

1.94

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Putnam County 2.45

Indiana 2.58

United States 2.64

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Putnam County	Indiana	United States
Total occupied units	14,142	2,716,009	129,227,496
Year moved in
2020 or later	23.4%	23.9%	24.8%
2010 to 2019	40%	39.6%	39.6%
2000 to 2009	14.8%	16.3%	16.4%
1999 or earlier	21.9%	20.2%	19.1%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	98.6%	98.2%	96.6%
1.01 to 1.50	0.9%	1.3%	2.2%
1.51 or more	0.5%	0.6%	1.2%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	3.5%	6.2%	8.4%
1 vehicle	25.7%	32%	33.1%
2 vehicles	41.3%	38.2%	36.6%
3 or more vehicles	29.4%	23.6%	21.9%
House heating fuel used
Gas	47.1%	65.8%	51.4%
Electricity	41.5%	31.2%	41.3%
Solar	0.2%	0.1%	0.3%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	3.5%	0.5%	3.9%
All other fuels	6.2%	2%	2%
No fuel used	1.6%	0.5%	1.2%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0.2%	0.4%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	0.5%	0.8%	0.8%
No telephone service available	0.4%	0.9%	0.9%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$218,900

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Putnam County

$218,900

Indiana

$218,200

United States

$332,700

Housing Cost Burden

16.7%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

16.7%

Owners without a mortgage

10%

Renters

50.3%

Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.

Financial characteristics

Property value and housing costs

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Putnam County	Indiana	United States
Property value
Median Value	$218,900	$218,200	$332,700
Under $100,000	15.3%	16.1%	11.4%
$100,000 - $200,000	28.9%	28.5%	15.8%
$200,000 - $300,000	26.4%	25.1%	17.8%
$300,000 - $500,000	21.6%	21.8%	26.9%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	6.4%	7.3%	20.9%
$1,000,000 and more	1.3%	1.2%	7.1%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	66%	63.6%	60.6%
Without a mortgage	34%	36.4%	39.4%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,408	$1,404	$1,963
Without a mortgage	$499	$517	$638
Gross rent
Median rent	$884	$1,062	$1,413

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

20.2%

of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher

Putnam County 20.2%

Indiana 29.5%

United States 35.7%

Adults without a high school diploma

7.4%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Putnam County 7.4%

Indiana 9.6%

United States 10.4%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

9,053

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

2.4%

K–12

59.4%

College / Undergraduate

36%

Graduate / Professional

2.2%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

61.2%

of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school

Putnam County

61.2%

Indiana

37.8%

United States

40.9%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Putnam County	Indiana	United States
Total enrolled (age 3+)	9,053	1,654,330	80,089,790
Nursery / preschool	2.4%	5.8%	5.7%
K–12	59.4%	70.1%	67.6%
Kindergarten	4.9%	5.2%	5%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	16.9%	20.9%	19.8%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	19.3%	21.8%	21%
High School: Grades 9–12	18.4%	22.1%	21.7%
College or graduate school	38.2%	24.1%	26.7%
College, undergraduate	36%	19%	21%
Graduate, professional school	2.2%	5.1%	5.8%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	61.2%	37.8%	40.9%
School type
Public school	69.8%	81.6%	82%
Private school	30.2%	18.4%	18%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

25,447

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

9th-12th, no diploma

5.4%

HS graduate

40%

Some college no degree

22.3%

Associates degree

10.1%

Bachelors degree

13.7%

Graduate or professional degree

6.5%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

68.4% · 31.6%

9th-12th, no diploma

61.9% · 38.1%

HS graduate

58.8% · 41.2%

Some college no degree

54.4% · 45.6%

Associates degree

50.4% · 49.6%

Bachelors degree

38.9% · 61.1%

Graduate or professional degree

45.8% · 54.2%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Putnam County	Indiana	United States
Population (25+)	25,447	4,596,004	230,807,303
Less than 9th grade	2%	3.6%	4.7%
9th–12th, no diploma	5.4%	6%	5.7%
High school diploma or GED	40%	32.5%	26%
Some college, no degree	22.3%	19.3%	19.1%
Associate's degree	10.1%	9.1%	8.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	20.2%	29.5%	35.7%
Bachelor's degree	13.7%	18.7%	21.6%
Graduate or professional	6.5%	10.8%	14.1%
High School or higher	92.6%	90.4%	89.6%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$50,453

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$30,276

HS graduate

$42,426

Some college or associates

$50,917

Bachelors degree

$62,008

Graduate or professional degree

$66,087

Poverty Rate

2.7%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

16.9%

HS graduate

10.7%

Some college or associates

5.5%

Bachelors degree or higher

2.7%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Putnam County	Indiana	United States
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$50,453	$49,693	$52,696
Less than high school graduate	$30,276	$34,287	$32,485
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$42,426	$40,411	$40,153
Some college or associate's degree	$50,917	$47,119	$47,260
Bachelor's degree	$62,008	$62,429	$70,044
Graduate or professional degree	$66,087	$79,544	$90,720
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	16.9%	23.6%	24.2%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	10.7%	12.6%	14.4%
Some college or associate's degree	5.5%	9%	9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	2.7%	4%	4.5%

Insights for Putnam County, by topic

Income By year By race By age By gender

Population By year By race By age By gender

About Neilsberg Research

Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.

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