The age structure of the population for Starke County, Indiana, in comparison to its labor market region, the state of Indiana, and the nation as a whole is described on Chart 5 and in Table 20. The younger age groups, those less than age 20, except for the under 5 years category, are over-represented in Starke County and less so in the region in comparison with the state and the nation. The mid-life years age groups, ages 20 to 54, are under-represented in Starke County. The older age groups, older than age 55 (except the 85 years of age and older group), are over-represented in Starke County. The labor market region tends to follow this pattern as well, but the degree of under or over-representation in these age groups is not as high.
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Table 20 - AGE STRUCTURE OF THE POPULATION | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age Group | Starke County | Region | Indiana | Nation |
| under 5 | 6.5% | 7.1% | 7.0% | 6.8% |
| 5 to 9 years | 7.8% | 7.5% | 7.3% | 7.3% |
| 10 to 14 years | 7.8% | 7.5% | 7.3% | 7.3% |
| 15 to 19 years | 7.5% | 7.6% | 7.5% | 7.2% |
| 20 to 24 years | 5.3% | 6.7% | 7.0% | 6.7% |
| 25 to 34 years | 12.3% | 13.1% | 13.7% | 14.2% |
| 35 to 44 years | 15.5% | 15.5% | 15.8% | 16.0% |
| 45 to 54 years | 13.2% | 13.7% | 13.4% | 13.4% |
| 55 to 59 years | 5.4% | 4.8% | 4.8% | 4.8% |
| 60 to 64 years | 4.8% | 3.8% | 3.9% | 3.8% |
| 65 to 74 years | 7.8% | 6.6% | 6.5% | 6.5% |
| 75 to 84 years | 4.6% | 4.5% | 4.4% | 4.4% |
| 85 years and over | 1.5% | 1.5% | 1.5% | 1.5% |
| Median age (years) | 37 | 35.3 | 35.2 | 35.3 |
Source: US Census Bureau, 2000 Census. | ||||
The median age of Starke County residents is 37 years, which is higher than the region (35.3), state (35.2) and the nation (35.3). This is due to the very large representation of the 55 to 59, 60 to 64, and 65 to 74 age groups in Starke County. The county is becoming a center for retirement and semi-retirement. Starke County is within an easy commute of the northern Indiana urban centers and the Chicago metropolitan area, has lake-side communities (Koontz Lake and Bass Lake) and opportunities for a rural lifestyle that offer a high quality of life.
Race and Hispanic status of the population for Starke County, in comparison to its labor market region, Indiana, and the nation appears in Table 21. The population share for Whites in Starke County is much higher (97.5%), and all other races much lower than the region, Indiana, and the nation. The racial composition of the region, in terms of lower representation of Whites, and higher representation of Black or African Americans, approximates the national composition more closely than the state average for Indiana.
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Table 21 - RACE AND HISPANIC STATUS | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race | Starke County | Region | Indiana | Nation |
| White | 97.5% | 80.1% | 87.5% | 75.1% |
| Black or African American | 0.2% | 13.5% | 8.4% | 12.3% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.2% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.9% |
| Asian | 0.1% | 0.9% | 1.0% | 3.6% |
| Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| Some Other Race | 0.7% | 3.5% | 1.6% | 5.5% |
| Two or more races | 1.0% | 1.7% | 1.2% | 2.4% |
Hispanic Status (percent of total population) | ||||
| Hispanic or Latino | 0.2% | 7.7% | 3.5% | 12.5% |
| Not Hispanic or Latino | 97.8% | 92.3% | 96.5% | 87.5% |
Source: US Census Bureau, 2000 Census. | ||||
People of Hispanic or Latino origins are under-represented in Starke County (0.2%), the region (7.7%), and the state of Indiana (3.5%), in comparison to the nation (12.5%). However, the region's representation of Hispanics is much higher than the state.
Education attainment and income levels for Starke County, in comparison to its labor market region, Indiana, and the nation appears in Table 22. Chart 7 provides an overview of comparisons of educational attainment levels of the population over 25 years of age. Starke County has a much higher representation of high school graduates and those that did not complete high school than the region, state, and nation. Correspondingly, the county has a much lower representation of those with a bachelor's degree or higher. The region and Indiana also have a lower representation of those with a bachelor's degree or higher than the nation.
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Table 22 - EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT AND INCOME LEVELS | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Educational Attainment (percent of population 25 years and over) |
Starke County | Region | Indiana | Nation |
| less than 9th grade | 7.9% | 5.8% | 5.3% | 6.9% |
| 9th to 12th grade, no diploma | 20.2% | 13.2% | 12.6% | 11.5% |
| high school graduate or equivalency | 43.4% | 37.2% | 37.2% | 29.5% |
| some college, no degree | 15.3% | 20.7% | 19.7% | 20.5% |
| Associate degree | 4.8% | 5.3% | 5.8% | 6.5% |
| Bachelor's degree | 4.6% | 11.2% | 12.2% | 16.1% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 3.8% | 6.6% | 7.2% | 9.0% |
| Percent high school graduate or higher | 72.0% | 81.1% | 82.1% | 81.6% |
| Percent bachelor's degree or higher | 8.4% | 17.8% | 19.4% | 25. |
Income (1999) | ||||
| Median Household Income | 37,243 | 43,043 | 41,567 | 41,433 |
| Per Capita Income | 16,466 | 20,025 | 20,397 | 21,690 |
Source: US Census Bureau, 2000 Census. | ||||
Income levels for Starke County, the region, Indiana are directly compared to the nation, as a percentage of the national level in Table 23. Median household income in Starke County is 89.89% of the nation, whereas median household income for the region and Indiana are slightly in excess of the national level. On a per capita basis, income in Starke County is about 76% of the national level. Per capita incomes for the region and Indiana fall just short (92% to 94%) of the national average.
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Table 23 - COMPARISION OF INCOME LEVELS | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Income (1999) | Starke County | Region | Indiana | Nation |
| Median Household Income | 89.89% | 103.89% | 100.32% | 100.00% |
| Per Capita Income | 75.92% | 92.32% | 94.04% | 100.00% |
Source: US Census Bureau, 2000 Census. | ||||