Howard County, Indiana Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Howard County is located in Indiana with a total population of 83,752. It is the 19th most populous county out of 92 in Indiana. The county encompasses 3 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Howard County is 40.7 years. This is 7% higher than the state median of 38.1 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Howard County is $64,027. This is 11% lower than the state median of $71,957. It is also 21% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 13.4%. This is 9% higher than the state poverty rate of 12.3%. The unemployment rate is 5.8%. This is 36% higher than the state rate of 4.3%. The median home value is $165,000. Housing costs are 24% lower than the state median of $218,200. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.6x, Howard County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 70.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Howard County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 82.6% of the population. Black or African American residents account for 7.3%. The Hispanic or Latino population (4.1%) is well below the state average of 8.6%.

Education

20.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 29% lower than the state rate of 29.5%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 91.8%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Howard County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against Indiana and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.