Parke County, Indiana Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Parke County is located in Indiana with a total population of 16,406. It is the 78th most populous county out of 92 in Indiana. The county encompasses 6 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Parke County is 41.6 years. This is 9% higher than the state median of 38.1 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Parke County is $68,485. This is 5% lower than the state median of $71,957. It is also 15% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 16.2%. This is 31% higher than the state poverty rate of 12.3%. The unemployment rate is 4.4%. This is 2% higher than the state rate of 4.3%. The median home value is $151,200. Housing costs are 31% lower than the state median of $218,200. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.2x, Parke County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 82.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 17% higher than the state average of 70.5%.

Race & Ethnicity

Parke County has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 94.3% of all residents. Black or African American residents account for 1.6%. The Black or African American population (1.6%) is well below the state average of 9.1%. The Hispanic or Latino population (0.8%) is well below the state average of 8.6%.

Education

15.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 48% 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 83.0%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Parke 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.