Selma was platted in 1852 when the railroad was extended to that point. The Selma post office was established in 1853. Affected by the Indiana Gas Boom, gas and oil were the primary industries of Selma in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Selma was incorporated as a town in 1907.
Geography
Selma is located at . Indiana State Road 32 runs along the northern edge of the town. According to the 2010 census, Selma has a total area of, of which is land and is water.
Demographics
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 866 people, 337 households, and 239 families living in the town. The population density was. There were 377 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the town was 97.2% White, 0.7% African American, 0.5% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 0.1% from other races, and 1.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.9% of the population. There were 337 households of which 38.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.1% were married couplesliving together, 15.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 29.1% were non-families. 22.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 2.98. The median age in the town was 39 years. 26% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.7% were from 25 to 44; 24.8% were from 45 to 64; and 14.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 47.2% male and 52.8% female.
2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 880 people, 336 households, and 250 families living in the town. The population density was 1,037.2 people per square mile. There were 349 housing units at an average density of 411.4 per square mile. The racial makeup of the town was 97.84% White, 0.57% African American, 0.34% Native American, 0.00% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.11% from other races, and 1.14% from two or more races. 0.34% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 336 households out of which 40.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.2% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.3% were non-families. 22.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.00. In the town, the population was spread out with 28.4% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 31.7% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 88.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.9 males. The median income for a household in the town was $44,423, and the median income for a family was $50,357. Males had a median income of $35,333 versus $23,625 for females. The per capita income for the town was $18,361. 4.7% of the population and 4.5% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 7.1% of those under the age of 18 and 3.8% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
