White County, Indiana


White County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the 2010 census, the population was 24,643. The county seat is Monticello.

History

White County was formed in 1834. It was named for Isaac White of Equality, Illinois who was killed at the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811. White was a Colonel in the Illinois militia, who volunteered to serve as a Private in the Indiana militia in the march against Prophetstown. He was placed under the command of Kentucky Maj. Joseph Hamilton Daveiss. The two exchanged swords in a demonstration of mutual respect at Fort Vincennes. In the Battle of Tippecanoe they died together and were buried in a common grave at Battle Ground.

Geography

According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of, of which is land and is water.

Adjacent counties

In recent years, average temperatures in Monticello have ranged from a low of in January to a high of in July, although a record low of was recorded in January 1963 and a record high of was recorded in July 1954. Average monthly precipitation ranged from in February to in July.

Government

The county government is a constitutional body, and is granted specific powers by the Constitution of Indiana, and by the Indiana Code.
County Council: The county council is the legislative branch of the county government and controls all the spending and revenue collection in the county. Representatives are elected from county districts. The council members serve four-year terms. They are responsible for setting salaries, the annual budget, and special spending. The council also has limited authority to impose local taxes, in the form of an income and property tax that is subject to state level approval, excise taxes, and service taxes.
Board of Commissioners: The executive body of the county is made of a board of commissioners. The commissioners are elected county-wide, in staggered terms, and each serves a four-year term. One of the commissioners, typically the most senior, serves as president. The commissioners are charged with executing the acts legislated by the council, collecting revenue, and managing the day-to-day functions of the county government.
Court: The county maintains a small claims court that can handle some civil cases. The judge on the court is elected to a term of four years and must be a member of the Indiana Bar Association. The judge is assisted by a constable who is also elected to a four-year term. In some cases, court decisions can be appealed to the state level circuit court.
County Officials: The county has several other elected offices, including sheriff, coroner, auditor, treasurer, recorder, surveyor, and circuit court clerk. Each of these elected officers serves a term of four years and oversees a different part of county government. Members elected to county government positions are required to declare party affiliations and to be residents of the county.

Demographics

As late as 1998, White County had a sign warning negroes against being present in White County after dark. While Indiana is 9% black, in the 2010 census 0.3% of the population of White County was black
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 24,643 people, 9,741 households, and 6,849 families residing in the county. The population density was. There were 12,970 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the county was 93.9% white, 0.4% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.3% black or African American, 3.7% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 7.1% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 27.0% were German, 13.3% were Irish, 9.7% were English, and 8.4% were American.
Of the 9,741 households, 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.1% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.7% were non-families, and 24.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.96. The median age was 41.9 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $52,626. Males had a median income of $39,715 versus $28,880 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,323. About 7.7% of families and 9.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.0% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Public schools in White County are administered by the Frontier School Corporation, North White School Corporation, Tri-County School Corporation and Twin Lakes School Corporation.
High Schools and Middle Schools
Elementary Schools