Boone County, Indiana

History

Boone County was formed April 1, 1830, and named for frontiersman Daniel Boone. The county commissioners met near the center of the county on May 1, 1831 to identify a county seat, which by law had to be within 2 miles (3.2 km) of the county's center; the city of Lebanon was selected to serve this purpose, replacing Jamestown (Founded 1830) which had served as interim county seat.

Geography

According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 423.25 square miles (1,096.2 km²), of which 422.91 square miles (1,095.3 km²) (or 99.92%) is land and 0.34 square miles (0.88 km²) (or 0.08%) is water.

Adjacent counties

Extinct towns

Major highways

Airport

Railroads

Education

Public schools in Boone County are administered by the Lebanon Community School Corporation, the Western Boone County Community School District and Zionsville Community Schools.

Climate and weather

In recent years, average temperatures in Lebanon have ranged from a low of 18 °F (−8 °C) in January to a high of 86 °F (30 °C) in July, although a record low of −27 °F (−33 °C) was recorded in January 1994 and a record high of 112 °F (44 °C) was recorded in July 1936. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.35 inches (60 mm) in February to 4.54 inches (115 mm) 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’s 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 up 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 a party affiliation and to be residents of the county.

Boone County is part of Indiana's 4th congressional district, Indiana Senate districts 21 and 23, and Indiana House of Representatives districts 28, 38 and 87.

Demographics

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 56,640 people, 21,149 households, and 15,509 families residing in the county. The population density was 133.9 inhabitants per square mile (51.7/km²). There were 22,754 housing units at an average density of 53.8 per square mile (20.8/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 95.3% white, 1.7% Asian, 0.9% black or African American, 0.2% American Indian, 0.7% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.2% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 28.9% were German, 19.3% were English, 14.1% were Irish, and 9.0% were American.

Of the 21,149 households, 38.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.1% were married couples living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 26.7% were non-families, and 22.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.12. The median age was 38.6 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $81,401. Males had a median income of $57,251 versus $41,309 for females. The per capita income for the county was $38,696. About 6.1% of families and 7.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.6% of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over.