Knox, Indiana

History

Knox was founded in 1851, and is named after General Henry Knox. The Knox post office has been in operation since 1820.

Geography

Knox is located along the Yellow River.

According to the 2010 census, Knox has a total area of 3.92 square miles (10.15 km²), all land.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 3,704 people, 1,457 households, and 975 families residing in the city. The population density was 944.9 inhabitants per square mile (364.8/km²). There were 1,633 housing units at an average density of 416.6 per square mile (160.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.3% White, 0.4% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 1.1% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.9% of the population.

There were 1,457 households of which 34.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.7% were married couples living together, 18.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.1% were non-families. 27.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.03.

The median age in the city was 36.2 years. 26% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.5% were from 25 to 44; 25.8% were from 45 to 64; and 13.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.3% male and 53.7% female.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 3,721 people, 1,466 households, and 961 families residing in the city. The population density was 947.3 people per square mile (365.6/km²). There were 1,586 housing units at an average density of 403.8 per square mile (155.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.29% White, 0.11% African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.30% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.99% from other races, and 1.05% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.28% of the population.

There were 1,465 households out of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.8% were married couples living together, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.4% were non-families. 30.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.01.

In the city, the population was spread out with 25.6% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 17.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 90.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $29,891, and the median income for a family was $35,615. Males had a median income of $30,585 versus $20,994 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,184. About 17.9% of families and 16.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.9% of those under age 18 and 12.6% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The public school system of Knox consists of an Elementary (K-5th grade), Middle (6-8th grade), and High (9-12th) school. Knox's students are served by Knox Community High School, located at 1 Redskin Trail and serving roughly 830 students from grades 9-12. The school's mascot is the Redskins.

Based on the 2009-10 school year, the Knox High School Student body consists of 51% males and 49% females, and a minority enrollment of 5%.

Notable people

Media

In popular culture

The PBS Kids television series Postcards from Buster filmed the first episode here. Called "Meet Me At the Fair," Buster Baxter, the main character on the show, discovers what it is like to work on a farm.

Knox also features in the movie Bridegroom (film), a true story of a young man from Knox named Tom Bridegroom.

24/7 Wall St.com reported on June 5, 2015 that Knox is the poorest town in Indiana. Just 5.5% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher, compared to the statewide rate of 23.2% and the national rate of 28.8%. The town’s median household income of $30,300 was more than $75,000 less than the median household income of Indiana’s wealthiest town, Zionsville.