Pulaski County, Indiana

History

Pulaski County was organized in 1835.

Geography

According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 434.53 square miles (1,125.4 km²), of which 433.65 square miles (1,123.1 km²) (or 99.80%) is land and 0.88 square miles (2.3 km²) (or 0.20%) is water.

Major highways

Railroads

Adjacent counties

Towns

The municipalities in Pulaski County, and their populations as of the 2010 Census, are:

Census-designated places

Townships

The 12 townships of Pulaski County, with their populations as of the 2010 Census, are:

Education

Public schools in Pulaski County are administered by four districts:

High Schools

Middle Schools

Elementary Schools

Hospitals

Climate and weather

In recent years, average temperatures in Winamac have ranged from a low of 14 °F (−10 °C) in January to a high of 84 °F (29 °C) in July, although a record low of −29 °F (−34 °C) was recorded in January 1985 and a record high of 102 °F (39 °C) was recorded in June 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.68 inches (43 mm) in February to 4.09 inches (104 mm) in June.

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.

Pulaski County is part of Indiana's 2nd congressional district and in 2016 was represented by Jackie Walorski in the United States Congress.

Demographics

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 13,402 people, 5,282 households, and 3,707 families residing in the county. The population density was 30.9 inhabitants per square mile (11.9/km²). There were 6,060 housing units at an average density of 14.0 per square mile (5.4/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.2% white, 0.7% black or African American, 0.3% American Indian, 0.2% Asian, 0.6% from other races, and 1.0% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.4% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 32.4% were German, 12.2% were Irish, 8.6% were English, and 8.2% were American.

Of the 5,282 households, 31.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.6% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.8% were non-families, and 25.6% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.97. The median age was 41.7 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $50,903. Males had a median income of $43,624 versus $27,131 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,491. About 13.4% of families and 17.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.5% of those under age 18 and 8.3% of those age 65 or over.