Founded 1830 Largest city South Bend Time zone Eastern: UTC-5/-4 Population 266,709 (2013) Unemployment rate 4.9% (Apr 2015) | Named for St. Joseph River Congressional district 2nd Area 1,195 km² County seat South Bend | |
 | ||
Website www.stjosephcountyindiana.com Points of interest Potawatomi Zoo, Studebaker National Museum Colleges and Universities University of Notre Dame, Indiana University South Be, Saint Mary's College, Bethel College, Holy Cross College Destinations South Bend, Potato Creek State Park, Mishawaka, Notre Dame, Granger | ||
St. Joseph County, commonly called St. Joe County by locals, is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of Census 2010, the population was 266,931, making it the fifth-most populous county in Indiana. Formed in 1830, it was named for the St. Joseph River which flows through it toward Lake Michigan. The county seat is South Bend.
Contents
- Map of St Joseph County IN USA
- Geography
- Cities
- Census designated places
- Adjacent counties
- Climate and weather
- Government
- Demographics
- John Glenn School Corporation
- New Prairie United School Corporation
- Penn Harris Madison School Corporation
- School City of Mishawaka
- South Bend Community School Corporation
- Union North United School Corporation
- Private Schools
- Colleges universities
- References
Map of St Joseph County, IN, USA
St. Joseph County is part of the South Bend–Mishawaka, IN-MI, Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Geography
According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 461.38 square miles (1,195.0 km2), of which 457.85 square miles (1,185.8 km2) (or 99.23%) is land and 3.54 square miles (9.2 km2) (or 0.77%) is water.
Cities
Census-designated places
Adjacent counties
Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in South Bend have ranged from a low of 16 °F (−9 °C) in January to a high of 83 °F (28 °C) in July, although a record low of −22 °F (−30 °C) was recorded in January 1943 and a record high of 109 °F (43 °C) was recorded in July 1934. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.98 inches (50 mm) in February to 4.19 inches (106 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.
St. Joseph County is part of Indiana's 2nd congressional district and is represented by Jackie Walorski in the United States Congress. Indiana's US Senators are Dan Coats and Joe Donnelly. Donnelly represented the 2nd district immediately before Walorski and actually defeated Walorski in the 2010 General Election.
Demographics
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 266,931 people, 103,069 households, and 66,365 families residing in the county. The population density was 583.0 inhabitants per square mile (225.1/km2). There were 114,849 housing units at an average density of 250.8 per square mile (96.8/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 78.7% white, 12.7% black or African American, 1.9% Asian, 0.4% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 3.4% from other races, and 2.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 7.3% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 25.3% were German, 15.5% were Irish, 12.0% were Polish, 8.5% were English, and 4.5% were American.
Of the 103,069 households, 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.1% were married couples living together, 13.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 35.6% were non-families, and 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.07. The median age was 36.2 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $57,510. Males had a median income of $45,269 versus $31,667 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,082. About 10.7% of families and 14.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.7% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over.