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Hancock County, Indiana facts for kids

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Hancock County
Hancock County courthouse in Greenfield
Hancock County courthouse in Greenfield
Map of Indiana highlighting Hancock County
Location within the U.S. state of Indiana
Map of the United States highlighting Indiana
Indiana's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Indiana
Founded March 1, 1828
Named for John Hancock
Seat Greenfield
Largest city Greenfield
Area
 • Total 307.02 sq mi (795.2 km2)
 • Land 306.02 sq mi (792.6 km2)
 • Water 1.01 sq mi (2.6 km2)  0.33%%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 79,840
 • Density 260.048/sq mi (100.405/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district 6th
Indiana county number 30

Hancock County is a county in the U.S. state of Indiana. The 2020 United States Census recorded a population of 79,840. The county seat is Greenfield.

Hancock County is included in the Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

The terrain of Hancock County is low rolling hills, sloping to the south and southwest, carved by drainages. All available area is devoted to agriculture or urban development. The highest point is a small prominence in NW Shirley, at 1,040 ft (320 m) ASL. According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 307.02 square miles (795.2 km2), of which 306.02 square miles (792.6 km2) (or 99.67%) is land and 1.01 square miles (2.6 km2) (or 0.33%) is water.

Adjacent counties

Major highways

  • I-70.svg Interstate 70
  • US 36.svg U.S. Route 36
  • US 40.svg U.S. Route 40
  • US 52.svg U.S. Route 52
  • Indiana 9.svg State Road 9
  • Indiana 13.svg State Road 13
  • Indiana 67.svg State Road 67
  • Indiana 109.svg State Road 109
  • Indiana 234.svg State Road 234
  • Indiana 238.svg State Road 238

Airport

  • KMQJ - Indianapolis Regional Airport

History

Indiana was admitted as a state to the United States on December 11, 1816, although much of its territory was still disputed or held by native peoples at that time. These indigenous claims were quickly reduced and removed by various treaties. The 1818 Treaty with the Delaware Indians brought most of central Indiana into state control, and Madison County was organized on a portion of that area. The lower portion of Madison County was quickly settled, and by the late 1820s the inhabitants were petitioning for a separate county government. Accordingly, a portion of the county was partitioned on March 1, 1828, to form Hancock County. Greenfield was named as the county seat on April 11. The county name recognized John Hancock, president of the Continental Congress, who had signed his name prominently to the Declaration of Independence in 1776. The county has retained its original borders since its 1828 creation.

Climate and weather

Weather chart for Greenfield, Indiana
J F M A M J J A S O N D
 
 
2.5
 
34
17
 
 
2.4
 
39
20
 
 
3.3
 
50
30
 
 
4.1
 
62
40
 
 
4.7
 
73
51
 
 
4.5
 
82
61
 
 
4.9
 
85
64
 
 
4
 
84
62
 
 
3.2
 
78
55
 
 
3.1
 
65
43
 
 
3.9
 
51
33
 
 
3.1
 
39
23
temperatures in °F
precipitation totals in inches
source: The Weather Channel

In recent years, average temperatures in Greenfield have ranged from a low of 17 °F (−8 °C) in January to a high of 85 °F (29 °C) in July, although a record low of −29 °F (−34 °C) was recorded in January 1985 and a record high of 103 °F (39 °C) was recorded in June 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.37 inches (60 mm) in February to 4.85 inches (123 mm) in July.

Education

Hancock County is served by two library systems, the Fortville-Vernon Township Public Library and Hancock County Public Library.

The county's school districts include:

  • Eastern Hancock County Community School Corporation
  • Greenfield-Central Community Schools
  • Mount Vernon Community School Corporation
  • Southern Hancock County Community School Corporation

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1830 1,436
1840 7,535 424.7%
1850 9,698 28.7%
1860 12,802 32.0%
1870 15,123 18.1%
1880 17,123 13.2%
1890 17,829 4.1%
1900 19,189 7.6%
1910 19,030 −0.8%
1920 17,210 −9.6%
1930 16,605 −3.5%
1940 17,302 4.2%
1950 20,332 17.5%
1960 26,665 31.1%
1970 35,096 31.6%
1980 43,939 25.2%
1990 45,527 3.6%
2000 55,391 21.7%
2010 70,002 26.4%
2020 79,840 14.1%
2023 (est.) 86,166 23.1%
US Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2013

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States Census the population of Hancock County was 79,840.

Hancock County Racial Composition
Race Num. Perc.
White (NH) 71,106 89%
Black or African American (NH) 2,346 3%
Native American (NH) 121 0.15%
Asian (NH) 734 0.9%
Pacific Islander (NH) 42 0.05%
Other/Mixed (NH) 3,289 4.1%
Hispanic or Latino 2,202 2.75%

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 70,002 people, 26,304 households, and 19,792 families in the county. The population density was 228.8 inhabitants per square mile (88.3/km2). There were 28,125 housing units at an average density of 91.9 per square mile (35.5/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 95.2% white, 2.1% black or African American, 0.8% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.4% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.7% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 26.2% were German, 13.9% were Irish, 11.8% were English, and 11.8% were American.

Of the 26,304 households, 37.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.0% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 24.8% were non-families, and 20.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.03. The median age was 39.1 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $69,734. Males had a median income of $53,565 versus $38,042 for females. The per capita income for the county was $28,017. About 5.9% of families and 7.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.0% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.

Cities and towns

Townships

  • Blue River
  • Brandywine
  • Brown
  • Buck Creek
  • Center
  • Green
  • Jackson
  • Sugar Creek
  • Vernon

Unincorporated communities

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Hancock (Indiana) para niños

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