| Jefferson County, Indiana | |
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Jefferson County Courthouse in Madison, Indiana.
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Location in the state of Indiana |
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Indiana's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | 1811 |
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| Named for | Thomas Jefferson |
| Seat | Madison |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
362.89 sq mi (940 km²) 360.63 sq mi (934 km²) 2.26 sq mi (6 km²), 0.62% |
| Population - (2010) - Density |
32,428 90/sq mi (34.65/km²) |
| Congressional district | 9th |
| Time zone | Eastern: UTC-5/-4 |
| Footnotes:
Indiana county number 39 |
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Jefferson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2010, the population was 32,428.[1] The county seat is Madison[2].
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Jefferson County was formed in 1811. It was named for Thomas Jefferson, principal draftsman of the Northwest Ordinance and President of the United States from 1801 through 1809.[3]
Jefferson County was one of Indiana's first counties and many important early Hoosiers hailed from Madison, including William Hendricks. Throughout the early history of the state, Madison was one of the leading cities competing with Vincennes and later New Albany to be the largest city in the state. The county fell into economic decline after the American Civil War as industry began to shift from southern Indiana to the northern part of the state.
On the evening of the May 20, 2009 the county courthouse caught fire. The fire began in the steeple of the courthouse which was under construction for the Madison's bicentennial anniversary. The roof of the dome had just been painted gold. Fire departments from across southern Indiana and northern Kentucky arrived to put out the fire which burned for several hours, destroyed much of the inside of the building and the county records. The fire necessitated the evacuation of the nearby county jail, and effectively shut down the downtown area of the city.[4] It was later determined the fire was accidentally started by workers who were welding on the metal roof dome.
According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 362.89 square miles (939.9 km2), of which 360.63 square miles (934.0 km2) (or 99.38%) is land and 2.26 square miles (5.9 km2) (or 0.62%) is water.[5]
Sources: National Atlas,[6] U.S. Census Bureau[7]
| Madison, Indiana | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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In recent years, average temperatures in Madison have ranged from a low of 23 °F (−5 °C) in January to a high of 87 °F (31 °C) in July, although a record low of −18 °F (−28 °C) was recorded in December 1989 and a record high of 108 °F (42 °C) was recorded in July 1954. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.92 inches (74 mm) in September to 4.96 inches (126 mm) in May.[8]
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.[9][10]
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.[9][10]
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.[10]
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.[10]
Jefferson County is part of Indiana's 9th congressional district and is represented in Congress by Democrat Baron Hill.[11] It is also part of Indiana Senate district 45[12] and Indiana House of Representatives district 69.[13]
| Historical populations | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1820 | 8,038 |
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| 1830 | 11,465 | 42.6% | |
| 1840 | 16,614 | 44.9% | |
| 1850 | 23,916 | 44.0% | |
| 1860 | 25,036 | 4.7% | |
| 1870 | 29,741 | 18.8% | |
| 1880 | 25,977 | −12.7% | |
| 1890 | 24,507 | −5.7% | |
| 1900 | 22,913 | −6.5% | |
| 1910 | 20,483 | −10.6% | |
| 1920 | 20,709 | 1.1% | |
| 1930 | 19,182 | −7.4% | |
| 1940 | 19,912 | 3.8% | |
| 1950 | 21,613 | 8.5% | |
| 1960 | 24,061 | 11.3% | |
| 1970 | 27,006 | 12.2% | |
| 1980 | 30,419 | 12.6% | |
| 1990 | 29,797 | −2.0% | |
| 2000 | 31,705 | 6.4% | |
| 2010 | 32,428 | 2.3% | |
| Sources: United States Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Population Division[14] Census Quickfacts[1] |
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As of the census[15] of 2000, there were 31,705 people, 12,148 households, and 8,430 families residing in the county. The population density was 88 people per square mile (34/km²). There were 13,386 housing units at an average density of 37 per square mile (14/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 96.19% White, 1.45% Black or African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.59% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.39% from other races, and 1.12% from two or more races. 1.05% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 26.0% were of German, 25.7% American, 11.7% English and 9.7% Irish ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 12,148 households out of which 32.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.00% were married couples living together, 10.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.60% were non-families. 25.70% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the county the population was spread out with 24.40% under the age of 18, 10.60% from 18 to 24, 28.50% from 25 to 44, 23.40% from 45 to 64, and 13.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 98.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.60 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $38,189, and the median income for a family was $45,712. Males had a median income of $31,618 versus $22,033 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,412. About 7.60% of families and 9.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.50% of those under age 18 and 8.40% of those age 65 or over.
| Jennings County | Ripley County | |||
| Scott County | Switzerland County | |||
| Jefferson County, Indiana | ||||
| Clark County | Trimble County, Kentucky | Carroll County, Kentucky |
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