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Area36,418 sq mi
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CapitalIndianapolis
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Population6,732,219
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Income$54,181
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Home Value$172,769
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Crime24,966
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Unemployment4.6%
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Education25.3%
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Medicine36
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Poverty12.8%
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Environment309
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Infrastructure3.40%
Located in the Great Lakes region, Indiana stands as the 17th most-populated American state. With 92 counties and over 100 cities, it is ranked the 38th largest area in the United States. Also, the U.S. Census Bureau reports reveal that Indianapolis, the capital of the state, has the most population among all its cities.
The first settlers in the territory were the Pueblo Indians. They arrived there at around 8000 B.C.E. Over time, people from the native American race, Canadians, Germans, the Irish, and the British, came to dwell there. On December 11, 1896, the state of Indiana was founded, making it the nineteenth province in the United States.
The topography of the territory comprises hills, rivers, and plateaus. The northern area has the higher elevations, while the southern part consists mainly of several plains, valleys, and hilly terrains. The Wabash and Ohio rivers are famous attracts, as well as Lakes Michigan, Tippecanoe, Wawasee, and Monroe. Altogether, there are about 65 rivers and 900 lakes within its boundaries.
The foremost economic pillar of the province is the manufacturing industry. It famously produces and exports auto parts, machinery, pharmaceutical, and medical apparatus. The agricultural sector also has high volumes of soybeans, corn, and mushrooms. Plus, steel and limestone are the most abundant minerals.
The tax policies are also pocket-friendly. The sales tax is 7%, and it does not apply to food and prescription drugs. The income and property taxes are 3.23% and 1%, respectively. Plus, housing prices and the cost of living are generally low statewide. But, the criminal and pollution levels here are quite high.
A typical Ind. native is a great sports fan. They generally love basketball, motorsports, baseball, American football, and Ice hockey. College games are also quite popular in this region.
How We Figured Out Which Were the Best States To Live in
Compiling the list of best American states to live in 2021 demands getting accurate data. Hence, data was gathered from several authoritative sources. Some of such include the National Census Bureau, U.S. departments of labor and health, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), etc.
The data was then scheduled into ten measurable metrics, including demography, education, income rate, employment, etc. The states’ performance on these indicators determined their overall ranking.
Indiana Rankings
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PopulationData: 6,732,219This is a fairly dense region with about 183 Hoosiers per sq mi. Reports from the U.S. census bureau show a 3.6% increase in the population over the last decade. Demographic analysis by race reveals that 83.3% are White Americans, 9.4% Black, and 2.3% Asian.
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Income in $Data: $54,181A majority of households here are in the middle economic class. Hamilton ($78,932), Hendricks ($57,538), and Johnson ($56,251) counties have the highest median incomes statewide. A similar income index is seen in Nebraska and Wisconsin, which sit at positions 43 and 45, respectively.
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Home ValueData: $172,769Housing costs are quite affordable. It ranks as the 10th cheapest nationwide. Also, its median gross rent is $826. About 69.1% of IN's population are house owners. Zionsville, Carmel, and Westfield are some of the cities with the most expensive and sophisticated accommodation.
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UnemploymentData: 4.6%The Indiana unemployment report estimates about 153,000 jobless residents in the region. The manufacturing, trade, education, and health industries are the biggest labor employers, with over 1.6 million employees. That is a considerable fraction of 3.2 million workers (according to 2019 estimates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics).
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PovertyData: 12.8%Altogether, about 867,996 poor people are living in the state. 14.8% of that census are between the ages of 5 to 17. 8% of households live below the poverty level while 12.6% of adults avoided care due to cost. Statewide, Delaware and Monroe counties are the poorest districts.
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EducationData: 25.3%The population here is the 9th least-educated in the United States. Only about 1.7 million Hoosiers are college graduates. Statewide, the quality of education is low. Of all its 86 tertiary institutions, only the University of Notre Dame is among the top 50 nationwide rankings. Other famous schools are Perdue, Indiana state university, etc.
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MedicineHealth Outcomes: 36Healthcare is generally underperforming. Showing figures similar to New Mexico, Texas, and Nevada, it ranks as the 14th least-healthy area in the United States. The effectiveness of medical interventions and the quality of healthcare in Ind. is below par. Coupled with the behavioral factors, they contribute to the high mortality rate seen in the region (829.1 deaths per 100,000 people).
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CrimeViolent Crime: 24,966Ranking as the 22nd most criminal American state, it experiences the highest crime rate among neighboring regions: robbery, rape, property crimes, and burglary quite common in the area. Seymour, Evansville, and South Bend county are among its most notorious districts. Burnettsville and Marshall county, on the other hand, are the area's safest.
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EnvironmentAir: 309Pollution in the territory is high. Such a situation is similarly found in New Jersey and Florida. With prevalent problems like improper gas disposals and water contamination, it ranks among least in this metric. The amount of Carbon-4 and greenhouse gases within its boundaries is one of the highest in the United States. That is partly due to the non-compliance of numerous factories to map out a safe way to thrash waste.
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InfrastructurePoor Roads: 3.4%Statewide, the road, bridges, and sidewalk pavements are in good condition. But, a number of them are structurally deficient and require repairs and upgrades. Indianapolis International airport, Marion county, is the biggest and busiest in the territory. Plus, three of the country's Class I railroads pass through IN.
Indiana Facts
- The province’s motto is “The Crossroads of America.”
- The official state bird is the Cardinal, while the state flower is Peony.
- The flag has a blue background with a gold torch surrounded by two circles of stars.
- The official Indiana abbreviation is IN.
- IN hosted the country’s first professional baseball game.
- Parke is the county with the highest number of covered bridges globally (32 in total).
- During the civil war, IN was crucial in helping slaves escape to freedom through underground railroads.
- IN with seven other U.S. territories are in the Great Lakes region. They include New York, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.
- The most populous county in the territory is Marion, with a population of 964,582 residents.
- There are 25 Indiana state parks under the authority of the department of natural resources. The area also has three national parks within its territory: Indiana Dunes, Lewis & Clark historic trails, and Lincoln Boyhood memorial park.
- Individuals can obtain their fishing licenses online by visiting fishing.in.gov. They can also do so by email and in-person vendors available statewide.
- The gun laws allow individuals to purchase and openly carry their firearms as long as they meet their health and legal requirements.
- Joseph Thompson, the first white Hoosier, settled in White county in 1829.
Indiana in Photos
FAQ Section
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Where Is the Hoosier State?
In the map, IN is located in the Midwestern region of the United States. Lake Michigan lies by its northwestern end, and Michigan by its north. Ohio and Kentucky share their borders by the east and southern boundaries, respectively. And Illinois, with the Wabash River, flanks Ind. by the west.
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What Time Zone Is Indiana?
IN is divided into two zones: the Eastern and Central time. About 80 counties are in the Eastern zone. During the winter months, they use Eastern Standard Time, while they have the Eastern Daylight Time in summer.
The rest of the region uses Central time. And they also experience the standard and daylight variations as the seasons of the year change.
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What Is Indiana Known for?
Ind. is known for manufacturing, sports, spicy food, its weather, and beautiful seasons – autumn and spring seasons. Other significant highlights are listed below.
- The residents are famously called Hoosiers. Though, the origin of the name remains unclear.
- The region is renowned for producing automobiles.
- IN is also known for the Indianapolis 500 – an annual event where people compete to win a 500-mile car race. It comes up on the last weekend in May.
- Large volumes of limestone, corn, soybeans, and poultry are reproduced here.
- At Christmas time, Santa Clause, a small town, receives thousands of letters every year.
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What Is Minimum Wage in IN?
As the national average, the base pay in IN is $7.25 per hour. After a 40-hour working week, a minimum wage worker will earn is $290, and $15,080 in a year. The standard payment rate for overtime hours is 150% of the regular salary.
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How Many Counties In the Hoosier State?
There are 92 counties in Ind. The largest of them is Allen, with an area of 1,700 km². Ohio county is the smallest and has the least population statewide with only 6,128 census count and 86 sq mi size.
The province’s map is grouped into 773 postal zip codes.
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How To File For Unemployment in Indiana?
Individuals can apply for unemployment benefits online. To do that, they are to visit the Department of Workforce Development’s website.
When filling the form, applicants will need to provide the following data:
- An email address
- A valid ID card, an American social security number, date of birth, and phone number.
- Last employer’s name, mailing address, phone number, dates of employment, and cause of employed status.
- Bank routing number and account number
