Ripley County, Indiana
Ripley County is a county located at the southeastern corner of the U.S. state of Indiana. According to the 2020 Census, the population was 28,995.[1] The county seat is Versailles.[2]
History
[edit]Ripley County was formed on December 27, 1816, in the same legislative act that created Jennings County. It was named for Gen. Eleazer Wheelock Ripley, an officer in the War of 1812, who figured in the Battle of Lundy's Lane and the Siege of Fort Erie during 1814.[3]
Geography
[edit]The county seat of Ripley County is Versailles, Indiana. It was selected as the county seat in 1818, and was laid out in 1819.
According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 448.06 square miles (1,160.5 km2), of which 446.43 square miles (1,156.2 km2) (or 99.64%) is land and 1.64 square miles (4.2 km2) (or 0.37%) is water.[4]
| Township | Established Year | Area mi2 | Area km2 | Population | Incorporated Towns |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams | 1858 | 43.79 | 113.42 | 5119 | Batesville (part), Sunman |
| Brown | 1823 | 53.67 | 139 | 1597 | |
| Center | 1858 | 29.51 | 76.43 | 2657 | Osgood |
| Delaware | 1823 | 33.27 | 86.17 | 1437 | |
| Franklin | 1823 | 36.6 | 94.79 | 3773 | Milan (part) |
| Jackson | 1823 | 29.87 | 77.36 | 965 | Napoleon |
| Johnson | 1823 | 54.98 | 142.4 | 3685 | Versailles |
| Laughery | 1819 | 25.97 | 67.26 | 4736 | Batesville (part) |
| Otter Creek | 1858 | 41.69 | 107.98 | 1410 | Holton |
| Shelby | 1823 | 69.39 | 179.72 | 999 | |
| Washington | 1823 | 29.33 | 75.96 | 2440 | Milan (part) |
| Ripley County | 1816 | 448.06 | 1160.471 | 28,181 |
Unincorporated communities
[edit]Ghost towns
[edit]Adjacent counties
[edit]- Dearborn County (east)
- Decatur County (northwest)
- Franklin County (north)
- Jefferson County (south)
- Jennings County (west)
- Ohio County (east–southeast)
- Switzerland County (at southeast tip)
Major highways
[edit]- File:I-74.svg Interstate 74 – runs east–west across northern tip of county.
- File:US 50.svg US Route 50 – runs east–west across middle of county, through Holton and Versailles.
- File:US 421.svg US Route 421 - enters from Decatur County near northwest tip of Ripley County. Runs SSE to Versailles, then SSW into Jefferson County.
- File:Indiana 46.svg State Road 46 – runs east–west across northern tip of county, paralleling Interstate 74 on its south side.
- File:Indiana 48.svg State Road 48 – runs east–west across upper portion of county, through Napoleon.
- File:Indiana 62.svg State Road 62 – begins at intersection with State Road 129, north of Cross Plains. Runs east through Friendship to Dearborn County.
- File:Indiana 101.svg State Road 101 – begins at intersection with US Route 50 near east county line. Runs north to Penntown.
- File:Indiana 129.svg State Road 129 – begins at intersection with State Road 46 east of Batesville, runs south to Versailles, then SSE through Cross Plains into Switzerland County.
- File:Indiana 229.svg State Road 229 – enters from Franklin County at Batesville, runs SSW to Ballstown then south and west to Napoleon. Runs west to Decatur County.
- File:Indiana 350.svg State Road 350 – begins at intersection with US 421 at Osgood, runs east through Delaware and Pierceville into Dearborn County.[6]
National protected area
[edit]Climate and weather
[edit]Template:Climate chart In recent years, average temperatures in Versailles have ranged from a low of 18 °F (−8 °C) in January to a high of 84 °F (29 °C) in July, although a record low of −28 °F (−33 °C) was recorded in January 1994 and a record high of 100 °F (38 °C) was recorded in July 1999. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.71 inches (69 mm) in February to 5.27 inches (134 mm) in May.[7]
Government
[edit]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, serving 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.[8][9]
Board of Commissioners: The Board of Commissioners is the executive body of the county. Commissioners are elected county–wide in staggered four–year terms. One commissioner serves as board president. They are charged with executing the acts legislated by the council, collecting revenue, and managing the day-to-day functions of the county government.[8][9]
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.[9]
State Government: At the State level, Ripley County is divided in its representation. Adams and Laughery Townships are located in the 55th House District which is represented by Rep. Cindy Ziemke. The rest of Ripley County is located in the 67th district represented by Rep. Randy Frye. Adams and Laughery Townships are in the 42nd Senate District represented by State Senator Jean Leising. The rest of Ripley County is in Senate District 43 represented by Senator Chip Perfect.
Federal Government: Ripley County is part of Indiana's 6th congressional district and is represented in Congress by Republican Greg Pence. Along with the rest of Indiana, its senators are Mike Braun and Todd Young.
Politics
[edit]Ripley County has been a Republican stronghold for much of its history. In only 3 elections since 1912 has the county supported a Democratic presidential candidate (the most recent case being the 1964 landslide election). The Republican trend in the county has increased greatly since 2016, and in 2024 it was the third most Republican county in the state.[10]
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1888 | 2,404 | 49.77% | 2,381 | 49.30% | 45 | 0.93% |
| 1892 | 2,250 | 45.17% | 2,442 | 49.03% | 289 | 5.80% |
| 1896 | 2,690 | 49.60% | 2,714 | 50.05% | 19 | 0.35% |
| 1900 | 2,737 | 49.20% | 2,732 | 49.11% | 94 | 1.69% |
| 1904 | 2,850 | 52.29% | 2,457 | 45.08% | 143 | 2.62% |
| 1908 | 2,660 | 47.65% | 2,749 | 49.25% | 173 | 3.10% |
| 1912 | 1,492 | 29.43% | 2,431 | 47.95% | 1,147 | 22.62% |
| 1916 | 2,686 | 49.88% | 2,549 | 47.34% | 150 | 2.79% |
| 1920 | 5,372 | 56.83% | 3,976 | 42.07% | 104 | 1.10% |
| 1924 | 4,694 | 49.02% | 4,257 | 44.45% | 625 | 6.53% |
| 1928 | 5,059 | 53.39% | 4,387 | 46.30% | 30 | 0.32% |
| 1932 | 4,240 | 40.97% | 5,987 | 57.86% | 121 | 1.17% |
| 1936 | 4,919 | 45.98% | 5,546 | 51.84% | 233 | 2.18% |
| 1940 | 6,061 | 55.44% | 4,834 | 44.21% | 38 | 0.35% |
| 1944 | 5,642 | 59.12% | 3,835 | 40.18% | 67 | 0.70% |
| 1948 | 5,313 | 53.34% | 4,574 | 45.92% | 74 | 0.74% |
| 1952 | 6,650 | 62.00% | 4,031 | 37.59% | 44 | 0.41% |
| 1956 | 6,577 | 61.85% | 4,026 | 37.86% | 30 | 0.28% |
| 1960 | 6,053 | 55.95% | 4,730 | 43.72% | 35 | 0.32% |
| 1964 | 4,587 | 43.47% | 5,933 | 56.23% | 32 | 0.30% |
| 1968 | 5,389 | 51.82% | 3,787 | 36.42% | 1,223 | 11.76% |
| 1972 | 6,594 | 64.45% | 3,601 | 35.20% | 36 | 0.35% |
| 1976 | 5,293 | 52.11% | 4,792 | 47.18% | 72 | 0.71% |
| 1980 | 5,770 | 56.39% | 4,022 | 39.30% | 441 | 4.31% |
| 1984 | 7,143 | 67.99% | 3,336 | 31.75% | 27 | 0.26% |
| 1988 | 6,414 | 63.81% | 3,605 | 35.87% | 32 | 0.32% |
| 1992 | 5,033 | 46.02% | 3,480 | 31.82% | 2,424 | 22.16% |
| 1996 | 5,303 | 49.67% | 4,097 | 38.38% | 1,276 | 11.95% |
| 2000 | 6,988 | 65.46% | 3,498 | 32.77% | 189 | 1.77% |
| 2004 | 8,224 | 69.49% | 3,510 | 29.66% | 100 | 0.85% |
| 2008 | 7,794 | 63.71% | 4,187 | 34.22% | 253 | 2.07% |
| 2012 | 7,484 | 67.94% | 3,241 | 29.42% | 290 | 2.63% |
| 2016 | 9,806 | 75.81% | 2,471 | 19.10% | 658 | 5.09% |
| 2020 | 11,261 | 78.79% | 2,774 | 19.41% | 257 | 1.80% |
| 2024 | 11,526 | 80.01% | 2,682 | 18.62% | 197 | 1.37% |
| 2016 | 1 | 33.33% | 1 | 33.33% | 1 | 33.33% |
Demographics
[edit]2020 census
[edit]As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 28,995. The median age was 42.0 years. 23.1% of residents were under the age of 18 and 19.6% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 98.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 95.3 males age 18 and over.[12][13]
The racial makeup of the county was 94.3% White, 0.3% Black or African American, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.8% from some other race, and 3.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 1.9% of the population.[13]
18.6% of residents lived in urban areas, while 81.4% lived in rural areas.[14]
There were 11,374 households in the county, of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 52.5% were married-couple households, 16.6% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 23.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 26.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[12]
There were 12,259 housing units, of which 7.2% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 74.8% were owner-occupied and 25.2% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.9% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.8%.[12]
2010 census
[edit]As of the 2010 United States census, there were 28,818 people, 10,789 households, and 7,910 families residing in the county.[15] The population density was 64.6 inhabitants per square mile (24.9/km2). There were 11,952 housing units at an average density of 26.8 per square mile (10.3/km2).[4] The racial makeup of the county was 97.6% white, 0.5% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.2% black or African American, 0.5% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.5% of the population.[15] In terms of ancestry, 43.4% were German, 14.2% were American, 13.9% were Irish, and 8.7% were English.[16]
Of the 10,789 households, 36.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.1% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 26.7% were non-families, and 22.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.08. The median age was 39.2 years.[15]
The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $57,305. Males had a median income of $41,711 versus $31,927 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,025. About 7.5% of families and 9.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.3% of those under age 18 and 8.6% of those age 65 or over.[17]
Education
[edit]School districts include:[18]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ "Ripley County, Indiana". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
- ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ↑ De Witt Clinton Goodrich & Charles Richard Tuttle (1875). An Illustrated History of the State of Indiana. Indiana: R. S. Peale & Co. pp. 572.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
- ↑ "American FactFinder - Results". factfinder.census.gov. United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved April 10, 2018.
- ↑ Ripley County IA Google Maps (accessed 16 August 2018)
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedWX - ↑ 8.0 8.1 Indiana Code. "Title 36, Article 2, Section 3". IN.gov. Retrieved September 16, 2008.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Indiana Code. "Title 2, Article 10, Section 2" (PDF). IN.gov. Retrieved September 16, 2008.
- ↑ https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/
- ↑ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved April 10, 2018.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved December 30, 2025.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved December 30, 2025.
- ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved December 30, 2025.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
- ↑ "Selected Social Characteristics in the United States – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 14, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
- ↑ "Selected Economic Characteristics – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 14, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
- ↑ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Ripley County, IN" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved October 18, 2024. - Text list
External links
[edit]- Ripley County, Indiana collection, Rare Books and Manuscripts, Indiana State Library
Template:Ripley County, Indiana Template:Indiana Coordinates: 39°06′N 85°16′W / 39.10°N 85.26°W