thumb|upright=1.2|United States Post Office in Lawrence

thumb|upright=1.2|Building housing government offices in Lawrence

Lawrence is a city in Lawrence Township, Marion County, Indiana, United States. It is one of four "excluded cities" in Marion County. The city is home to Fort Benjamin Harrison within Fort Harrison State Park. The population was 49,370 at the 2020 census. but other names were tried because there was already another Lanesville in Indiana. The name "Jamestown", in honor of the town's founder James White, was used for a while, but in 1866 the Marion County Commissioners approved the name "Lawrence", which is also the name of the township in which it is located. The name was in honor of Captain James Lawrence, naval hero of the War of 1812. In 1929 the citizens of Lawrence voted to become an independent town, where they first established the town marshal, as well as other parts of government.

In 1969, Indianapolis and Marion County adopted a unified government structure known as Unigov. Lawrence is one of four "excluded cities" and therefore retains its own municipal government. Its citizens vote not only for the mayor and council of Lawrence, but also for the mayor of Indianapolis and representatives on the Indianapolis City-County Council.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Lawrence had a population of 49,370. The median age was 35.9 years. 25.8% of residents were under the age of 18 and 12.6% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 92.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 88.5 males age 18 and over.

There were 19,067 households in Lawrence, of which 35.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 42.0% were married-couple households, 18.5% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 31.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 27.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

! Race !! Number !! Percent

|-

| White || 23,573 || 47.7%

|-

| Black or African American || 14,302 || 29.0%

|-

| American Indian and Alaska Native || 393 || 0.8%

|-

| Asian || 761 || 1.5%

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| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 39 || 0.1%

|-

| Some other race || 5,645 || 11.4%

|-

| Two or more races || 4,657 || 9.4%

|-

| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 9,768 || 19.8%

|}

2010 census

At the 2010 United States census, there were 46,001 people, 17,864 households, and 11,949 families in the city. The population density was . There were 19,515 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 63.2% White, 25.8% African American, 0.4% Native American, 1.4% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 5.7% from other races, and 3.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.2%.

Of the 17,864 households 38.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.2% were married couples living together, 17.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.1% were non-families. 27.6% of households were one person and 8% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.12.

The median age was 34.2 years. 28.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 29.3% were from 25 to 44; 24.9% were from 45 to 64; and 9.6% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.5% male and 52.5% female.

The median household income was $54,254 in Lawrence compared to the state median of $48,393. Roughly 31% of Lawrence residents have a bachelor's degree compared to 22.7% of all Indiana residents.

2000 census

At the 2000 United States census, there were 38,915 people, 14,853 households, and 10,337 families in the city. The population density was . There were 16,292 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 78.58% White, 15.51% African American, 0.30% Native American, 1.80% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 1.86% from other races, and 1.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.73%. In the 2018–2019 academic year there were 16,035 students with a high school graduation rate of 92.7%. Lawrence Township schools offer high ability programs, Advanced Placement (AP and ACP), International Baccalaureate Program, vocational and career education programs, and bilingual programs. The district holds 45 state championships and 5 national titles in various inter-curricular competitions. Those titles include championships in basketball (Lawrence North - 2006) and marching band (Lawrence Central -1998, 2001 and 2004). The diversity makeup of the district is .05% American Indian, 23.5% White, 45.3% Black, 6.9% Multiracial, 1.1% Asian, .05% Pacific Islander, and 23.1% Hispanic, as of the 2017–18 school year.

Ivy Tech Community College operates a campus in Lawrence that is associated with the Downtown Indianapolis campus. Lawrence is home to a single public library, a branch of the Indianapolis Public Library.

Notable residents

  • Mike Conley, basketball player
  • Forrest Landis, actor
  • Pat McAfee, sports radio host, All-Pro NFL punter for the Indianapolis Colts
  • Greg Oden, basketball player
  • John Slagle, baseball player

See also

  • List of Indianapolis neighborhoods
  • List of cities surrounded by another city

References

  • Greater Lawrence Chamber of Commerce
  • Visit Lawrence