Miami County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2020, the population was 35,962. The county seat is the City of Peru. Miami County is part of the Kokomo-Peru CSA.

History

Indiana became a state on December 11, 1816, after being Indiana Territory for sixteen years. Originally, Indiana was part of the Northwest Territory, which was made up of land gained by the British after the French and Indian War and organized into a territory after the American Revolution. It was after the revolution that settlement in the area by Europeans really began. Knox territory was created in 1790 and included all of present-day Indiana and areas of Illinois. Ancestry's Red Book notes that jurisdiction in Knox territory changed due to Indian uprisings in the area from 1790 to 1810. In 1800, Indiana became the name of a territory. Parts of Michigan and Illinois both broke away from the territory before it became a state in 1816.

Miami County was formed in 1832 from Cass County and unorganized land. In 1834, Miami County widened its western border taking some area from Cass County. In 1838 a small portion of unorganized territory was added to the northeastern border, but in 1844 that area was lost to Fulton County. Miami County has been its present shape since 1844.

Geography

According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of , of which (or 99.06%) is land and (or 0.94%) is water.

In recent years, average temperatures in Peru have ranged from a low of in January to a high of in July, although a record low of was recorded in January 1985 and a record high of was recorded in June 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from in February to in June.

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. and Indiana House of Representatives districts 23, 24 and 32.

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Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 35,962. The median age was 40.4 years. 21.8% of residents were under the age of 18 and 17.4% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 115.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 118.9 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 87.6% White, 5.0% Black or African American, 0.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 1.5% from some other race, and 4.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 3.3% of the population.

There were 13,348 households in the county, of which 29.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 49.4% were married-couple households, 18.2% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 25.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 27.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The population density was . There were 15,479 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 91.8% white, 4.5% black or African American, 0.9% American Indian, 0.3% Asian, 0.6% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.5% of the population.

Of the 13,456&nbsp;households, 32.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.2% were married couples living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 30.7% were non-families, and 26.2% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.97. The median age was 39.5 years.

Major employers of Miami County include:<br>

Ferrellgas (Peru )<br>

Schneider Electric Square D (Peru ) (Closed)<br>

Miami Correctional Facility (Bunker Hill )<br>

Indiana Correction Dept (Bunker Hill )<br>

Armour-Eckrich Meats (Peru )<br>

American Stationery Co (Peru ) http://www.americanstationery.com<br>

Dukes Memorial Hospital (Peru ) http://www.dukesmemorialhosp.com<br>

Miami County (Peru )<br>

Bryan Steam LLC (Peru ) http://www.bryanboilers.com<br>

Snavely Machine & Mfg Co Inc (Peru )

See also

  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Miami County, Indiana

Further reading

  • Bodurtha, Arthur Lawrence. History of Miami County, Indiana: A Narrative Account of Its Historical Progress, Its People and Its Principal Interests, Volume 1. 1865. Charleston: Nabu Press (2010).
  • Coppernoll, Marilyn. Miami County, Indiana: A Pictorial History. Peru: Miami County Historical Society (1995).
  • Kingman Brothers. Combination atlas map of Miami County, Indiana. Charleston: Nabu Press (2011).

References