Rensselaer is a city located along the Iroquois River in Marion Township, Jasper County, Indiana, United States. The population was 5,733 at the 2020 census, down slightly from 5,859 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Jasper County. Saint Joseph's College is located just south of the city limits.
History
thumb|upright|left|St. Joseph's College (church)This settlement, first platted on June 12, 1839, was originally named "Newton" and was established at the rapids of the Iroquois River. By 1844, it had been renamed "Rensselaer", after James Van Rensselaer, a merchant from Utica, New York, who came to the area after his business failed in the Panic of 1837. He took over the land from Joseph D. Yeoman, who had established a farm some years earlier and had begun to plan the village.
St. Joseph Indian Normal School was established in 1888 by St. Katherine Drexel, an heiress from Philadelphia, who donated $50,000 for the education of Catholic American Indian boys. The school trained 60 boys annually until 1896. The school was operated by the Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions.
In addition to St. Joseph Indian Normal School, the Jasper County Courthouse, Oren F. and Adelia Parker House, Rensselaer Carnegie Library, and Rensselaer Courthouse Square Historic District are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Geography
thumb|Iroquois River embankment
Rensselaer is located southwest of the center of Jasper County. It is bordered to the south by the unincorporated community of Collegeville, home to Saint Joseph's College. The Iroquois River, a tributary of the Kankakee River, hence part of the Illinois River watershed, flows from east to west through the southern part of the city.
U.S. Route 231 and Indiana State Road 114 intersect in the downtown area. US-231 leads north to DeMotte and south to Remington, while State Road 114 leads east to U.S. Route 421 and west to Interstate 65. Via I-65, Rensselaer is north of Lafayette and south of Gary.
According to the 2010 census, Rensselaer has a total area of , of which (or 98.45%) is land and (or 1.55%) is water.
Climate
Humid continental climate is a climatic classification typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. Precipitation is relatively well distributed year-round in many areas with this climate, while others may see a marked reduction in wintry precipitation and even a wintertime drought. The Köppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is "Dfa". (Hot Summer Continental Climate).
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Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Rensselaer had a population of 5,733. The median age was 39.1 years. 23.4% of residents were under the age of 18 and 18.2% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 96.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 92.2 males age 18 and over.
95.8% of residents lived in urban areas, while 4.2% lived in rural areas.
There were 2,384 households in Rensselaer, of which 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 40.3% were married-couple households, 20.0% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 30.5% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 33.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
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At the 2010 census there were 5,859 people, 2,336 households, and 1,517 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 2,556 housing units at an average density of . The racial makup of the city was 95.4% White, 0.7% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.8% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.4%.
Of the 2,336 households 33.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.9% were married couples living together, 14.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 35.1% were non-families. 29.5% of households were one person and 12.6% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.96.
The median age was 36.6 years. 25.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.6% were from 25 to 44; 23.7% were from 45 to 64; and 16.4% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.0% male and 52.0% female.
2000 census
At the 2000 census there were 5,294 people, 2,158 households, and 1,404 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 2,296 housing units at an average density of . The racial makup of the city was 97.94% White, 0.32% African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.09% Asian, 0.66% from other races, and 0.77% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.53%.
Rensselaer has a public library, a branch of the Jasper County Public Library.
Saint Joseph's College is in Rensselaer.
Transportation
Rensselaer is served by Amtrak's Cardinal, which runs three days per week, stopping at the Rensselaer Amtrak station.
Notable people
- Eleanor Stackhouse Atkinson, author
- Dan Brandenburg, National Football League player, Buffalo Bills 1996-1999
- Steve Buyer, former U.S. Representative
- Charles A. Halleck, Republican leader of the U.S. House of Representatives
- James Frederick "Jimmy" Hanley, American songwriter
- Tom Harmon, 1940 Heisman Trophy winner
- Eli Isom, professional wrestler
- Michael Stephen Kanne, Judge on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals
- Robert H. Milroy, Major General in the Union Army during the American Civil War
- Augustus Phillips, actor during the silent film era
- Edison Marshall, short story writer and novelist