Parke County, Indiana
Located in Indiana, Parke County has a population of 16,406 residents and a median age of 41.6 years, making it the #2,076 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 16.2%. The median home value is $151,200, and the median household income is $68,485, which is 9% below the national median.
Demographics
Parke County has a population of 16,406, making it the #2,076 most populous county in the US. The median age is 41.6 years, which is 6.9% above the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Parke County is $68,485, ranking #1,303 out of 3,222 counties — 8.9% below the national median. The poverty rate is 16.2% and unemployment stands at 4.4%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Parke County is $151,200 (-46.4% vs national). Renters pay a median of $704/mo and the homeownership rate is 82.4%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Parke County, 15.4% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 54.3% below the national average, ranking #2,752 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Parke County is 77.9 years. 20.0% of adults report poor or fair health and 11.9% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
20.9% of adults in Parke County smoke , 38.3% are obese , and 19.1% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 20.1 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The suicide rate is 12.0 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 11.9 per 100,000.
Suicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
19.4% of children in Parke County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 14.6 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Parke County is 53.6%. The mean commute time is 32.4 min, which is 17.2% above the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Parke County voted Republican with a margin of 56.9%. The vote was 20.6% Dem / 77.5% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 1.3 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Parke County, Indiana
Parke County, Indiana has a total population of 16,406, making it the 2,076th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Parke County is 41.6 years, which is 6.9% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Parke County is $68,485, which ranks #1,303 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 8.9% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 16.2%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.4%.
The median home value in Parke County is $151,200, 46.4% below the national median. Renters in Parke County pay a median gross rent of $704 per month. The homeownership rate is 82.4%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Parke County, 15.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 54.3% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 85.1% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 32.4 min.
Parke County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 94.3% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (3.3%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (1.6%).
All data for Parke County, Indiana comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.