Rush County, Indiana

IN · FIPS 18139 Republican

Located in Indiana, Rush County has a population of 16,739 residents and a median age of 42.4 years, making it the #2,055 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 11.9%. The median home value is $166,800, and the median household income is $66,473, which is 12% below the national median.

16,739
Population
#2,055 of 3,222
$66,473
Median Income
-11.5% #1,471 of 3,222
42.4 years
Median Age
+9.0% #1,363 of 3,222
11.9%
Poverty Rate
-5.8% #1,244 of 3,222

Demographics

Rush County has a population of 16,739, making it the #2,055 most populous county in the US. The median age is 42.4 years, which is 9.0% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

99.3%
Native Born
0.7%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Rush County is $66,473, ranking #1,471 out of 3,222 counties — 11.5% below the national median. The poverty rate is 11.9% and unemployment stands at 4.3%.

Income#1,471
$66,473
-11.5%
vs nation
54th percentile
Per Capita#2,168
$31,606
-23.4%
vs nation
33th percentile
Poverty#1,244
11.9%
-5.8%
vs nation
61th percentile
Unemployment#1,502
4.3%
-18.8%
vs nation
53th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Rush County is $166,800 (-40.8% vs national). Renters pay a median of $873/mo and the homeownership rate is 74.9%.

Home Value#1,872
$166,800
-40.8%
vs nation
42th percentile
Rent#1,592
$873
-24.9%
vs nation
50th percentile
Homeownership#1,553
74.9%
+16.2%
vs nation
52th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Rush County, 18.6% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 44.9% below the national average, ranking #2,244 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
18.6% −44.9% vs nation
Rank #2,244 of 3,222
30th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Rush County is 75.0 years. 18.1% of adults report poor or fair health and 8.8% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,622
75.0
-0.2%
vs nation
47th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,363
18.1%
-7.5%
vs nation
57th percentile
Diabetes#1,466
10.6%
-4.8%
vs nation
53th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,109
39.4%
+5.6%
vs nation
33th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,590
6.2
+9.5%
vs nation
18th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,110
4.7
+5.9%
vs nation
33th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,427
8.8%
-15.7%
vs nation
55th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,874
27.4%
+3.9%
vs nation
40th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,757
14.8%
+2.7%
vs nation
44th percentile

Substance Use

19.3% of adults in Rush County smoke , 41.5% are obese , and 17.8% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 20.0 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#2,072
19.3%
+7.5%
vs nation
34th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,507
41.5%
+9.5%
vs nation
20th percentile
Excessive Drinking#807
17.8%
-10.3%
vs nation
74th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#571
20.0
-38.2%
vs nation
73th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 16.0 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 17.2 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#917
16.0
-19.0%
vs nation
64th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#605
12.0
-32.7%
vs nation
76th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,245
17.2
-15.3%
vs nation
56th percentile

Families & Children

13.6% of children in Rush County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 22.2 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#1,686
22.2
+1.8%
vs nation
44th percentile
Child Poverty#867
13.6%
-28.4%
vs nation
72th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Rush County is 61.7%. The mean commute time is 29.6 min, which is 7.4% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
61.7% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
29.6 min +7.4% vs nation
Rank #942 of 3,222
71th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Rush County voted Republican with a margin of 54.0%. The vote was 21.9% Dem / 75.9% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 0.0 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +54.0%
21.9% 75.9%
Dem 7,655 votes Rep
2020 REP +54.0%
22.1% 76.1%
Dem 7,932 votes Rep
2016 REP +52.3%
21.1% 73.4%
Dem 7,214 votes Rep
2012 REP +34.3%
31.6% 65.9%
Dem 7,026 votes Rep
2008 REP +13.7%
42.3% 56%
Dem 7,629 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Rush County, Indiana

Rush County, Indiana has a total population of 16,739, making it the 2,055th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Rush County is 42.4 years, which is 9.0% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Rush County is $66,473, which ranks #1,471 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 11.5% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 11.9%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.3%.

The median home value in Rush County is $166,800, 40.8% below the national median. Renters in Rush County pay a median gross rent of $873 per month. The homeownership rate is 74.9%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Rush County, 18.6% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 44.9% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 92.5% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 29.6 min.

Rush County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 94.4% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (2.7%) and Hispanic or Latino (1.9%).

All data for Rush 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.