Starke County, Indiana
Located in Indiana, Starke County has a population of 23,365 residents and a median age of 42.1 years, making it the #1,720 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 13.4%. The median home value is $157,700, and the median household income is $63,960, which is 15% below the national median.
Demographics
Starke County has a population of 23,365, making it the #1,720 most populous county in the US. The median age is 42.1 years, which is 8.2% 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 Starke County is $63,960, ranking #1,711 out of 3,222 counties — 14.9% below the national median. The poverty rate is 13.4% and unemployment stands at 3.4%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Starke County is $157,700 (-44.1% vs national). Renters pay a median of $712/mo and the homeownership rate is 83.0%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Starke County, 12.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 62.8% below the national average, ranking #3,067 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Starke County is 72.2 years. 19.1% of adults report poor or fair health and 8.6% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
19.6% of adults in Starke County smoke , 40.1% are obese , and 17.9% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 60.3 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The suicide rate is 18.7 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 27.9 per 100,000.
Suicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
18.4% of children in Starke County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 26.8 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Starke County is 58.9%. The mean commute time is 31.9 min, which is 15.5% above the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Starke County voted Republican with a margin of 52.1%. The vote was 23.2% Dem / 75.3% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 5.3 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Starke County, Indiana
Starke County, Indiana has a total population of 23,365, making it the 1,720th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Starke County is 42.1 years, which is 8.2% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Starke County is $63,960, which ranks #1,711 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 14.9% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 13.4%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.4%.
The median home value in Starke County is $157,700, 44.1% below the national median. Renters in Starke County pay a median gross rent of $712 per month. The homeownership rate is 83.0%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Starke County, 12.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 62.8% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 92.2% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 31.9 min.
Starke County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 91.0% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (4.3%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
All data for Starke 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.