Wells County, Indiana

IN · FIPS 18179 Republican

Located in Indiana, Wells County has a population of 28,420 residents and a median age of 39.8 years, making it the #1,529 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 7.2%. The median home value is $197,600, and the median household income is $71,957, which is 4% below the national median.

28,420
Population
#1,529 of 3,222
$71,957
Median Income
-4.2% #1,049 of 3,222
39.8 years
Median Age
+2.3% #2,170 of 3,222
7.2%
Poverty Rate
-43.1% #237 of 3,222

Demographics

Wells County has a population of 28,420, making it the #1,529 most populous county in the US. The median age is 39.8 years, which is 2.3% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

98.1%
Native Born
1.9%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Wells County is $71,957, ranking #1,049 out of 3,222 counties — 4.2% below the national median. The poverty rate is 7.2% and unemployment stands at 2.6%.

Income#1,049
$71,957
-4.2%
vs nation
67th percentile
Per Capita#1,276
$36,845
-10.7%
vs nation
60th percentile
Poverty#237
7.2%
-43.1%
vs nation
93th percentile
Unemployment#495
2.6%
-50.7%
vs nation
85th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Wells County is $197,600 (-29.9% vs national). Renters pay a median of $813/mo and the homeownership rate is 75.6%.

Home Value#1,428
$197,600
-29.9%
vs nation
56th percentile
Rent#2,007
$813
-30.1%
vs nation
38th percentile
Homeownership#1,432
75.6%
+17.4%
vs nation
56th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Wells County, 19.9% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 40.8% below the national average, ranking #2,008 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
19.9% −40.8% vs nation
Rank #2,008 of 3,222
38th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Wells County is 76.7 years. 18.3% of adults report poor or fair health and 6.5% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,025
76.7
+2.0%
vs nation
67th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,417
18.3%
-6.5%
vs nation
55th percentile
Diabetes#1,251
10.2%
-8.4%
vs nation
60th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,177
39.6%
+6.1%
vs nation
31th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,019
5.8
+3.7%
vs nation
36th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,034
4.1
-7.6%
vs nation
67th percentile
Uninsured Rate#635
6.5%
-37.6%
vs nation
80th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,162
28.8%
+9.2%
vs nation
31th percentile
Food Insecurity#653
11.5%
-20.2%
vs nation
79th percentile

Substance Use

20.3% of adults in Wells County smoke , 40.7% are obese , and 20.1% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 17.7 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#2,351
20.3%
+13.0%
vs nation
25th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,269
40.7%
+7.4%
vs nation
28th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,608
20.1%
+1.0%
vs nation
49th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#424
17.7
-45.2%
vs nation
80th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 14.8 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 13.7 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#705
14.8
-25.0%
vs nation
73th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#141
7.1
-60.4%
vs nation
94th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#782
13.7
-32.3%
vs nation
72th percentile

Families & Children

10.7% of children in Wells County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 17.6 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#1,202
17.6
-19.4%
vs nation
60th percentile
Child Poverty#421
10.7%
-43.7%
vs nation
87th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Wells County is 67.3%. The mean commute time is 25.9 min, which is 6.2% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
67.3% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
25.9 min −6.2% vs nation
Rank #1,731 of 3,222
46th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Wells County voted Republican with a margin of 57.9%. The vote was 20.2% Dem / 78.1% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 1.4 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +57.9%
20.2% 78.1%
Dem 14,100 votes Rep
2020 REP +56.5%
20.8% 77.3%
Dem 14,050 votes Rep
2016 REP +56.5%
19.7% 76.2%
Dem 13,123 votes Rep
2012 REP +45.0%
26.6% 71.6%
Dem 12,922 votes Rep
2008 REP +31.4%
33.7% 65.1%
Dem 13,073 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Wells County, Indiana

Wells County, Indiana has a total population of 28,420, making it the 1,529th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Wells County is 39.8 years, which is 2.3% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Wells County is $71,957, which ranks #1,049 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 4.2% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 7.2%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 2.6%.

The median home value in Wells County is $197,600, 29.9% below the national median. Renters in Wells County pay a median gross rent of $813 per month. The homeownership rate is 75.6%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Wells County, 19.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 40.8% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 93.1% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 25.9 min.

Wells County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 92.2% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (4.0%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).

All data for Wells 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.