Indianapolis is a city located in Marion County Indiana. Indianapolis has a 2023 population of 871,449. It is also the county seat of Marion County.Indianapolis is currently declining at a rate of -0.6% annually and its population has decreased by -1.8% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 887,382 in 2020.
The average household income in Indianapolis is $75,792 with a poverty rate of 16.42%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to - per month, and the median house value is -. The median age in Indianapolis is 34.3 years, 33.3 years for males, and 35.2 years for females.
Indianapolis was also recently ranked by Forbes as one of the best downtowns in the country with movie theaters, museums, art galleries, parks, retail shops, and entertainment, and its greater area has seen moderate growth in the past few years.
In 2013, it was announced that African Americans in Indianapolis had reached a new milestone: a total population of 300,000, which is an increase of 3.9% over the 2010 Census data. The city and county are now 29.3% African American, but the metropolitan area is 16% black. 1 in 8 people living in Central Indiana is African American.
In 1970, non-Hispanic whites accounted for 80% of the Indianapolis population, and Indianapolis was the 11th largest city in the US. In the 1970s and '80s, the city suffered from white flight and urban decay, and major revitalization efforts in the most blighted areas during the 1980's help to accelerate growth on the fringes of the metro region.
A 2010 study from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee found that Indianapolis is the least segregated city in the northern US, with 25% of its population living on a block with both black and white residents.
For the 6th year in a row, Indiana's population growth rate has dropped. The US Census Bureau estimates that Indiana's population grew about 0.3% in 2012, although it has remained higher than adjacent states and this sluggish growth is typical throughout the United States.
Columbus, Ohio has a population that's pretty comparable to Indianapolis, but about 30,000 lower. Columbus has a much higher growth rate, and it's believed it will surpass Indianapolis by 2020.
Despite its sluggish growth, it's predicted the entire state of Indiana will grow 15% by 2050, and populations in counties surrounding Indianapolis are expected to grow the most. The Indianapolis-Carmel metro area has always been the growth engine for the state and accounted for 57% of Indiana's growth between 2000 and 2010. By 2030, it's expected to be responsible for 62% of the state's growth. It will be interesting to see just how many people Indianapolis can add by the next census in 2020.
The area of Indianapolis was initially inhabited by the Miami and Lenape (Delaware) Native American tribes, who were displaced around 1820. Indianapolis was chosen as the site of the state capital in 1820 and, while most state capitals are chosen in the central area of the state, Indianapolis is the closest capital to being in the exact center of Indianapolis.
The city was founded on the White River on the false assumption that this river could be a source of significant transportation, but settlers eventually found it was too sandy for trade transportation. The city's name comes from Jeremiah Sullivan, a judge for the Indiana Supreme Court, who joined Indiana with "polis," a Greek word meaning city.
Alexander Ralston was then commissioned to design the new city and had assisted previously with the design for Washington, D.C. By the early 20th century, Indianapolis was a major auto manufacturer, rivaling Detroit, and it was a major hub of regional transport that earned it the nickname "the Crossroads of America."
Through the beginning of the 20th century, Indianapolis proliferated, although fast suburbanization started around 1950 and race relations deteriorated. It's believed a speech by Robert Kennedy, in town campaigning for President on the night that Martin Luther King, Jr was assassinated, that saved Indianapolis from riots that occurred throughout the United States.
While its growth has slowed significantly, Indianapolis is still a major transportation hub with a thriving economy and population.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Indianapolis was:
3.31
Average Family Size
2.46
Average Household Size
54.5%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
85.59% of Indianapolis residents speak only English, while 14.41% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 8.19% of the population.
16.42%
Overall Poverty Rate
14.87%
Male Poverty Rate
17.88%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Indianapolis is Hispanic, with 33.71% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Indianapolis is White, with 13% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 2.88%. Among those working part-time, it was 19.74%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 28.21%.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
39.4%
Overall Marriage Rate
41.5%
Male Marriage Rate
37.4%
Female Marriage Rate
male
female
The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 45-54.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
9.65%
Veteran Poverty Rate
30.71%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
66.9%
Labor Force Participation
63%
Employment Rate
5.6%
Unemployment Rate
LaborForceParticipation
LaborForceParticipation
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
65.34%
Born in Indianapolis
89.76%
Native Born
10.02%
Foreign Born
6.81%
Non Citizen
3.21%
Naturalized
89.76% of Indianapolis residents were born in the United States, with 65.34% having been born in Indiana. 6.81% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.