CASS County, IN

Cass County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 38,966. The county seat is Logansport.

Cass County comprises the Logansport, IN Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Cass County was formed in 1828. It is named for Gen. Lewis Cass, 2nd Territorial Governor of Michigan and later U.S. Secretary of War under President Andrew Jackson.

Geography

According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of of which (or 99.35%) is land and (or 0.65%) is water. The Wabash River flows westward through the county, and is joined by the Eel River in Logansport.

Adjacent counties

City

Towns

Census-designated place

Unincorporated places

Extinct towns

Townships

Major highways

Railroads

Climate and weather

In recent years, average temperatures in Logansport have ranged from a low of in January to a high of in July, although a record low of was recorded in January 1985 and a record high of was recorded in June 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from in February to in June.

Government

The county government is a constitutional body, and is granted specific powers by the Constitution of Indiana, and by the Indiana Code.

County Council: The legislative branch of the county government; controls spending and revenue collection in the county. Representatives are elected to four-year terms from county districts. They are responsible for setting salaries, the annual budget, and special spending. The council has limited authority to impose local taxes, in the form of an income and property tax that is subject to state level approval, excise taxes, and service taxes.

Board of Commissioners: The executive body of the county; commissioners are elected county-wide to staggered four-year terms. One commissioner serves as president. The commissioners execute acts legislated by the council, collect revenue, and manage the day-to-day functions of the county government.

Court: The county maintains a small claims court that can handle some civil cases. The judge on the court is elected to four-year terms, and must be a member of the Indiana Bar Association. The judge is assisted by a constable who is also elected to a four-year term. In some cases, court decisions can be appealed to the state level circuit court.

County Officials: The county has several other elected offices, including sheriff, coroner, auditor, treasurer, recorder, surveyor, and circuit court clerk. They are elected to four-year terms. Members elected to county government positions are required to declare a party affiliation and to be residents of the county.

Most of Cass County is in Indiana's 4th congressional district; the extreme eastern edge is part of Indiana's 2nd congressional district. It is also part of Indiana Senate district 18 and Indiana House of Representatives districts 16 and 24.

Demographics

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 38,966 people, 14,858 households, and 10,144 families in the county. The population density was . There were 16,474 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 88.2% white, 1.5% black or African American, 1.1% Asian, 0.5% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 7.0% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 12.6% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 24.0% were German, 15.0% were American, 11.8% were Irish, and 9.0% were English.

Of the 14,858 households, 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.8% were married couples living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 31.7% were non-families, and 27.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.08. The median age was 38.7 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $49,873. Males had a median income of $37,823 versus $26,938 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,562. About 9.8% of families and 14.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.7% of those under age 18 and 8.0% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

Education

Public schools in Cass County are administered by the Logansport Community School Corporation, the Pioneer Regional School Corporation and the Southeastern School Corporation.

High Schools and Middle Schools

Elementary Schools