Pulaski County ( ) is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. According to the 2010 U.S. census, the population was 13,402. The county seat is Winamac.
History
Pulaski County was organized in 1835.
Geography
According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of , of which (or 99.80%) is land and (or 0.20%) is water.
Major highways
U.S. Route 35
U.S. Route 421
Indiana State Road 14
Indiana State Road 39
Indiana State Road 114
Indiana State Road 119
Indiana State Road 143
Railroads
CSX Transportation
Adjacent counties
Starke County (north)
Marshall County (northeast)
Fulton County (east)
Cass County (southeast)
White County (south)
Jasper County (west)
Municipalities
Towns
The municipalities in Pulaski County, and their populations as of the 2010 Census, are:
Francesville – 879
Medaryville – 614
Monterey – 218
Winamac – 2,490
Census-designated places
Star City – 377
Other unincorporated places
Beardstown
Clarks
Denham
Lakeside
Lawton
Pulaski
Radioville
Ripley
Thornhope
Vanmeter Park
Townships
The 12 townships of Pulaski County, with their populations as of the 2010 Census, are:
Education
Public schools in Pulaski County are administered by four districts:
Eastern Pulaski Community Schools
West Central School Corporation
Culver Community Schools
North Judson-San Pierre Schools
High Schools
Winamac Community High School
West Central High School
Middle Schools
Winamac Community Middle School
West Central Middle School
Elementary Schools
Eastern Pulaski Elementary School
West Central Elementary School
Hospitals
Pulaski Memorial Hospital, Winamac – 25 beds
Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in Winamac 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 county council is the fiscal-legislative branch of the county government and controls all the spending and revenue collection in the county. Four members are elected from county districts, and three are elected at-large. The council members serve four-year terms. They are responsible for setting salaries, the annual budget, and special spending. The council also 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-legislative body of the county is the board of commissioners. The commissioners represent geographic districts, but are elected county-wide, in staggered terms, and each serves a four-year term. One of the commissioners, typically the most senior, serves as president. The commissioners are charged with adopting and executing legislation, collecting revenue, and managing 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 a term of four years and must be a member of the Indiana Bar Association. 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 Each of these elected officers serves a term of four years and oversees a different part of county government. Members elected to county government positions are required to declare party affiliations and to be residents of the county.
Pulaski County is part of Indiana's 2nd congressional district and in 2016 was represented by Jackie Walorski in the United States Congress.
Demographics
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 13,402 people, 5,282 households, and 3,707 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 6,060 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 97.2% white, 0.7% black or African American, 0.3% American Indian, 0.2% Asian, 0.6% from other races, and 1.0% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.4% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 32.4% were German, 12.2% were Irish, 8.6% were English, and 8.2% were American.
Of the 5,282 households, 31.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.6% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.8% were non-families, and 25.6% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.97. The median age was 41.7 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $50,903. Males had a median income of $43,624 versus $27,131 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,491. About 13.4% of families and 17.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.5% of those under age 18 and 8.3% of those age 65 or over.
