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Population and Demography of Indiana

Indiana is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is bordered by Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the south and southeast, and the Wabash River and Illinois to the west. 

Indiana is the 17th most populous state in the United States.   The total Land area is 35,868 square miles (92,897 square kilometers) and there is an average of 183 people for every square mile. This makes Indiana the 16th most densely populated state in the US. As per the  United States Census Bureau, the population of Indiana in 2020 is 6,785,528 (6.8 million)

Estimated Population of Indiana in 2024 – 6,862,199 or 6.9 million

Indiana Population (2010-2020)

Indiana has a population growth rate of 4.7% during 2010-2020. It has had a population increase of 301,726 since 2010. The median age of the Indiana population is 37.4 years of age. Over the state’s population, there is a slight gender gap with 50.8% females and 49.2% males.

IndianaCensus 2020
Total Population6,785,528 (6.78 million)
Median Age37.4 years
Population Rank17th
Total Land Area35,868 sq mi (92,897 km2)
Area Rank38th
Population Density183/sq mi (70.7/km2)
Capital CityIndianapolis
Largest CityIndianapolis

Indiana Historical Population

In the year 1910 population of Indiana was 2.7 million and in 2020 it reached 6.7 million, an increase of almost 4 million.

Let’s look at decade population & percentage change from the Year 1910 to 2020

YearPopulation% Change
19102,700,8767.3%
19202,930,3908.5%
19303,238,50310.5%
19403,427,7965.8%
19503,934,22414.8%
19604,662,49818.5%
19705,193,66911.4%
19805,490,2245.7%
19905,544,1591%
20006,080,4859.7%
20106,483,8026.6%
20206,785,5284.7%

Source: US Census 2020 and Estimates

Religion and affiliations

Christianity is the majority religion in Indiana followed by 72% of the population. The largest Christian denomination in Indiana is Protestant (52%); Roman Catholic (18%); Mormonism (1%).

Next comes the Unaffiliated population, 26% of the population doesn’t follow or adhere to any faith or religion. Other non-Christian-based religions and faiths are followed by 2% of the population and include Jewish, Hinduism, Buddhism, Muslim, and other smaller faiths.

Source: Pew research center

For more details read Religion in Indiana

Race and Ethnicity 

In 2020, the White alone (non-Hispanic) population was the largest racial or ethnic group in Indiana, comprising 75.47% of the total population. It was followed by the Black or African American population whose share was 9.39%. Hispanic or Latino was the third largest group at 8.17%. Two or more races are at 3.91% & Asian population is at 2.46%

Ancestry in Indiana

As per Census Studies and estimates German, Irish, English, American, and Polish have made the five largest ancestry groups in Indiana. 

For more Details read Race and Ethnicity in Indiana

Top Cities and Counties in Indiana

As of 2022, Indiana is divided into 92 counties. The largest county by population is Marion County with over 900,000 individuals residing within its borders. The largest city by population in Indiana is Indianapolis, which is also the state’s capital. Other big cities are Fort Wayne  (272,398); Evansville  (118,407); South Bend  (101,868) and Carmel  (101,643)

read more about Cities and Counties in Indiana 

Indiana Population 2024 | Indiana Demographics