| County: | Kosciusko County |
| State: | Indiana |
| Founded: | February 7, 1835 (authorized) 1836 (organized) |
| Seat Wl: | Warsaw |
| Largest City: | Warsaw |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 554.39 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 531.38 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 23.01 |
| Area Percentage: | 4.15% |
| Census Yr: | 2020 |
| Pop: | 80240 |
| Pop Est As Of: | 2023 |
| Population Est: | 80364 |
| Density Sq Mi: | auto |
| Time Zone: | Eastern |
| Web: | www.kcgov.com |
| Named For: | Tadeusz Kościuszko |
| Ex Image: | Kosciusko County Courthouse from southeast near sunset.jpg |
| Ex Image Cap: | Kosciusko County Courthouse in Warsaw |
| District: | 2nd |
| District2: | 3rd |
| Footnotes: | Indiana county number 43 |
Kosciusko County is a county in the U.S. state of Indiana. At the 2020 United States Census, its population was 80,240. The county seat (and only incorporated city) is Warsaw.[1] The county was organized in 1836. It was named for the Polish general Tadeusz Kościuszko who served in the American Revolutionary War and then returned to Poland.[2] The county seat is named for Warsaw, the capital of Poland.[3]
The Indiana State Legislature passed an omnibus county bill[4] on February 7, 1835, that authorized the creation of thirteen counties[5] in northeast Indiana, including Kosciusko. The county government was organized beginning in 1836. The county's boundary lines have remained unchanged since 1835.
Kosciusko County terrain consists of low rolling hills dotted with bodies of water and drainages, with all available area devoted to agriculture or urban development.[6] Its highest point (1025'/312 meters ASL) is a hill NE of Dewart Lake.[7] The Tippecanoe River flows westward through the central part of the county, while the Eel River flows southwestward through the county's SE corner.[6]
According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of, of which (or 95.85%) is land and (or 4.15%) is water.
In recent years, average temperatures in Warsaw 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 July 1976. Average monthly precipitation ranged from in February to in June.
See also: Government of Indiana. 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, elected to four-year terms from county districts, 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.[8] [9]
Board of Commissioners: The executive body of the county; commissioners are elected countywide to staggered four-year terms. One commissioner serves as president. The commissioners execute the acts legislated by the council, collect revenue, and manage the county government.[8] [9]
Court: The county maintains a small claims court that handles civil cases. The county also maintains a Circuit and Superior Court. The judge on each court is elected to a term of six years and must be a member of the Indiana bar.
County Officials: The county has other elected offices, including sheriff, coroner, auditor, treasurer, recorder, surveyor, and circuit court clerk. The officials are elected countywide to four-year terms. Members elected to county government positions are required to declare party affiliations and to be residents of the county.[9]
Kosciusko County is part of Indiana's 2nd and 3rd congressional districts. It is also part of Indiana Senate districts 9, 13, 17 and 18[10] and Indiana House of Representatives districts 18, 22 and 23.[11]
Elected officials:
Kosciusko County is a Republican stronghold in presidential elections. Woodrow Wilson in 1912 and Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932 are the only two Democratic Party candidates to win the county from 1888 to the present day. Roosevelt is the only Democrat since 1888 to win the county with a majority. The county is very Republican even by the standards of traditionally Republican Indiana. For example, Roosevelt actually lost the county by eight percentage points in 1936 even as he went on to carry 46 states. Further underlining the county's Republican bent, it rejected Lyndon Johnson in 1964 even in the midst of Johnson's 44-state national landslide. Johnson is the last Democrat to manage even 40 percent of the county's vote.
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 77,358 people, 29,197 households, and 20,740 families in the county.[13] The population density was . There were 37,038 housing units at an average density of .[14] The racial makeup of the county was 93.3% white, 0.8% Asian, 0.7% black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 3.4% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 7.3% of the population.[13] In terms of ancestry, 33.5% were German, 11.5% were Irish, 10.8% were English, and 8.2% were American.[15]
Of the 29,197 households, 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.6% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.0% were non-families, and 23.9% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.07. The median age was 37.7 years.[13]
The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $56,305. Males had a median income of $44,358 versus $29,320 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,019. About 7.0% of families and 10.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.5% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.[16]