St. Joseph County, Indiana

Not to be confused with Saint Joseph, Vanderburgh County, Indiana, locally referred to as "St. Joseph County".

Saint Joseph County
County
Old St. Joseph County courthouse in South Bend, Indiana
Flag Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Indiana
Indiana's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 41°37′00″N 86°17′23″W
Country	United States
State	Indiana
Founded	1830
Named for	St. Joseph River
Seat	South Bend
Largest city	South Bend
Area
• Total	461.38 sq mi (1,195.0 km^2)
• Land	457.85 sq mi (1,185.8 km^2)
• Water	3.54 sq mi (9.2 km^2)  0.77%
Population  (2020)
• Total	272,912
• Estimate  (2023)	272,848
• Density	590/sq mi (230/km^2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	2nd
Website	www.sjcindiana.com
Indiana county number 71 Fifth-most populous county in Indiana as of 2010

St. Joseph County, colloquial St. Joe County by residents, is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 272,912,^[1] making it the fifth-most populous county in Indiana. Formed in 1830, it was named for the St. Joseph River which flows through it to Lake Michigan. The county seat is South Bend.^[2] St. Joseph County is part of the South Bend–Mishawaka, IN–MI "Michiana", Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 461.38 square miles (1,195.0 km²), of which 457.85 square miles (1,185.8 km²) (or 99.23%) is land and 3.54 square miles (9.2 km²) (or 0.77%) is water.^[3]

Cities

St. Joseph River, flowing into St. Joseph County from Elkhart County (top) through Mishawaka

• Mishawaka
• South Bend

Towns

• Indian Village
• Lakeville
• New Carlisle
• North Liberty
• Osceola
• Roseland
• Walkerton

Census-designated places

• Granger
• Notre Dame

Other unincorporated places

• Ardmore
• Chain-O-Lakes
• Colburn
• Crumstown
• Dreamwold Heights
• Georgetown
• Gilmer Park
• Gulivoire Park
• Hamilton
• Lydick
• Midway Corners
• Nutwood
• Olive
• Pleasant Valley
• State Line
• Tamarack Grange
• Terre Coupee
• Westfield
• Woodland
• Wyatt
• Zeigler

Townships

• Centre
• Clay
• German
• Greene
• Harris
• Liberty
• Lincoln
• Madison
• Olive
• Penn
• Portage
• Union
• Warren

Adjacent counties

• Berrien County, Michigan (north)
• Cass County, Michigan (northeast)
• Elkhart County (east)
• Marshall County (south)
• Starke County (southwest/CST Border)
• LaPorte County (west/CST Border)

Major highways

Freeways

• I-80 / I-90 / Indiana Toll Road
• US 20
• US 31

Other highways

• US 6
• 
  US 20 Bus.
• 
  US 31 Bus.
• SR 2
• SR 4
• SR 23
• SR 104
• SR 331
• SR 931
• SR 933

Climate and weather

South Bend, Indiana
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D     2.3     31 16     2     36 19     2.9     47 28     3.6     59 38     3.5     71 48     4.2     80 58     3.7     83 63     4     81 61     3.8     74 53     3.3     62 42     3.4     48 33     3.1     36 22 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F █ Precipitation totals in inches Source: The Weather Channel[4]
Metric conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     58     −1 −9     50     2 −7     73     8 −2     92     15 3     89     22 9     106     27 14     95     28 17     101     27 16     96     23 12     83     17 6     86     9 1     78     2 −6 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C █ Precipitation totals in mm

In recent years, average temperatures in South Bend have ranged from a low of 16 °F (−9 °C) in January to a high of 83 °F (28 °C) in July, although a record low of −22 °F (−30 °C) was recorded in January 1943 and a record high of 109 °F (43 °C) was recorded in July 1934. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.98 inches (50 mm) in February to 4.19 inches (106 mm) in June.^[4]

Government

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 county council is the legislative branch of the county government and controls all the spending and revenue collection in the county. Representatives are elected from county districts. 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.^[5][6]

District	Councilperson	Party
A	Joseph Thomas	Republican
B	Amy Drake	Republican
C	Dan Schaetzle	Republican
D	Rafael Morton	Democratic
E	Diana Hess	Democratic
F	Randy Figg	Republican
G	Mark Catanzarite	Democratic
H	Brian Tanner	Democratic
I	Mark Root	Republican

Board of Commissioners: The executive body of the county is made of a board of commissioners. The commissioners 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 executing the acts legislated by the council, collecting revenue, and managing the day-to-day functions of the county government.^[5][6]

District	Commissioner	Party
1	Carl Baxmeyer, President	Republican
2	Derek Dieter[7]	Republican
3	Deborah Fleming Vice President	Republican

Court: The county maintains several courts: the Circuit Court that hears primarily civil matters and some criminal cases. The judge on the court is elected to a term of six years and must be a licensed attorney in good standing. The judge is assisted by three magistrates appointed by the judge. The Superior Court hears both civil and criminal cases, including small claims and traffic/misdemeanor cases. There are eight judges appointed to the Superior Court by the Governor of Indiana. They are assisted by four magistrates who handle the small claims and traffic/misdemeanor dockets. The Probate Court hears juvenile cases, child abuse or neglect cases, along with probate matters. The judge on the court is elected to a term of six years and must be a licensed attorney in good standing. The judge is assisted by three magistrates and one commissioner (similar to a magistrate) who are appointed by the judge. Decisions from these courts can be appealed to the Indiana Court of Appeals.^[6]

Office	Judge	Party
Circuit Court	John Broden	Democratic

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.^[6]

Office	Officeholder	Party
Assessor	Michael Castellon	Republican
Auditor	John Murphy	Democratic
Clerk	Amy Rolfes	Republican
Coroner	Patricia Jordan	Republican
Prosecutor	Ken Cotter	Democratic
Recorder	Phil Dotson	Democratic
Sheriff	William Redman	Democratic
Surveyor	John McNamara	Democratic
Treasurer	Michael Kruk	Democratic

Politics

St. Joseph County is part of Indiana's 2nd congressional district and is represented by Republican Rudy Yakym in the United States Congress. Indiana's US Senators are Republicans Mike Braun and Todd Young. St. Joseph County leans Democratic in presidential elections like most counties with college cities.

United States presidential election results for St. Joseph County, Indiana^[8]^[9]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	53,585	48.35%	55,215	49.82%	2,024	1.83%
2020	53,164	46.13%	59,896	51.98%	2,178	1.89%
2016	52,021	46.51%	52,252	46.72%	7,569	6.77%
2012	52,578	47.36%	56,460	50.86%	1,971	1.78%
2008	48,510	40.85%	68,710	57.87%	1,519	1.28%
2004	55,254	50.87%	52,637	48.46%	728	0.67%
2000	47,581	48.81%	47,703	48.94%	2,190	2.25%
1996	38,281	41.08%	45,704	49.04%	9,203	9.88%
1992	38,934	37.27%	46,203	44.23%	19,328	18.50%
1988	49,481	50.56%	48,056	49.10%	327	0.33%
1984	54,404	53.08%	47,513	46.36%	576	0.56%
1980	50,607	49.08%	44,218	42.88%	8,289	8.04%
1976	50,358	50.20%	49,156	49.00%	810	0.81%
1972	64,808	60.55%	41,629	38.89%	602	0.56%
1968	47,114	44.09%	47,414	44.37%	12,336	11.54%
1964	39,872	37.49%	65,844	61.91%	630	0.59%
1960	53,621	45.64%	63,553	54.09%	325	0.28%
1956	57,827	51.41%	54,152	48.15%	493	0.44%
1952	53,537	49.74%	53,269	49.49%	826	0.77%
1948	39,593	43.58%	49,866	54.89%	1,387	1.53%
1944	39,875	45.53%	47,149	53.83%	565	0.65%
1940	36,164	44.02%	45,620	55.53%	374	0.46%
1936	25,807	36.69%	43,131	61.32%	1,401	1.99%
1932	28,198	41.13%	38,026	55.46%	2,339	3.41%
1928	36,844	57.56%	26,846	41.94%	316	0.49%
1924	23,682	57.65%	15,056	36.65%	2,344	5.71%
1920	17,675	56.46%	12,355	39.47%	1,275	4.07%
1916	7,961	43.02%	9,709	52.47%	835	4.51%
1912	3,146	20.17%	5,391	34.56%	7,064	45.28%
1908	11,222	53.92%	8,562	41.14%	1,029	4.94%
1904	11,166	62.54%	5,967	33.42%	721	4.04%
1900	8,127	53.10%	6,948	45.40%	230	1.50%
1896	7,138	52.79%	6,247	46.20%	136	1.01%
1892	5,220	44.93%	6,077	52.30%	322	2.77%
1888	4,929	47.40%	5,257	50.56%	212	2.04%

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1830	287		—
1840	6,425		2,138.7%
1850	10,954		70.5%
1860	18,455		68.5%
1870	25,322		37.2%
1880	33,178		31.0%
1890	42,457		28.0%
1900	58,881		38.7%
1910	84,312		43.2%
1920	103,304		22.5%
1930	160,033		54.9%
1940	161,823		1.1%
1950	205,058		26.7%
1960	238,614		16.4%
1970	245,045		2.7%
1980	241,617		−1.4%
1990	247,052		2.2%
2000	265,559		7.5%
2010	266,931		0.5%
2020	272,912		2.2%
2023 (est.)	272,848	[10]	0.0%
U.S. Decennial Census[11] 1790-1960[12] 1900-1990[13] 1990-2000[14] 2010[15]

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 266,931 people, 103,069 households, and 66,365 families residing in the county.^[16] The population density was 583.0 inhabitants per square mile (225.1/km²). There were 114,849 housing units at an average density of 250.8 per square mile (96.8/km²).^[3] The racial makeup of the county was 78.7% white, 12.7% black or African American, 1.9% Asian, 0.4% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 3.4% from other races, and 2.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 7.3% of the population.^[16] In terms of ancestry, 25.3% were German, 15.5% were Irish, 12.0% were Polish, 8.5% were English, and 4.5% were American.^[17]

Of the 103,069 households, 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.1% were married couples living together, 13.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 35.6% were non-families, and 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.07. The median age was 36.2 years.^[16]

The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $57,510. Males had a median income of $45,269 versus $31,667 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,082. About 10.7% of families and 14.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.7% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over.^[18]

Education

K-12 schools

School districts include:^[19]

• John Glenn School Corporation
• Mishawaka School City
• New Prairie United School Corporation
• Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation
• South Bend Community School Corporation
• Union-North United School Corporation

Public high schools in the county include:

• John Adams High School (South Bend district)
• Clay High School (South Bend district)
• James Whitcomb Riley High School (South Bend district)
• Washington High School (South Bend district)
• Mishawaka High School (Mishawaka district)
• Penn High School (Penn-Harris district)

Private schools

Catholic schools on this list are operated by or associated with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fort Wayne–South Bend

• Christ the King [Grades K-8]
• Community Baptist Christian School [Grades K-12]
• Corpus Christi [Grades K-8]
• Covenant Christian School [Grades K-8]
• Granger Christian School [Grades K-12]
• Holy Cross Elementary [Grades K-8]
• Holy Family Elementary [Grades K-8]
• Ironwood Christian School [Grades K-12]
• Mishawaka Catholic School (St. Bavo Campus, St. Joseph Campus & St. Monica Campus) [Grades ECD-8]
• Michiana Christian School [Grades K-5]
• Mishawaka First Baptist School [Grades K-12]
• Marian High School [Grades 9-12]
• North Liberty Christian School [Grades K-5]
• Our Lady of Hungary [Grades K-8]
• Queen of Peace School [Grades K-6]
• Resurrection Lutheran Academy [Grades Pre K-8]
• St. Adalbert Elementary [Grades K-8]
• St. Anthony de Padua School [Grades K-8]
• St. John the Baptist Elementary [Grades K-8]
• St. Joseph Grade School [Grades K-8]
• St. Jude Elementary [Grades K-8]
• St. Mary of the Assumption School [Grades K-8]
• St. Matthew Elementary [Grades K-8]
• St. Patrick School [Grades K-6]
• St. Pius X School [Grades Pre K-8]
• South Bend Christian Center [Grades K-12]
• South Bend Junior Academy [Grades K-8]
• South Bend St. Joseph's High School [Grades 9-12]
• Stanley Clark School [Grades K-8]
• Trinity School at Greenlawn [Grades 6-12]

Colleges and universities

• Bethel College
• Brown Mackie College (closed in 2017)
• Holy Cross College
• Indiana University South Bend
• Ivy Tech North Central
• St. Mary's College
• University of Notre Dame

St. Joseph County Public Library

History

The St. Joseph County Public Library was founded in 1889. Originally known as the South Bend Public Library, it was founded by the South Bend School Corporation and managed by Evelyn Humphries out of a floor of the Oliver Opera House. Humphries soon secured funding for the building of the Main Library which opened to the public in 1896. It was known as "The Castle" due to its unique architecture.^[20] In 1902, Virginia Tutt became the second library director. She opened the first library branch in Washington High School in 1918, which often served as a community center for Polish and Hungarian immigrants. The Betty Ruth Spiro Memorial Library replaced "The Castle" in 1959 as the new main library building in downtown South Bend. This building served the community until its renovation in 1992 led to a fire and subsequent damage from smoke and fire sprinklers. The renovation continued and the library was able to open 7 days later thanks to help from the community.^[21]

In 2016, Main Library began looking at the need for an expanded space in downtown South Bend to meet the needs of the growing community. After working with consultants and architects, it was decided in October 2018 that Main Library will expand to include a community learning center, renovated exterior, and inner courtyard.^[22] St. Joseph County is considering cutting the library's funding by almost $500,000 a year. As a result, on September 5, 2019, hundreds of residents protested in the streets, and all library branches closed early. Overflow crowds backed the county council meeting to show their support for the library.^[23] The library ended up losing the funding two years later.

Branches

• Main Library
• Centre Township Branch
• Francis Branch
• German Township Branch
• Lakeville Branch
• LaSalle Branch
• North Liberty Branch
• River Park Branch
• Tutt Branch
• Western Branch

Library Services

Studio 304

Technology hub where patrons can explore 3-D printing, poster printing, iPads, Adobe Creative Suite, gaming, virtual reality rigs, and recording rooms.^[24]

Local and family history

Books, newspapers, yearbooks, magazines, and other items of local significance can be examined. Online archives and genealogical websites are also available to reference in the creation of family trees.^[25]

Databases

SJCPL subscribes to over 50 databases that can aid in research, education, grant writing, and business development.^[26]

Homebound delivery

Library staff members will bring library materials directly to your home if requested.^[27]

Notable people

• Thadeus Jay Miller, artist

See also

• List of public art in St. Joseph County, Indiana
• National Register of Historic Places listings in St. Joseph County, Indiana

References

1. "St. Joseph County, Indiana". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
4. "Monthly Averages for South Bend, Indiana". The Weather Channel. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
5. Indiana Code. "Title 36, Article 2, Section 3". IN.gov. Retrieved September 16, 2008.
6. Indiana Code. "Title 2, Article 10, Section 2" (PDF). IN.gov. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 27, 2004. Retrieved September 16, 2008.
7. "Board of Commissioners | St. Joseph County, IN".
8. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved May 20, 2018.
9. The leading "other" candidate, Progressive Theodore Roosevelt, received 5,240 votes, while Socialist candidate Eugene Debs received 1,285 votes, Prohibition candidate Eugene Chafin received 452 votes, and Socialist Labor candidate Arthur Reimer received 87 votes.
10. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
11. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
12. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
13. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
14. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
15. "St. Joseph County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 25, 2011.
16. "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
17. "DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 14, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
18. "DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 14, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
19. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: St. Joseph County, IN" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 25, 2022. Retrieved July 22, 2022. - Text list
20. "Library History". Michiana Memory. Retrieved November 25, 2018.
21. "Our History". Saint Joseph County Public Library. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
22. Parrott, Jeff. "Downtown South Bend library proposes dramatic, $38-million overhaul". South Bend Tribune. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
23. "St. Joseph Co. libraries close early in protest of plan to cut funding by close to $500k". WSBT News. September 5, 2019. Retrieved September 10, 2019.
24. "Studio 304 Digital Media Lab". St. Joseph County Public Library. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
25. "Local and Family History". St. Joseph County Public Library. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
26. "Database and Articles". St. Joseph County Public Library. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
27. "Homebound Services". St. Joseph County Public Library. Retrieved November 26, 2018.

External links

• St. Joseph County Public Library
• St. Joseph County Website

41.62°N 86.29°W / 41.62; -86.29