Austin, Indiana

Austin, Indiana
City
City of Austin
Location of Austin in Scott County, Indiana.
Coordinates: 38°44′50″N85°48′30″W / 38.74722°N 85.80833°W / 38.74722; -85.80833
Country	United States
State	Indiana
County	Scott
Township	Jennings
City	January 1, 2008
Government
• Mayor	Roger Hawkins (D)[ citation needed ]
Area [1]
• Total	2.66 sq mi (6.90 km2)
• Land	2.66 sq mi (6.90 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation [2]	558 ft (170 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	4,064
• Density	1,525.53/sq mi (589.09/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (EST)
ZIP code	47102
Area code	812
FIPS code	18-02800
GNIS ID	2397445 [2]
Website	cityofaustin.in.gov

Austin is a city in Jennings Township, Scott County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 4,272 at the 2000 census, at which time it was a town; Austin became a city on January 1, 2008. The population was 4,064 at the 2020 census.

History

Austin was platted in 1853, and named after Austin, Texas. ^[3] A post office has been in operation at Austin since 1854. ^[4]

HIV Crisis

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirms that Austin “contains the largest drug-fueled H.I.V. outbreak to hit rural America in recent history.” Its 5 percent infection rate “is comparable to some African nations.” According to New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, who visited with Austin's only doctor, Will Cooke, Austin "doesn’t just sit at the intersection between Indianapolis and Louisville but at the intersection of hopelessness and economic ruin.” ^[5]

In 2015, press reports indicated the city was the center of an outbreak of HIV caused by the use of Opana as an injectable recreational drug. The outbreak required emergency action by state officials. ^[6] When the outbreak was first detected there were 30 HIV cases in a town that had, up until this point, only had 3 cases over several decades. ^[7] After 29 days, by the time Governor Mike Pence determined a course of action, the number of HIV cases had skyrocketed to 79. In response to the crisis Scott County established "one-stop shop," where people could also get drug treatment referrals, free HIV testing, syringe exchanges, and other services. ^[8]

Geography

According to the 2010 census, Austin has a total area of 2.58 square miles (6.68 km²), all land. ^[9]

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Austin has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. ^[10]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1870	321		—
1880	270		−15.9%
1950	2,906		—
1960	3,838		32.1%
1970	4,902		27.7%
1980	4,857		−0.9%
1990	4,310		−11.3%
2000	4,724		9.6%
2010	4,295		−9.1%
2020	4,064		−5.4%
U.S. Decennial Census [11]

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, ^[12] there were 4,295 people, 1,674 households, and 1,178 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,664.7 inhabitants per square mile (642.7/km²). There were 1,908 housing units at an average density of 739.5 per square mile (285.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.1% White, 0.3% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.7% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.1% of the population.

There were 1,674 households, of which 37.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.2% were married couples living together, 18.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 8.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 29.6% were non-families. 25.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.00.

The median age in the city was 36.7 years. 25.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27% were from 25 to 44; 25.3% were from 45 to 64; and 12.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.6% male and 51.4% female.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, ^[13] there were 4,724 people, 1,793 households, and 1,308 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,946.4 inhabitants per square mile (751.5/km²). There were 1,967 housing units at an average density of 810.5 per square mile (312.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.20% White, 0.06% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.19% Asian, 0.78% from other races, and 0.61% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.52% of the population.

There were 1,793 households, out of which 36.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.0% were married couples living together, 16.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.0% were non-families. 22.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.06.

In the town the population was spread out, with 29.1% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 9.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.4 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $28,495, and the median income for a family was $33,267. Males had a median income of $28,468 versus $21,580 for females. The per capita income for the town was $12,431. About 16.6% of families and 19.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.0% of those under age 18 and 15.6% of those age 65 or over.

Notable residents

• Albert E. Wiggam - Psychologist and eugenicist ^[14]

References

1. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
2. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Austin, Indiana
3. McPherson, Alan (2007). Journeys to the Past: A Traveler's Guide to Indiana State Historical Markers. AuthorHouse. p. 207. ISBN   978-1-4343-1644-8.
4. "Scott County". Jim Forte Postal History. Retrieved December 4, 2015.
5. Friedman, Thomas L. (May 24, 2017). "Opinion | A Road Trip Through Rusting and Rising America". The New York Times.
6. Paquette, Danielle (March 30, 2015). "How an HIV outbreak hit rural Indiana — and why we should be paying attention". Washington Post. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
7. "One Small Town Rebounds After HIV Outbreak". NPR . February 16, 2020. Retrieved February 16, 2020.
8. Wood, Josh (March 8, 2020). "'We still have darkness': the town where an HIV outbreak occurred under Mike Pence". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved March 8, 2020.
9. "G001 - Geographic Identifiers - 2010 Census Summary File 1". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
10. Climate Summary for Austin, Indiana
11. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
12. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved December 11, 2012.
13. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
14. "Collection: Albert E. Wiggam letter | Indiana State Library Manuscripts Catalog". Indiana State Library. Retrieved April 4, 2020.

External links

• Official website

• Indiana portal