Western Governors University
Community Description and Data Interpretation DeKalb County is located in Northeastern Indiana with a population of 42,307. DeKalb County ranks number 35 in size in the state of Indiana. The county was named for General Johann de Kalb, who was wounded at the Battle of Camden in South Carolina during the Revolutionary War. The county measures a total of 364 square miles. The major cities and towns that comprise the county are Altona, Ashley, Auburn, Butler, Corunna, Garrett, Saint Joe and Waterloo. The city of Auburn was established as the county seat in 1835 and has a current population of 12,731.
Population Economic Status DeKalb County is predominately White, 96.9% of the population, Judeo-Christian society. DeKalb is basically a non-diverse county. The next largest ethnic group is Hispanic at 2.5%. “From 2000-2010, DeKalb increased its Hispanic population by 355 individuals.” (Community Research Institute, 2012) The median household income is $46,065. On average the wage levels in DeKalb County are lower than in areas of similar size. The poverty level, which is below $17,374 for a family of three, is 12.1 % which is lower than the state’s average of 14.7%. The majority of those below the poverty level are single parent households and working older adults. In addition to the assessment of the national poverty level, the Indiana Institute for Working Families has created a self-sufficiency calculator to help reflect the financial needs of the family. The self-sufficiency calculator identifies the wages needed to meet basic necessities without the use of food stamps or public aid. For a family of three the annual salary needed to maintain the family is $31,054. This is difficult to achieve with no college education. The unemployment rate is 8.9% due to the recession and manufacturing industries decreasing their level of production