Ripley County, Indiana
Ripley County is a county located at the southeastern corner of the U.S. state of Indiana. According to the 2020 Census, the population was 28,995. The county seat is Versailles.
History
Ripley County was formed on December 27, 1816, in the same legislative act that created Jennings County. It was named for Gen. Eleazer Wheelock Ripley, an officer in the War of 1812, who figured in the Battle of Lundy's Lane and the Siege of Fort Erie during 1814.Geography
The county seat of Ripley County is Versailles, Indiana. It was selected as the county seat in 1818, and was laid out in 1819.According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of, of which is land and is water.
| Township | Established Year | Area mi2 | Area km2 | Population | Incorporated Towns |
| Adams | 1858 | 43.79 | 113.42 | 5119 | Batesville, Sunman |
| Brown | 1823 | 53.67 | 139 | 1597 | |
| Center | 1858 | 29.51 | 76.43 | 2657 | Osgood |
| Delaware | 1823 | 33.27 | 86.17 | 1437 | |
| Franklin | 1823 | 36.6 | 94.79 | 3773 | Milan |
| Jackson | 1823 | 29.87 | 77.36 | 965 | Napoleon |
| Johnson | 1823 | 54.98 | 142.4 | 3685 | Versailles |
| Laughery | 1819 | 25.97 | 67.26 | 4736 | Batesville |
| Otter Creek | 1858 | 41.69 | 107.98 | 1410 | Holton |
| Shelby | 1823 | 69.39 | 179.72 | 999 | |
| Washington | 1823 | 29.33 | 75.96 | 2440 | Milan |
| Ripley County | 1816 | 448.06 | 1160.471 | 28,181 |
Unincorporated communities
- Allen Crossing
- Ballstown
- Behlmer Corner
- Benham
- Clinton
- Correct
- Cross Plains
- Cross Roads
- Dabney
- Delaware
- Dewberry
- Elrod
- Friendship
- Haney Corner
- Lookout
- Morris
- Negangards Corner
- New Marion
- [Old Milan, Indiana|Milan, Indiana|Old Milan]
- Olean
- Otter Village
- Penntown
- Pierceville
- Prattsburg
- Rexville
- Spades
- Stringtown
Ghost towns
Adjacent counties
- Dearborn County
- Decatur County
- Franklin County
- Jefferson County
- Jennings County
- Ohio County
- Switzerland County
Major highways
- Interstate 74 – runs east–west across northern tip of county.
- US Route 50 – runs east–west across middle of county, through Holton and Versailles.
- US Route 421 - enters from Decatur County near northwest tip of Ripley County. Runs SSE to Versailles, then SSW into Jefferson County.
- State Road 46 – runs east–west across northern tip of county, paralleling Interstate 74 on its south side.
- State Road 48 – runs east–west across upper portion of county, through Napoleon.
- State Road 62 – begins at intersection with State Road 129, north of Cross Plains. Runs east through Friendship to Dearborn County.
- State Road 101 – begins at intersection with US Route 50 near east county line. Runs north to Penntown.
- State Road 129 – begins at intersection with State Road 46 east of Batesville, runs south to Versailles, then SSE through Cross Plains into Switzerland County.
- State Road 229 – enters from Franklin County at Batesville, runs SSW to Ballstown then south and west to Napoleon. Runs west to Decatur County.
- State Road 350 – begins at intersection with US 421 at Osgood, runs east through Delaware and Pierceville into Dearborn County.
National protected area
Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in Versailles have ranged from a low of in January to a high of in July, although a record low of was recorded in January 1994 and a record high of was recorded in July 1999. Average monthly precipitation ranged from in February to in May.Government
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, serving 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.
Board of Commissioners: The Board of Commissioners is the executive body of the county. Commissioners are elected county–wide in staggered four–year terms. One commissioner serves as board president. They are charged with executing the acts legislated by the council, collecting revenue, and managing the day-to-day functions of the county government.
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.
State Government: At the State level, Ripley County is divided in its representation. Adams and Laughery Townships are located in the 55th House District which is represented by Rep. Cindy Ziemke. The rest of Ripley County is located in the 67th district represented by Rep. Randy Frye. Adams and Laughery Townships are in the 42nd Senate District represented by State Senator Jean Leising. The rest of Ripley County is in Senate District 43 represented by Senator Chip Perfect.
Federal Government:
Ripley County is part of Indiana's 6th congressional district and is represented in Congress by Republican Greg Pence. Along with the rest of Indiana, its senators are Mike Braun and Todd Young.
Politics
Ripley County has been a Republican stronghold for much of its history. In only 3 elections since 1912 has the county supported a Democratic presidential candidate. The Republican trend in the county has increased greatly since 2016, and in 2024 it was the third most Republican county in the state.Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 28,995. The median age was 42.0 years. 23.1% of residents were under the age of 18 and 19.6% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 98.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 95.3 males age 18 and over.The racial makeup of the county was 94.3% White, 0.3% Black or African American, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.8% from some other race, and 3.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 1.9% of the population.
18.6% of residents lived in urban areas, while 81.4% lived in rural areas.
There were 11,374 households in the county, of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 52.5% were married-couple households, 16.6% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 23.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 26.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 12,259 housing units, of which 7.2% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 74.8% were owner-occupied and 25.2% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.9% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.8%.
2010 census
As of the 2010 United States census, there were 28,818 people, 10,789 households, and 7,910 families residing in the county. The population density was. There were 11,952 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the county was 97.6% white, 0.5% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.2% black or African American, 0.5% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.5% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 43.4% were German, 14.2% were American, 13.9% were Irish, and 8.7% were English.Of the 10,789 households, 36.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.1% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 26.7% were non-families, and 22.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.08. The median age was 39.2 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $57,305. Males had a median income of $41,711 versus $31,927 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,025. About 7.5% of families and 9.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.3% of those under age 18 and 8.6% of those age 65 or over.
Education
School districts include:- Batesville Community School Corporation
- Jac-Cen-Del Community School Corporation
- Milan Community Schools
- South Ripley Community School Corporation
- Sunman-Dearborn Community School Corporation