Starke County, Indiana: commercial real estate data.
Starke County, Indiana had an estimated 23,463 residents on July 1, 2024, up 0.3 percent since the 2020 census base of 23,384, across 309 square miles. County output reached $690.4 m in 2024, 319 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 15 7(a) approvals worth $3.7 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Starke County
How many people live in Starke County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202423,365
- Households8,983
- Average household size2.60
- Median household income$63,960
- Median age42.1
- Median gross rent$712 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$157,700
- Home value to household income2.5 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income13.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher12.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree3.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over16,429
- Population under 185,267
- Share under 1822.5 percent
- Population 65 and over4,826
- Share 65 and over20.7 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6413,272
- Civilian labor force10,299
- Unemployment rate3.4 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over56.9 percent
- Rank by population among Indiana counties65th of 92
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included1720th of 3,222
Starke County is the 65th largest of 92 Indiana counties by population. A median home costs 2.5 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 22.5 percent against 20.7 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Starke County
Is Starke County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202423,463
- Census 2020 base population23,384
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.34 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024129
- Births, 2024240
- Deaths, 2024289
- Natural change, 2024-49
- Net domestic migration, 2024139
- Net international migration, 202443
- Total net migration, 2024182
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024318
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1707th of 3,144
The county has grown 0.34 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 and the population still grew, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Starke County
Where are people moving to Starke County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving616
- People arriving, from those returns1,141
- Tax returns filed by households leaving544
- Net household movement72
- Adjusted gross income arriving$30.2 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$5.7 m
- Average income of an arriving household$49,013
- Average income of a leaving household$45,061
- Largest single originMarshall County (92 households)
- Largest single destinationMarshall County (105 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marshall County | 92 | 163 | $3.6 m |
| LaPorte County | 86 | 165 | $4.0 m |
| Porter County | 69 | 120 | $3.5 m |
| Lake County | 46 | 89 | $2.6 m |
| Pulaski County | 41 | 77 | $1.7 m |
| St. Joseph County | 41 | 74 | $1.8 m |
| Cook County | 28 | 56 | $2.4 m |
| Jasper County | 23 | 46 | $1.6 m |
Households arriving report $3,952 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around. The largest single source of arrivals is Marshall County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Starke County
What is the Starke County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$690.4 m
- County GDP, 2023$663.9 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.0 percent
- GDP change over five years23.2 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Indiana areas BEA publishes81st of 92
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2152nd of 3,127
- GDP per resident$29,548
Output grew 4.0 percent in the latest year and 23.2 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Starke County
Employment by industry in Starke County
- Covered employment, annual average4,134
- Establishments reporting337
- Average annual pay$44,150
- Average weekly wage$849
- Manufacturing, employment636
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$52,431
- Retail trade, employment578
- Retail trade, average annual pay$34,079
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment436
- Administrative and support and waste management services, average annual pay$59,321
- Accommodation and food services, employment326
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$16,266
- Construction, employment139
- Finance and insurance, employment122
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 636 | 23 | $52,431 |
| Retail trade | 578 | 60 | $34,079 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 436 | 16 | $59,321 |
| Accommodation and food services | 326 | 25 | $16,266 |
| Construction | 139 | 30 | $58,511 |
| Finance and insurance | 122 | 17 | $61,266 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 115 | 16 | $33,155 |
| Wholesale trade | 101 | 15 | $72,724 |
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 636 jobs, 15.4 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Starke County
How many businesses are in Starke County?
- Establishments, all industries319
- Employment at those establishments3,394
- Annual payroll$145.6 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents13.7
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Starke County
Building permits in Starke County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 202455
- Declared construction value permitted$12.9 m
- Single family units authorized55
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$235,169
- Units authorized per 1,000 households6.1
Single-family homes are 100.0 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Starke County
SBA loans in Starke County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded15
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$3.7 m
- Average 7(a) approval$244,840
- Median 7(a) approval$124,000
- Largest single approval$1,617,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)208
- Jobs per approval13.9
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active4
- Distinct industries receiving approvals12
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer6.7 percent
- Loans on real estate terms1
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter11
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Most active lender1st Source Bank (9)
- 504 approvals recorded8
- 504 gross approval dollars$5.2 m
- Average 504 approval$650,000
- Median 504 approval$387,000
- Distinct CDCs active5
- 504 jobs per approval7.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved10.8
- Most active CDCBusiness Development Corporation (BDC) (3)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$8.9 m
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Starke County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Starke County
Do SBA loans in Starke County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded4
- Paid in full4
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full4
- Status: Exempt from disclosure9
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
- Status: Cancelled1
Only 4 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Starke County
SBA lending by place in Starke County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending4
- Knox, approvals6
- North Judson, approvals4
- Walkerton, approvals4
- Hamlet, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Knox | 6 | $729,000 |
| North Judson | 4 | $2,183,500 |
| Walkerton | 4 | $647,600 |
| Hamlet | 1 | $112,500 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Starke County
How large is Starke County?
- Land area309 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Indiana counties77th of 92
- Width, east to west24.1 mi
- Height, north to south18.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land76
- Establishments per square mile1.03
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Starke County
Flood risk in Starke County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Starke County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 180240
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book4
- Of those, participating in the NFIP3
- NFIP participation rate75.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Starke County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Starke County (community 180240), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Starke County in radon zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 75.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Starke County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Starke County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202423,365
- Households8,983
- Average household size2.60
- Median household income$63,960
- Median age42.1
Common questions
Starke County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Starke County, Indiana?
The Census Bureau estimates 23,463 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 23,365, in 8,983 households, ranking 65th of 92 Indiana counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Starke County's population growing?
The population has grown 0.34 percent since the 2020 census base of 23,384, to 23,463 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 240 births against 289 deaths, with net migration of 182. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Starke County?
$63,960. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $157,700, which is 2.5 times income, and median gross rent is $712 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Starke County?
319 establishments, employing 3,394 people with an annual payroll of $145.6 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Starke County?
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 636 jobs, 15.4 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 4,134 jobs at an average annual pay of $44,150, or $849 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Starke County?
15 7(a) approvals totaling $3.7 m since FY2020, across 4 lenders, with a median approval of $124,000, plus 8 504 approvals worth $5.2 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Starke County?
55 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $12.9 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Starke County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Starke County come from?
The largest single origin is Marshall County, with 92 households. Arriving households report an average income of $49,013 against $45,061 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Starke County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Starke County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Starke County
Cities and places in Starke.
9 Census places lie wholly or partly in Starke County. All 9 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knox | city | 3,479 | 6 | Wholly in this county |
| North Judson | town | 1,823 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Koontz Lake | CDP | 1,182 | None recorded | 89.7 percent here, 10.3 percent Marshall County |
| Hamlet | town | 1,039 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Bass Lake | CDP | 983 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| San Pierre | CDP | 727 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Hartz Lake | CDP | 312 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Groverton | CDP | 111 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Ora | CDP | 96 | None recorded | 97.1 percent here, 2.9 percent Pulaski County |
A further 4 of the county's 15 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Starke County, the largest being Walkerton (4). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.
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