Brownstown is a town located in Brownstown Township and serves as the county seat of Jackson County, Indiana, United States. According to the 2020 census, the population of Brownstown was 3,025. The town was named after Jacob Brown, who was a general during the War of 1812.

History

The town of Brownstown was established on April 8, 1816, before Indiana became a state. In November 1816, Brownstown became the county seat of Jackson County, taking over from Fort Vallonia, which had served as the county seat since June of that year. The land where the Jackson County Courthouse is located, in the center of Brownstown on the town square, was given by Col. John Ketcham (1782–1865) for this purpose. The Jackson County Courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2011.

Geography

The 2010 census shows that Brownstown has a total area of 1.6 square miles (4.14 km), with 1.59 square miles (4.12 km) (or 99.38%) being land and 0.01 square miles (0.03 km) (or 0.63%) being water.

Brownstown is located on the East Fork of the White River. It is bordered by the Jackson-Washington State Forest and is near the Hoosier National Forest.

Demographics

According to the 2010 census, the town had 2,947 people, 1,175 households, and 792 families. The population density was 1,853.5 people per square mile (715.6 per square kilometer). There were 1,282 housing units, with an average density of 806.3 per square mile (311.3 per square kilometer). The race of the people included 98.3% White, 0.1% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.3% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race made up 1.0% of the population.

Of the 1,175 households, 34.7% had children under 18 living with them. 48.3% were married couples, 15.0% had a female householder without a husband, 4.2% had a male householder without a wife, and 32.6% were non-families. 29.0% of households included only one person, and 14.8% had someone 65 years or older living alone. The average household size was 2.42 people, and the average family size was 2.97 people.

The median age in the town was 38.7 years. 25.7% of residents were under 18, 8% were 18 to 24 years old, 24.2% were 25 to 44 years old, 23.5% were 45 to 64 years old, and 18.6% were 65 years or older. 48.2% of the people were male, and 51.8% were female.

According to the 2000 census, the town had 3,000 people, 1,168 households, and 805 families. The population density was 2,080.6 people per square mile (803.3 per square kilometer). There were 1,242 housing units, with an average density of 867.7 per square mile (335.0 per square kilometer). The race of the people included 98.76% White, 0.10% African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.24% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 0.07% from other races, and 0.50% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race made up 0.60% of the population.

Of the 1,168 households, 34.6% had children under 18 living with them. 49.7% were married couples, 16.4% had a female householder without a husband, and 31.0% were non-families. 28.0% of households included only one person, and 14.0% had someone 65 years or older living alone. The average household size was 2.43 people, and the average family size was 2.96 people.

In 2000, 26.8% of the population was under 18, 8.8% were 18 to 24 years old, 27.8% were 25 to 44 years old, 19.4% were 45 to 64 years old, and 17.3% were 65 years or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.1 males. For every 100 females aged 18 or older, there were 76.7 males.

In 2010, the median income for a household was $35,000, and the median income for a family was $39,044. Males had a median income of $27,984, while females had a median income of $21,503. The per capita income was $15,525. About 8.9% of families and 11.7% of the population lived below the poverty line. This included 18.0% of people under 18 and 6.2% of people 65 years or older.

Education

The town has a public library called the Brownstown Public Library. It also has three public schools: an elementary school, a middle school, and a high school. In addition, there is a private Lutheran elementary and middle school.