Indianapolis is the heart of a burgeoning region. The nine-county Central Indiana region had a population of 1,719,603 in 2005, according to recent census estimates. The eight suburban counties of the region were equal in population to Indianapolis. The chart shows the rapid growth rate of the suburban counties since the late 1980s.3

Source: Hoosiers by the Numbers, Indiana Department of Workforce Development

Compared with the rest of Indiana, Central Indiana has experienced phenomenal growth in recent years. Across the state, population growth from 2001 to 2005 was 146,296. The nine counties of Central Indiana accounted for 83,930 of that increase, or 57 percent of the state’s total. Hamilton County alone attained 30.5 percent of Indiana’s population growth. Even on a national scale, Hamilton County has been one of the fastest-growing counties in recent years.

 

 

 

3 The chart shows a gradual increase in Marion County’s population with an anomalous leap in 2000. This change was the result of a statistical revision rather than a real increase of 50,000 people in a single year.

  
 


 
   
     
  Indianapolis is doing well in comparison with simlar cities in other statesNatural increaseIndianapolis' high birth rateNumber of births, 2003Indianapolis neighborhoods: birth rates varyEducational attainment of mothersMigration explains the growth of the suburbs  
  PopulationThe population basicsIndianapolis' population is growing slowlyThe Central Indiana region grew rapidlyNatural increase and migration: two ways the population growsIndianapolis is younger than the state or the nationIndianapolis is becoming more diverse  
  Indianapolis will remain the hub of Central IndianaThe trend is toward more older peopleBlacks are the largest minority, while Hispanics are the fastest-growing ethnic groupThe suburbs remain whiteEthnic, racial and cultural groupsHispanic social integrationHistoric sidebar