| The
estimated 1998 population of Attica is 3,182, an 8 percent loss
since the census of 1990. In postwar times, both Attica and
Fountain County have seen relatively stable populations. |
Figure 1.5: Historical Attica and
Fountain County population. |
| Age
& Sex |
| The
estimated population for 1998 broken down into age categories
shows little difference between the county and the state. One
exception to this similarity occurs in the early-twenties group,
where Fountain County has fewer males and females as a
percentage than Indiana. Another exception is in the over
sixty-five group, where the county has more females than the
state. One possibility for the fewer number of residents in
their early twenties is that these residents are away attending
college or have graduated from college but chosen not to return
to Fountain County. If the latter is true, it presents a problem
for the future economic growth of the area: the future
highly-educated professionals are leaving. |
|
Figure 1.6: Population
pyramids for Fountain County and Indiana in 1998.
|
| Race
& Ethnicity |
In terms
of race, neither Fountain County nor Indiana are considered very
diverse. Less than half of one percent of the County’s
population was minority in 1999, compared with less than ten
percent of the State’s. The same is true of residents with an
Hispanic origin; again, less than half of one p
rcent of the County’s population is of Hispanic origin, while
less than three percent of the State’s is. Nationwide,
however, the Hispanic population is growing rapidly, and neither
Indiana nor Fountain County are insulated from this trend.
Fountain County actually saw the number of Hispanic residents
grow from 87 in 1990 to 141 in 1999, a 62.1% increase. Moreover,
of all the growth that occurred between 1990 and 1999, ten
percent is attributed to the growth of the Hispanic population.
Statewide the Hispanic population increased by 55.0% and
accounted for nearly 14% of the total growth. |
Figure 1.7: Minority population in 1999.
Figure 1.8: Growth of the Hispanic population from 1990 to 1999.
|
| Income
& Poverty |
| Household
income in Attica has consistently trailed that of Fountain
County and Indiana. Although figures for 1993 are not available
at the city level, this trend would be expected to continue. As
can be expected, the overall distribution of income among
households in Attica shows that nearly one-third earned less
than $15,000. Possibly due to a lower cost of living, the actual
poverty rate overall in Attica and Fountain County are lower
than the State average. This is also true for children, but for
senior citizens the rates are comparable. The poverty rate of
single-mothers, although somewhat lower than in Indiana as a
whole, still remains at over 35%. This is a phenomenon that
reflects a national trend, where single-mothers typically have
lower educational levels, are in lower-paying service-sector
jobs, and suffer from workplace earning discrepancies. The
percentage of single-mother families in Attica was comparable to
the State at just over 12%. |
Figure 1.9: Median household income comparisons. |
|
Figure 1.10: Poverty rates compared.
|
|
