Brown County vs Parke County
A side-by-side comparison of Brown County and Parke County: population, income, housing, and more.
Brown County and Parke County are counties in Indiana. This page compares them across population, income, housing, education, commuting, and how each has changed since 2019.
Parke County has the higher population (16,346 vs 15,543 in Brown County). Brown County has the higher median household income ($72,644 vs $66,776 in Parke County). Brown County has the higher median home value ($242,500 vs $139,300 in Parke County).
Population, income & housing
| Brown County | Parke County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 15,543 | 16,346 |
| Median age | 50.9 yrs | 42.5 yrs |
| Median household income | $72,644 | $66,776 |
| Median home value | $242,500 | $139,300 |
| Median gross rent | $960 | $731 |
| Housing units | 8,540 | 7,625 |
| Homeownership rate | 85.9% | 81.6% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26.0% | 14.2% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.2% | 5.2% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Brown County | Parke County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 15,064 → 15,543 (+3.2%) | 16,946 → 16,346 (-3.5%) |
| Median household income | $61,030 → $72,644 (+19.0%) | $52,618 → $66,776 (+26.9%) |
| Median home value | $191,700 → $242,500 (+26.5%) | $88,900 → $139,300 (+56.7%) |
| Median gross rent | $841 → $960 (+14.1%) | $619 → $731 (+18.1%) |
Brown County
15,06415,543
$61,030$72,644
$191,700$242,500
$841$960
Parke County
16,94616,346
$52,618$66,776
$88,900$139,300
$619$731
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Brown County | Parke County | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 4.0% | 5.8% |
| 5 to 17 | 12.7% | 16.4% |
| 18 to 24 | 5.7% | 7.2% |
| 25 to 34 | 9.3% | 12.5% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.8% | 11.0% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.3% | 12.1% |
| 55 to 64 | 18.0% | 14.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 17.0% | 12.2% |
| 75 and over | 9.2% | 8.0% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Brown County | Parke County | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 94.6% | 94.4% |
| Black or African American | 0.6% | 2.2% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| Asian | 0.5% | 0.0% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.3% | 0.0% |
| Some other race | 0.2% | 0.0% |
| Two or more races | 1.7% | 1.7% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 2.0% | 1.6% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Brown County | Parke County | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 6.4% | 15.9% |
| High school graduate | 39.2% | 39.7% |
| Some college or associate's | 28.4% | 30.1% |
| Bachelor's degree | 15.2% | 7.8% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 10.8% | 6.4% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Brown County | Parke County | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 76.0% | 71.0% |
| Carpooled | 8.2% | 12.3% |
| Public transit | 0.0% | 0.3% |
| Walked | 2.0% | 2.9% |
| Bicycle | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Worked from home | 13.2% | 12.7% |
| Other means | 0.6% | 0.9% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Brown County | Parke County | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 87.2% | 78.3% |
| 1-unit, attached | 1.3% | 3.0% |
| 2 to 4 units | 1.8% | 2.2% |
| 5 to 19 units | 1.4% | 0.8% |
| 20 or more units | 2.6% | 1.7% |
| Mobile home & other | 5.7% | 14.1% |
Poverty & households
| Brown County | Parke County | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 8.6% | 17.2% |
| Average household size | 2.30 | 2.55 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 34 | 30 |
| Median year structure built | 1982 | 1973 |
Full profiles
2Related rankings
21- Largest by population — counties in Indiana
- Most densely populated — counties in Indiana
- Highest median household income — counties in Indiana
- Highest median home value — counties in Indiana
- Most affordable home values — counties in Indiana
- Highest median gross rent — counties in Indiana
- Cheapest median gross rent — counties in Indiana
- Oldest by median age — counties in Indiana
- Youngest by median age — counties in Indiana
- Most college-educated — counties in Indiana
- Highest poverty rate — counties in Indiana
- Lowest poverty rate — counties in Indiana
- Highest homeownership rate — counties in Indiana
- Lowest homeownership rate — counties in Indiana
- Longest commutes — counties in Indiana
- Shortest commutes — counties in Indiana
- Largest households — counties in Indiana
- Newest housing — counties in Indiana
- Oldest housing — counties in Indiana
- Fastest-growing (2019–2023) — counties in Indiana
- Fastest-shrinking (2019–2023) — counties in Indiana