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Southern Indiana
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Southern Indiana is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the southern third of the U.S. state of Indiana and borders the states of Illinois to the west, Kentucky to the south, and Ohio to the east. Spanning the state's southernmost 33 counties, its main population centers include Southwestern Indiana (anchored by the city of Evansville), the Louisville metropolitan area (south), and the Cincinnati metropolitan area (southeast). The region's history and geography have led to a blending of Southern and Midwestern cultures, distinct from the rest of the state. It is often considered to be part of the Upland South and the Southern influenced Lower Midwest.[1]
Key Information
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The Wabash forms the region's western boundary and Ohio forms the region's entire southern and the majority of its eastern boundary. Elevation ranges from around 360 feet (110 m) above mean sea level at the rivers' confluence to 1,060 feet (320 m) at the highest point in the Knobstone Escarpment. Southern Indiana's topography is considerably more varied than Central and Northern Indiana, including large tracts of forest, rolling hills, and karst caves. The region is also home to the oldest exposed Devonian fossil beds in the world at the Falls of the Ohio National Wildlife Conservation Area. Situated in the Wabash Valley seismic zone, Southwestern Indiana is at elevated risk for earthquakes.
Southern Indiana, home to about 1.4 million people, was the first area of the state to be settled by European colonists. Founded in 1732, Vincennes is the oldest continually inhabited European settlement in Indiana and served as the first capital of the Indiana Territory; Corydon would later serve as the state's first capital. Aside from Wayne County, all of the pre-statehood and most of the state's oldest counties are in Southern Indiana. Protected areas include Charles C. Deam Wilderness Area, George Rogers Clark National Historical Park, Hoosier National Forest, and the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial. Southern Indiana is home to about a dozen higher education institutions, including Indiana University Bloomington, the flagship campus of the Indiana University system. The Catholic Church has a significant presence in the region, including Saint Meinrad Archabbey, the Monastery Immaculate Conception, and Mount Saint Francis. The region is split between the Eastern and Central time zones.[2]
Geography
[edit]Sub-regions
[edit]Kentuckiana
[edit]Kentuckiana, a portmanteau of "Kentucky" and "Indiana", is a loosely defined sub-region of the Upland South that spans north-central Kentucky and Southern Indiana's south-central counties. It is primarily centered on the Louisville metropolitan area. Counties typically considered part of the Kentuckiana sub-region include:
Southwestern Indiana
[edit]Southeastern Indiana
[edit]South Central Indiana
[edit]Time zones
[edit]Southwestern Indiana observes Central Time, including Posey, Vanderburgh, Warrick, Spencer, and Gibson counties. The rest of Southern Indiana observes Eastern Time.
Dialect
[edit]Southern Indiana also differs from the rest of the state linguistically. Southern dialect and South Midland dialect of American English are prevalent, as opposed to the Inland North dialect in far Northern Indiana and the North Midland dialect in Central and North-Central Indiana. Southern Indiana is the northernmost extent of the South Midland region, forming what linguists refer to as the "Hoosier Apex" of the South Midland dialect.
Educational institutions
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About 12 accredited institutions of higher education are located throughout Southern Indiana, including some private, liberal arts colleges and multiple public university campuses, including the flagship campus of the Indiana University system, IU Bloomington. The "‡" symbol indicates universities with main campuses outside Southern Indiana.
Public
[edit]- Indiana University Bloomington
- Indiana University Columbus
- Indiana University Southeast
- Ivy Tech Community College (12 sites)
- Purdue Polytechnic Institute‡ (three sites)
- University of Southern Indiana
- Vincennes University
Private
[edit]Sports
[edit]Professional sports
[edit]There are two professional sports teams in the region, both located in Evansville – the Evansville Thunderbolts (founded in 2018) play ice hockey, and the Evansville Otters (founded in 1995) play in baseball's independent Frontier League.
College sports
[edit]- National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I
- Indiana Hoosiers
(Monroe County) - Evansville Purple Aces
(Vanderburgh County) - Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles
(Vanderburgh County)
- National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II
- Oakland City Mighty Oaks
(Gibson County)
- National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III
- Hanover Panthers
(Jefferson County)
- National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA)
- IU Southeast Grenadiers
(Floyd County)
- National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA)
- Vincennes Trailblazers
(Knox County)
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ Madison, James H. (August 28, 2014). The Story of Us. Indianapolis Monthly. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
- ^ Mack, Justin L. (March 8, 2019). "Looking back at Indiana's complicated relationship with time: Why Indiana observes daylight saving time". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
External links
[edit]Southern Indiana
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Geography
Physical features
Southern Indiana is characterized by a distinctive karst topography, resulting from the dissolution of soluble limestone bedrock over millions of years, which has created a landscape of sinkholes, underground streams, and an extensive network of caves. The region hosts over 4,000 documented caves, many of which are concentrated in karst areas like the Mitchell Plateau and Blue River Basin.[10] Notable examples include Wyandotte Cave, with approximately 9.2 miles (14.8 km) of surveyed passages across five levels, making it one of the longest cave systems in the state and a prime example of Mississippian-age limestone formations.[11] These features are organized into natural regions including the Shawnee Hills, Highland Rim, and others, each with distinct karst and hill landscapes.[2] This geological process, driven by acidic groundwater, has also formed unique karst aquifers that supply vital freshwater resources while contributing to the region's hydrological complexity.[12] The Ohio River serves as the southern boundary of Southern Indiana, forming approximately 200 miles of the state's border with Kentucky and playing a key role in the area's topography through its broad floodplain and history of seasonal flooding. To the west, the Wabash River delineates part of the boundary, influencing valley formations and sediment deposition. Upland features include rolling hills and prominent escarpments, such as the Knobstone Escarpment, which reaches elevations up to 1,058 feet at points like Weed Patch Hill, providing dramatic relief above surrounding lowlands. Dense hardwood forests, predominantly oak-hickory types, cover about 35% of the region, thriving in the unglaciated southern third of Indiana where ancient Mississippian limestone bedrock—deposited in shallow seas during the Carboniferous Period—underlies the soil and supports diverse flora adapted to the rugged, erosion-resistant terrain.[13][14] Protected areas preserve much of this natural diversity, including the Hoosier National Forest, encompassing over 200,000 acres of forested hills, caves, and trails across multiple counties. State parks like Clifty Falls highlight the biodiversity of these landscapes, home to species such as bobcats and timber rattlesnakes, which inhabit the oak-hickory woodlands and rocky outcrops. These unglaciated features foster a rich ecosystem, with the karst systems and river valleys briefly shaping sub-regions like those in Southwestern Indiana.[15][16][17]Sub-regions
Southern Indiana encompasses the southern third of the state, comprising the southernmost 33 counties located south of Indianapolis and bounded by the Ohio River to the south, the Wabash River to the west, and the unglaciated knobs region to the north.[18][19][20][21] This area is characterized by human-defined sub-regions that reflect cultural, economic, and geographic influences, often tied to river valleys, metropolitan areas, and transitional landscapes. The Kentuckiana sub-region, influenced by proximity to northern Kentucky, includes Clark, Floyd, Harrison, Scott, and Washington counties, with key population centers in Jeffersonville and New Albany.[22] This area features a cultural blend with the Louisville metropolitan area, evident in shared economic ties and historic sites such as the Falls of the Ohio State Park, which preserves Devonian fossil beds along the Ohio River.[23][24] Southwestern Indiana centers on the Evansville metropolitan area and includes Vanderburgh, Warrick, Gibson, Posey, Spencer, Knox, Daviess, Dubois, Martin, and Pike counties, serving as an industrial hub supported by Ohio River ports and agricultural activities.[25][26] Southeastern Indiana follows the Ohio River valley and encompasses Jefferson, Ripley, Switzerland, Ohio, Dearborn, and Jennings counties, known for historic towns like Madison, designated as a National Historic Landmark District in 2006 for its 19th-century architecture across 133 contiguous blocks.[27][28] The sub-region features rural landscapes with hilly terrain, contributing to its preserved historic character. Central southern counties, including Monroe (home to Bloomington and Indiana University), Brown, Jackson, Lawrence, and Bartholomew, form a transitional zone blending academic influences from the university with manufacturing activities amid unglaciated knobs and forested areas.[29][30][21]Climate and time zones
Southern Indiana features a climate that transitions from humid continental (Köppen Dfa) in the northern portions to humid subtropical (Köppen Cfa) in the southern areas, characterized by hot, humid summers and cold, wet winters.[31] The average annual temperature is approximately 55°F, with summer highs often reaching 88–90°F and winter lows dropping to around 26°F, though extremes can push below 10°F or above 94°F.[32] Annual precipitation averages about 43 inches, with the highest amounts occurring in spring due to frequent thunderstorms, supporting a growing season of 175–200 frost-free days that influences local agriculture.[31][33] The region faces significant risks from severe weather, including tornadoes as part of the emerging "Hoosier Alley" pattern, where southern Indiana experiences heightened tornado activity compared to traditional Tornado Alley states.[34] Occasional Ohio River flooding poses another threat, as seen in the 1937 Great Flood when the river crested at 53.74 feet in Evansville, submerging much of the city and prompting martial law.[35] Ice storms also occur periodically, contributing to widespread power outages and hazardous travel conditions during winter.[36] This climate supports a robust agricultural sector, with the 180–200-day growing season enabling cultivation of staple crops such as corn, soybeans, and historically significant tobacco in the unglaciated hill country.[37] The extended warm period and ample spring rainfall facilitate high yields, while the vibrant fall foliage in the region's hills and forests draws tourism, particularly to areas like Brown County State Park during peak color season in mid-to-late October.[38][39] Southern Indiana primarily observes Eastern Time Zone, a unification achieved in 2006 when the state adopted daylight saving time and aligned most counties, including Vanderburgh, to Eastern Time to reduce confusion in border regions like Kentuckiana.[40] Prior to this, a split time zone system— with some southwestern counties briefly considering or shifting to Central Time—caused scheduling issues for commerce and travel across the Ohio River into Kentucky.[41] Today, 82 of Indiana's 92 counties, encompassing all of southern Indiana, remain in the Eastern Time Zone.[40] Microclimates vary across the landscape, with warmer and wetter conditions in the Ohio River valleys promoting longer growing seasons and higher humidity, contrasted by cooler, drier uplands in the unglaciated terrain where thinner soils and elevated ridges lead to greater variability in moisture retention and temperature.[33][42] This unglaciated southern portion, lacking the deep glacial till of northern Indiana, results in more dissected topography that amplifies local weather differences, such as increased fog in valleys and frost pockets in higher elevations.[43]History
Pre-colonial era and early European settlement
Prior to European contact, Southern Indiana was primarily inhabited by Algonquian-speaking indigenous peoples, with the Miami, Piankeshaw, and Wea tribes exerting dominant influence in the region. The Piankeshaw, a subtribe of the Miami, maintained villages and hunting camps along the Wabash and White Rivers, utilizing these waterways and the Ohio River for trade networks that connected them to broader North American indigenous exchange systems. The Wea, closely allied with the Piankeshaw and Miami as part of the "Wabash Confederacy," occupied territories in western Indiana, including areas extending toward the southern parts of the state. Around 1770, the Delaware (Lenape) tribe migrated from Ohio and received permission from the Miami and Piankeshaw to settle in southern and central Indiana between the White and Ohio Rivers, further diversifying the indigenous populations in the area.[44][45][46][44][47] French exploration of the region began in the late 17th century, with René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, leading an expedition in 1679 that crossed parts of northern Indiana en route to the Mississippi River, marking early European awareness of the area's river systems. By the early 18th century, French fur traders established outposts to engage with indigenous networks. In 1732, François-Marie Bissot, Sieur de Vincennes, founded Fort Vincennes on the Wabash River as a trading post, which became the oldest European settlement in what is now Indiana and served as a hub for commerce with the Piankeshaw and other tribes.[48][49][50] Following the French and Indian War, the 1763 Treaty of Paris transferred control of the region, including Southern Indiana, from France to Britain, though British administration was limited due to the vast frontier. Pontiac's Rebellion (1763–1766), a widespread indigenous uprising against British policies in the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley regions, disrupted early British efforts to consolidate authority, affecting outposts like Vincennes and delaying formal governance. During the American Revolution, the area remained under nominal British control until 1778–1779, when Colonel George Rogers Clark led the Illinois Campaign, capturing Kaskaskia in 1778 and then marching through flooded terrain to besiege and capture Fort Sackville at Vincennes from British Lieutenant Governor Henry Hamilton on February 25, 1779, securing American claims to the Northwest Territory.[51][52][53] The establishment of the Indiana Territory in 1800 facilitated increased European-American settlement in Southern Indiana, with migrants primarily from Virginia, Kentucky, the Carolinas, and Tennessee arriving via flatboats on the Ohio River, which provided essential access to fertile lands along its southern banks. In 1808, Corydon was founded in Harrison County and soon became a key settlement; it was selected as the territorial capital in 1813, hosting the Indiana General Assembly and serving as the state's first capital from 1816 until 1825. Indigenous displacement accelerated during this period, as the 1809 Treaty of Fort Wayne—negotiated at Vincennes—resulted in the cession of over 3 million acres in central and southern Indiana by the Miami, Eel River, Delaware, Potawatomi, and other tribes to the United States. The Piankeshaw, whose lands were particularly impacted, faced forced removal under the Indian Removal Act of 1830, with most relocated westward by the mid-1830s, though the Trail of Tears primarily affected other southeastern tribes and had minimal direct involvement in Indiana.[54][55][56][57][58][59]19th-century development
Indiana achieved statehood on December 11, 1816, with Corydon serving as the first state capital, a role it had assumed as the territorial capital in 1813. The constitutional convention held in Corydon from June 10 to 29, 1816, drafted a document that explicitly prohibited slavery and involuntary servitude, reflecting the influence of the Northwest Ordinance and the prevailing anti-slavery sentiments among delegates, thereby establishing Indiana as a free state. This stance was enshrined in Article 11, Section 7 of the 1816 Constitution. The capital remained in Corydon until 1825, when it was relocated to the more centrally located Indianapolis to better accommodate the state's growing population and facilitate governance.[60][61][62] In 1825, British industrialist and social reformer Robert Owen purchased the town of Harmony (renamed New Harmony) in Posey County to establish a utopian communal society aimed at promoting education, scientific advancement, and cooperative living free from private property and social classes. The experiment attracted intellectuals and reformers, leading to innovations in public education and geological studies, but internal divisions and economic challenges caused its dissolution by 1827. Despite its short duration, New Harmony left a lasting architectural legacy, with preserved structures like the Owen House and Workingmen's Institute that continue to reflect Owen's vision of progressive social reform.[63][64] The 19th century saw a transportation boom in Southern Indiana, beginning with the introduction of steamboats on the Ohio River following the successful voyage of the New Orleans in 1811, which revolutionized trade and passenger travel by connecting river ports like Madison and New Albany to downstream markets. The National Road, authorized by Congress in 1806 and completed across Indiana by the early 1830s, facilitated overland migration and commerce, evolving into what is now U.S. Route 40 and passing through key southern communities. Rail development accelerated in the 1840s, exemplified by the Madison and Indianapolis Railroad, whose line opened on October 1, 1847, linking the Ohio River port of Madison to the state capital and boosting economic integration.[65][66][67][68] Abraham Lincoln spent his boyhood years from 1816 to 1830 in Spencer County, where his family relocated from slave-holding Kentucky to a farm on Pigeon Creek, drawn by the fertile land and Indiana's anti-slavery laws under the Northwest Ordinance. This period of frontier life, marked by manual labor and self-education, profoundly shaped Lincoln's character, with the contrast between his family's Southern roots and the free-state environment fostering his lifelong moral opposition to slavery—he later reflected, "If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong. I cannot remember when I did not so think, and feel." The Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial now preserves this site, highlighting its role in his formative development.[69][70][71] During the Civil War, Southern Indiana remained a Union stronghold, contributing significantly to federal forces through enlistments and supplies, yet it harbored pockets of Copperhead sympathy—Peace Democrats who opposed the war and favored negotiation with the Confederacy, influenced by cultural and economic ties to the South. The region's most notable event was the Battle of Corydon on July 9, 1863, the only major Civil War engagement in Indiana, where Confederate General John Hunt Morgan's raiders defeated a local militia of about 450 men, briefly occupying the town before continuing their incursion northward. This raid underscored internal divisions but did not alter Indiana's overall loyalty to the Union cause.[72][73][74]20th and 21st centuries
In the early 20th century, coal mining reached its peak in southwestern counties of Southern Indiana, particularly in Sullivan County, where underground operations expanded significantly following discoveries in the late 19th century.[75] Boomtowns like Dugger emerged as key hubs, serving as major shipping points for bituminous coal extracted from the Dugger quadrangle and supporting a surge in local employment and infrastructure.[76] Concurrently, Evansville experienced growth in automotive and appliance manufacturing, exemplified by the Servel Corporation, which began operations in 1923 as a producer of electric refrigerators and absorption units, capitalizing on the city's river access for distribution.[77] During the Great Depression, New Deal programs brought relief through conservation efforts, including land acquisition for the Hoosier National Forest in 1934 under the Weeks Act, with the forest formally established in 1961, and Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camps constructing trails, bridges, and fire towers across the region to combat unemployment and restore degraded lands.[78] [79] World War II further transformed the area, as war industries propelled Evansville to become known as the "Refrigerator Capital of the World," with Servel and other firms like Seeger Refrigerator Works shifting to produce military refrigeration units, employing thousands and boosting the local economy through federal contracts.[80] Post-World War II development enhanced connectivity and spurred suburban growth, as the construction of Interstate 64 in the 1970s linked Southern Indiana to Louisville and St. Louis, facilitating commerce and travel across the Ohio River valley.[81] Similarly, the extension of Interstate 69, completed in segments through the 1970s and beyond, improved north-south access from Bloomington to Evansville, integrating rural areas into broader transportation networks.[82] Around Bloomington, the expansion of Indiana University after the war drove suburbanization, with enrollment surging from about 5,000 in 1945 to over 30,000 by 1970, attracting faculty, students, and service industries that reshaped surrounding Monroe County landscapes into residential and commercial suburbs.[83] [84] The late 20th century brought challenges from manufacturing decline in the 1980s and 1990s, as global competition and automation reduced jobs in steel, appliances, and autos, prompting economic diversification into services and healthcare across counties like Vanderburgh and Warrick.[85] This shift was aided by the 1993 legalization of riverboat casinos under the Indiana Riverboat Gaming Act, which authorized operations on the Ohio River and led to the opening of Caesars Southern Indiana in Elizabeth in 1998, generating new revenue and tourism in Harrison County.[86][87] In the 21st century, tourism has risen prominently, driven by Abraham Lincoln heritage sites such as the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial in Spencer County and the Lincoln Pioneer Village in Rockport, drawing visitors to explore the president's formative years from 1816 to 1830 through interpretive trails and reconstructed cabins.[88] Karst attractions, including the Indiana Caverns and Marengo Cave—part of the Indiana Cave Trail—have also boosted eco-tourism, showcasing underground rivers and limestone formations in the region's karst plain, with over 1,000 documented caves supporting guided tours and conservation efforts.[89] The 2006 time zone unification, which aligned most of Indiana including Southern counties to the Eastern Time Zone with daylight saving time, streamlined business operations and reduced scheduling discrepancies with neighboring states.[40] Recent growth in logistics has capitalized on interstate access, with facilities in Clark and Floyd counties expanding warehousing and distribution hubs tied to the Louisville port, while renewable energy developments like solar arrays in Harrison County and wind projects nearby have diversified power sources amid state incentives.[90][91] Following the 2010 Census, which recorded modest gains in urban-adjacent areas like Evansville, Southern Indiana's population has stabilized, with rural counties such as Perry and Spencer showing near-zero net change through 2020 due to balanced migration and aging demographics.[92]Demographics
Population and distribution
Southern Indiana, defined as the 23 southernmost counties, had a population of 1,242,019 according to the 2020 U.S. Census, representing approximately 18% of Indiana's total population of 6,785,528. By 2024, U.S. Census Bureau estimates placed the region's population at approximately 1,255,000 (calculated from county totals), reflecting modest growth.[93][94] The region has experienced slow population growth of approximately 5% per decade on average since 2000, when the population stood at roughly 1,130,000 based on Census data for these counties, amounting to a cumulative increase of about 10% over two decades. This trend has been driven primarily by net in-migration to metropolitan areas like the Bloomington and Evansville metros, offsetting natural decrease in rural counties due to aging demographics. The median age in Southern Indiana was 40.5 years in 2020, higher than the state average of 37.9, indicating an aging population with lower birth rates and out-migration of younger residents from rural areas.[95][96] Major urban centers include Evansville with a 2024 population of 114,899 and a metro area of approximately 315,000; Bloomington with 78,840 residents (2023 estimate, updated projections indicate ~79,000 in 2024); Jeffersonville with 51,235 (2023); and Columbus with 51,179 (2023). Outside these metros, rural areas dominate, comprising much of the landscape across counties like Crawford, Martin, and Pike. Approximately 60% of the population resides in urban and suburban settings, while 40% lives in rural areas, with the highest densities in the Kentuckiana sub-region along the Ohio River, such as Clark County (population 125,467 in 2023). Sub-regional variations in distribution are influenced by proximity to the Ohio River and interstate highways, concentrating growth in riverine and metro-adjacent zones.[97][98] The average household size in the region is 2.4 persons, contributing to lower overall population density of about 150 people per square mile across roughly 8,300 square miles of the 23 counties, though densities exceed 300 per square mile in fertile river valleys and urban corridors like those in Vanderburgh and Monroe counties.Ethnic and racial composition
According to the 2020 United States Census, the ethnic and racial composition of Southern Indiana (aggregated for the 23 counties) is predominantly White non-Hispanic, comprising approximately 85% of the population, followed by 6% Black or African American, 3% Hispanic or Latino, 2% Asian, and 4% identifying as two or more races. This breakdown reflects the region's rural and small-urban character, with variations across counties; for instance, the Evansville metropolitan area shows a slightly higher proportion of Black residents at approximately 9.5%, while Monroe County (home to Bloomington) has elevated Asian representation due to its university population.[99][100] Historical influences on the region's ethnic makeup trace primarily to European settlers of British, German, and Scotch-Irish ancestry, which together account for about 70% of reported heritage among residents.[101] These groups migrated from the Upland South and Appalachia during the 19th century, shaping much of Southern Indiana's cultural foundation. African American communities, particularly in Evansville, emerged from post-Civil War migrations, growing into the largest concentration of Black residents in the region by the early 20th century, with neighborhoods like Baptisttown serving as vibrant enclaves.[102] The Hispanic or Latino population in Southern Indiana experienced a notable 5 percentage point increase from 2010 to 2020, rising to 3% overall, with concentrations in manufacturing hubs such as Seymour in Jackson County, where the Hispanic share surged by 159% due to labor demands in food processing and automotive industries.[103][104] Asian populations, at 2%, are largely centered in Bloomington, a university town, where they constitute over 10% of residents owing to students and faculty at Indiana University.[105] Cultural enclaves highlight the region's layered heritage: Appalachian influences prevail in the hilly Knobs and river valleys, stemming from Scotch-Irish and Upland Southern migrations that brought distinct dialects and traditions.[106] In Vincennes, a French legacy persists from its founding as a 18th-century fur trading post, evident in preserved Creole architecture and place names. Native American descendants remain minimal, under 0.5% of the population, primarily Miami and Shawnee descendants with limited contemporary communities.[107][108] Southern Indiana's diversity index, a measure of racial and ethnic heterogeneity, stands lower than the state average (approximately 0.35 versus 0.45 on a 0-1 scale as of 2020), though it is rising in metropolitan areas like Evansville and Bloomington due to recent migrations. The gender ratio remains nearly balanced at 1:1 across the region.[109][110]| Racial/Ethnic Group (2020) | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White non-Hispanic | 85% |
| Black/African American | 6% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 3% |
| Asian | 2% |
| Two or more races | 4% |
| Other (including Native American) | <1% |