Medaryville is a town in White Post Township, Pulaski County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 614 at the 2010 census.
Geography
Medaryville is located at (41.080313, -86.888585).
The Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area is northwest of town. This nature preserve is a stopover point for migrating Sandhill cranes, and attracts many visitors each fall. Each October the Medaryville/White Post Twp Fire Department sponsors a bike ride, known as the Crane Cruise, that runs through the heart of the migration territory.
According to the 2010 census, Medaryville has a total area of , all land.
Demographics
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 614 people, 228 households, and 163 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 274 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 94.8% White, 0.2% Native American, 3.4% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.4% of the population.
There were 228 households, of which 34.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.9% were married couples living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 8.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 28.5% were non-families. 24.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.10.
The median age in the town was 35.2 years. 25.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.7% were from 25 to 44; 24.9% were from 45 to 64; and 14.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 48.9% male and 51.1% female.
2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 565 people, 225 households, and 152 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 256 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 96.64% White, 0.18% Native American, 2.83% from other races, and 0.35% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.07% of the population.
There were 225 households, out of which 27.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.9% were married couples living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.4% were non-families. 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.11.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.4% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.5 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $31,750, and the median income for a family was $40,750. Males had a median income of $29,904 versus $20,278 for females. The per capita income for the town was $14,937. About 3.1% of families and 4.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.1% of those under age 18 and 1.8% of those age 65 or over.
History
Medaryville was laid out in 1852, just ahead of the construction of the New Albany and Salem Railroad, later called the Monon Railroad. The town was sited at the intersection of the railroad and the old Rensselaer to Winamac Road, used by settlers to travel to the Land Office in Winamac to record their claims. Medaryville was one of the few towns along the new railroad that was not laid out by James Brooks, president of the line.
The railroad today comes into Medaryville from the south, but the tracks end just north of Pearl Street. The town has always been a commercial rail shipping center for agricultural products, and a large grain storage and shipping complex remains today.
Medaryville sits at the irregular intersection of two major landforms. The northern edge of what was called the Grand Prairie lies just south of the town, and the huge swampy outwash plains of the Greater Kankakee River basin are to the north and west. Just west of town once existed a vast "Impassable Swamp" which was known to the earliest European explorers of the continent.