Town · Indiana
Carthage, Indiana
Carthage, town, in Rush County, Indiana. Carthage had 920 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 0.2% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 918 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 675 (±183). GEOID 1810612.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
920
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 918 · ACS 2020-2024: 675 ±183
Median household income
$51,731
±$13,416 (90% margin)
Indiana: $71,957
Median home value
$89,800
±$17,066 (90% margin)
Indiana: $218,200
Median gross rent
$848
±$100 (90% margin)
Indiana: $1,062
Where is Carthage and what county is it in?
Carthage is a town in Rush County, Indiana. It covers 0.6 square miles of land, 1,616 residents per square mile in 2020.
Carthage lies entirely within Ripley Township (Rush County), a township with its own local government (2020 census blocks).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Carthage, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 920 people lived in Carthage on July 1, 2025, up 0.2% since 2020, slower than Indiana (+2.8%). The 2020 Census counted 918 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 675 (±183).
| Measure | Carthage | Rush County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 675 ±183 | 16,739 | −323 |
| Households | 272 ±64 | 6,746 | −106 |
| Average household size | 2.48 ±0.30 | 2.46 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 317 ±73 | 7,387 | −137 |
Carthage's population since 2000
From 928 in 2000 to 920 in 2025: down 0.9%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Carthage as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Carthage?
The median resident of Carthage is 39.2 years old; 22.7% are under 18 and 16.3% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 97.2%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 1.5%.
| Measure | Carthage | Rush County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 39.2 ±6.0 | 42.4 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 22.7% ±5.9 pts | 22.6% | – |
| 65 years and over | 16.3% ±6.6 pts | 19.5% | – |
| Male | 49.0% ±6.0 pts | 49.8% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1.5% ±2.9 pts | 1.9% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 97.2% ±3.7 pts | 94.4% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±5.4 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±5.4 pts | 0.0% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±5.4 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±5.4 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 1.3% ±1.9 pts | 2.7% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±5.4 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.0% ±5.4 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 1.5% ±1.9 pts | 3.7% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 4.4% ±2.9 pts | 7.1% | – |
| With a disability | 13.8% ±5.2 pts | 16.4% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 4.0% ±3.1 pts | 7.5% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 84.2% ±5.6 pts | 91.0% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 5.4% ±3.7 pts | 18.6% | – |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 2.5% ±2.3 pts | 6.9% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 86.9% ±9.0 pts | 89.5% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.0% ±5.4 pts | 0.7% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Carthage earn?
Half of Carthage's 272 households earn less than $51,731 a year (±$13,416), against $66,473 in Rush County and $71,957 in Indiana. In 2015-2019 it was $45,052 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 20.1% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Carthage | Rush County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $51,731 ±$13,416 | $66,473 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $61,199 ±$9,481 | $76,804 | – |
| Per capita income | $24,451 ±$3,756 | $31,606 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 20.1% ±10.1 pts | 11.9% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 26.1% ±16.6 pts | 12.2% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 11.4% ±8.5 pts | 10.0% | – |
| Households with a computer | 95.2% ±4.4 pts | 92.6% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 82.7% ±9.3 pts | 85.8% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Carthage?
Owners occupy 67.3% of Carthage's occupied homes and renters 32.7%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $89,800 by its owner (±$17,066). The median renter pays $848 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Carthage | Rush County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $89,800 ±$17,066 | $166,800 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $848 ±$100 | $873 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 35.3% ±26.4 pts | 38.1% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,053 ±$135 | $1,291 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 67.3% ±10.8 pts | 74.9% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 32.7% ±10.8 pts | 25.1% | – |
| Housing units | 317 ±73 | 7,387 | −137 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±17.7 pts | 1.4% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±32.9 pts | 7.8% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 69.7% ±11.2 pts | 81.5% | – |
| Mobile homes | 9.1% ±8.4 pts | 5.7% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±11.1 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.9% ±2.1 pts | 3.2% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 46.4% ±10.5 pts | 40.4% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 9.2% ±6.3 pts | 5.2% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Carthage work and get to work?
76.8% of Carthage's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 37.1 minutes.
| Measure | Carthage | Rush County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 58.5% ±10.8 pts | 61.4% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 7.6% ±7.5 pts | 4.3% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 76.8% ±12.3 pts | 81.8% | – |
| Carpooled | 8.6% ±8.4 pts | 10.4% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±12.5 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Walked | 6.1% ±6.5 pts | 1.8% | – |
| Worked from home | 8.6% ±6.4 pts | 5.6% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 37.1 min ±8.6 | 26.3 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Carthage?
No census tract lies mostly in Carthage; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9742Rush County | 3,476 | $74,844 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Carthage) · Census block assignment files
How does Carthage compare with other places in Indiana?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Carthage is the 10,639th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 322nd-most populous of 566 in Indiana.
Carthage is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 322nd | 566 |
Carthage's figures with every place in Indiana (CSV)
Every place in Indiana, sortable · Compare Carthage with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Carthage?
27 of the 57 figures for Carthage on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Carthage are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Carthage.