Town · Indiana
Dale, Indiana
Dale, town, in Spencer County, Indiana. Dale had 1,517 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 1.6% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 1,544 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 1,542 (±341). GEOID 1816624.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
1,517
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 1,544 · ACS 2020-2024: 1,542 ±341
Median household income
$61,953
±$7,827 (90% margin)
Indiana: $71,957
Median home value
$127,200
±$15,305 (90% margin)
Indiana: $218,200
Median gross rent
$848
±$173 (90% margin)
Indiana: $1,062
Where is Dale and what county is it in?
Dale is a town in Spencer County, Indiana. It covers 2.4 square miles of land, 639 residents per square mile in 2020.
Dale lies entirely within Carter Township, 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 Dale, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 1,517 people lived in Dale on July 1, 2025, down 1.6% since 2020, while Indiana grew 2.8%. The 2020 Census counted 1,544 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 1,542 (±341).
| Measure | Dale | Spencer County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 1,542 ±341 | 19,955 | no clear change |
| Households | 512 ±104 | 8,078 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.88 ±0.43 | 2.43 | +0.61 |
| Housing units | 550 ±110 | 8,727 | −162 |
Dale's population since 2000
From 1,568 in 2000 to 1,517 in 2025: down 3.3%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Dale 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 Dale?
The median resident of Dale is 34.8 years old; 31.6% are under 18 and 16.0% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 72.3%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 24.3%. 12.2% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Dale | Spencer County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 34.8 ±2.6 | 44.4 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 31.6% ±6.9 pts | 21.6% | – |
| 65 years and over | 16.0% ±4.3 pts | 20.6% | – |
| Male | 55.1% ±4.7 pts | 51.5% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 24.3% ±7.6 pts | 3.6% | no clear change |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 72.3% ±8.3 pts | 93.2% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.4 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.4 pts | 0.2% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.4 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.4 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 3.4% ±3.7 pts | 2.0% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.4 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 12.2% ±5.1 pts | 2.2% | no clear change |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 21.5% ±8.0 pts | 3.5% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 7.5% ±3.7 pts | 6.8% | – |
| With a disability | 11.3% ±4.2 pts | 14.2% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 8.7% ±4.4 pts | 4.7% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 82.8% ±6.2 pts | 93.1% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 10.1% ±5.4 pts | 22.0% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 2.6% ±2.1 pts | 8.3% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 90.8% ±4.0 pts | 90.6% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.5% ±0.9 pts | 2.3% | – |
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 Dale earn?
Half of Dale's 512 households earn less than $61,953 a year (±$7,827), against $74,506 in Spencer County and $71,957 in Indiana. In 2015-2019 it was $54,270 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 7.6% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Dale | Spencer County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $61,953 ±$7,827 | $74,506 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $71,760 ±$6,199 | $88,201 | – |
| Per capita income | $25,569 ±$4,014 | $36,369 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 7.6% ±4.8 pts | 7.5% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 7.8% ±9.6 pts | 9.5% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 10.9% ±7.0 pts | 6.7% | – |
| Households with a computer | 96.1% ±2.3 pts | 93.3% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 92.2% ±4.6 pts | 84.1% | – |
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 Dale?
Owners occupy 73.4% of Dale's occupied homes and renters 26.6%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $127,200 by its owner (±$15,305). The median renter pays $848 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Dale | Spencer County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $127,200 ±$15,305 | $185,200 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $848 ±$173 | $751 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 19.9% ±16.5 pts | 25.1% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,066 ±$101 | $1,317 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 73.4% ±9.0 pts | 81.3% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 26.6% ±9.0 pts | 18.7% | – |
| Housing units | 550 ±110 | 8,727 | −162 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±9.1 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±23.8 pts | 3.2% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 71.8% ±9.4 pts | 80.7% | – |
| Mobile homes | 10.4% ±7.2 pts | 10.7% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±6.6 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 7.5% ±7.8 pts | 7.3% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 6.5% ±3.6 pts | 13.1% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 2.9% ±2.3 pts | 2.7% | – |
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 many new homes is Dale building?
Builders took permits for 40 new housing units in Dale in 2025 (40 in single-family houses), 26.4 per 1,000 residents against 4.2 across Indiana.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Dale work and get to work?
92.5% of Dale's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 26.8 minutes.
| Measure | Dale | Spencer County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 60.2% ±6.0 pts | 62.7% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 3.0% ±2.8 pts | 3.3% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 92.5% ±4.6 pts | 87.5% | – |
| Carpooled | 4.9% ±3.5 pts | 5.4% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±5.7 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Walked | 0.0% ±5.7 pts | 1.8% | – |
| Worked from home | 2.7% ±3.8 pts | 4.5% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 26.8 min ±4.7 | 26.0 min | +9.3 min |
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 Dale?
No census tract lies mostly in Dale; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9527.02Spencer County | 3,114 | $69,063 |
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 Dale) · Census block assignment files
How does Dale compare with other places in Indiana?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Dale is the 8,690th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 244th-most populous of 566 in Indiana.
Dale ranks 754th of 1,072 places in Indiana with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 244th | 566 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 977th | 1,056 |
| Residents per square mile | 373rd | 1,088 |
| Median household income | 754th | 1,072 |
| Per capita income | 1,027th | 1,087 |
| Median home value | 924th | 1,075 |
| Median gross rent | 591st | 904 |
| Poverty rate | 550th | 736 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 969th | 1,029 |
| Median age | 913th | 1,083 |
| Owner-occupied share | 751st | 1,087 |
| Travel time to work | 433rd | 1,088 |
Dale's figures with every place in Indiana (CSV)
Every place in Indiana, sortable · Compare Dale 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 Dale?
21 of the 57 figures for Dale 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 Dale 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 Dale.