Census tract · Starke County
Census Tract 9538, Starke County, Indiana
Census Tract 9538, GEOID 18149953800, in Starke County, Indiana, mostly within North Bend Township (57% of its census blocks). 3,710 residents in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±495); the 2020 Census counted 3,675.
Residents, 2020-2024
3,710
±495 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 3,675
Median household income
$58,295
±$15,597 (90% margin)
Starke County: $63,960
Median home value
$169,100
±$21,609 (90% margin)
Starke County: $157,700
Median gross rent
$1,125
±$776 (90% margin)
Starke County: $712
Where is Census Tract 9538?
Census Tract 9538 is one of 7 census tracts in Starke County, Indiana. It covers 58.30 square miles of land, 63 residents per square mile in 2020. Its GEOID, 18149953800, names it uniquely (how tract numbers and GEOIDs work).
| Place | Share of the tract |
|---|---|
| North Bend Township | 57% |
| Washington Township, Starke County | 32% |
| Bass Lake | 20% |
| Center Township, Starke County | 11% |
| Knox | 3% |
6 census tracts border Census Tract 9538: Tract 203.01 in Marshall County ($88,935), Tract 203.02 in Marshall County ($56,477), Tract 9589 in Pulaski County ($62,212), Tract 9537 ($74,048), Tract 9539 ($72,413) and Tract 9540 ($49,293). The figure in brackets is each tract's median household income.
Whether a tract counts as low- or moderate-income for bank lending (the Community Reinvestment Act) is set by the FFIEC against its metro area's family income: look it up in the FFIEC census geocoder.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 block assignment files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Census Tract 9538?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Census Tract 9538's population at 3,710 (±495) in 1,326 households; the 2020 Census counted 3,675 residents and 1,804 housing units.
| Measure | Tract 9538 | North Bend Township |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 3,710 ±495 | 1,407 |
| Households | 1,326 ±156 | 605 |
| Average household size | 2.80 ±0.26 | 2.33 |
| Housing units | 1,781 ±157 | 959 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Census Tract 9538?
The median resident of Census Tract 9538 is 45.3 years old; 21.6% are under 18 and 21.6% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 90.1%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 5.4%.
| Measure | Tract 9538 | North Bend Township |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 45.3 ±4.3 | 51.7 |
| Under 18 years | 21.6% ±4.5 pts | 13.8% |
| 65 years and over | 21.6% ±4.4 pts | 27.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 3.0% ±3.5 pts | 0.0% |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 90.1% ±5.0 pts | 93.3% |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.9% ±1.4 pts | 1.8% |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.0 pts | 0.0% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.2% ±0.3 pts | 0.0% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.0 pts | 0.0% |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 5.4% ±4.2 pts | 3.8% |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.4% ±0.7 pts | 1.1% |
| Born outside the United States | 2.1% ±2.1 pts | 0.5% |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 4.3% ±3.7 pts | 1.5% |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 8.8% ±3.0 pts | 8.2% |
| With a disability | 18.9% ±4.9 pts | 20.1% |
| No health insurance coverage | 7.3% ±5.8 pts | 4.5% |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 87.8% ±5.6 pts | 87.3% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 15.7% ±5.4 pts | 22.8% |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 5.7% ±4.3 pts | 7.5% |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 96.0% ±2.5 pts | 91.8% |
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 Census Tract 9538 earn?
Half of the 1,326 households in Census Tract 9538 earn less than $58,295 a year (±$15,597), against $63,960 across Starke County: 6th highest of the county's 7 tracts with a reliable estimate. 17.5% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Tract 9538 | North Bend Township |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $58,295 ±$15,597 | $61,375 |
| Mean household income | $77,369 ±$10,332 | $73,407 |
| Per capita income | $28,133 ±$3,412 | $31,323 |
| People below the poverty line | 17.5% ±9.9 pts | 23.6% |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 33.5% ±25.0 pts | 50.0% |
| Households receiving SNAP | 17.5% ±7.8 pts | 20.5% |
| Households with a computer | 90.9% ±4.8 pts | 92.6% |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 83.5% ±6.4 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 Census Tract 9538?
Owners occupy 93.9% of Census Tract 9538's occupied homes and renters 6.1%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $169,100 by its owner (±$21,609).
| Measure | Tract 9538 | North Bend Township |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $169,100 ±$21,609 | $157,000 |
| Median gross rent | $1,125 ±$776 | $1,301 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 39.2% ±47.6 pts | 37.3% |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,122 ±$109 | $1,114 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 93.9% ±5.5 pts | 89.1% |
| Renter-occupied homes | 6.1% ±5.5 pts | 10.9% |
| Housing units | 1,781 ±157 | 959 |
| Single-family detached homes | 88.9% ±6.6 pts | 89.8% |
| Mobile homes | 11.1% ±6.6 pts | 10.2% |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±2.1 pts | 0.0% |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 1.8% ±1.6 pts | 0.0% |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 14.1% ±5.5 pts | 19.4% |
| Households with no vehicle | 1.3% ±1.6 pts | 0.0% |
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 Census Tract 9538 get to work?
80.3% of Census Tract 9538's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 28.7 minutes.
| Measure | Tract 9538 | North Bend Township |
|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 50.9% ±6.5 pts | 50.6% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.9% ±3.5 pts | 3.8% |
| Drove alone to work | 80.3% ±8.2 pts | 74.5% |
| Carpooled | 14.3% ±7.9 pts | 19.3% |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±2.6 pts | 0.0% |
| Walked | 0.0% ±2.6 pts | 0.0% |
| Worked from home | 3.8% ±3.0 pts | 6.2% |
| Mean travel time to work | 28.7 min ±5.6 | 30.9 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
How does Census Tract 9538 compare with the other tracts in Starke County?
Among Starke County's tracts with a reliable estimate, Census Tract 9538 ranks as shown below (1 = highest).
| Measure | In Starke County |
|---|---|
| Population | 3rd of 7 |
| Residents per square mile | 5th of 7 |
| Median household income | 6th of 7 |
| Per capita income | 5th of 7 |
| Median home value | 2nd of 7 |
| Poverty rate | 2nd of 7 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 1st of 7 |
| Median age | 3rd of 7 |
| Owner-occupied share | 1st of 7 |
The tracts next to it on Starke County's income ladder
| Tract | Rank | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9539 | 3rd | $72,413±$8,147 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 9541 | 4th | $64,306±$11,755 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 9542 | 5th | $61,343±$6,356 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 9538 | 6th | $58,295±$15,597 |
| Tract 9540 | 7th | $49,293±$8,765 · within the margin of this tract |
"Within the margin": the two incomes differ by less than their combined 90% margins, so the survey cannot say which is higher and the ranks between them are not firm.
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Census Tract 9538?
5 of the 18 figures for Census Tract 9538 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.
A census tract's figures rest on a few hundred sampled households over five years, so its margins are wider than a city's. Two tracts differ only when the gap between them is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins). 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 · Check it at data.census.gov
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections