Report ranks Indiana counties' income

The Indiana Business Research Center (IBRC) recently released information ranking Indiana's suburban counties highest in the state, as measured by median household income in 1999. \nFive counties in the state boasted median household incomes of more $50,000, four of which surround Indianapolis and the other borders the Chicago metropolitan area. Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks and Johnson are all suburban counties of Indianapolis and Porter County is in the vicinity of Chicago and Gary.\nBill Hanna, Economic Development Planner for Valparaiso and Vice President of the Valparaiso Economic Development Corporation, believes a diverse job market directly contributes to a successful county. \n"We want Valparaiso to be less dependent on one type of industry, so we've tried to diversify the job markets in Valparaiso and Porter County," Hanna said. "When an area is heavily dominated by one industry it either sinks or swims."\nPorter County learned to diversify its job market after a major steel recession in the 1980s led to high unemployment and a struggling economy. In response to the recession, Valparaiso developed the Economic Development Corporation in order to attract a broader base of businesses to the area.\nAlthough the Corporation focuses most of its attention specifically on Valparaiso, they pull businesses into other parts of Porter County as well.\n"We are trying to bring business into the region, and when we encounter a business that won't fit in Valparaiso we will recommend them to another area of the region," Hanna said. "If the other counties in the region do well then we do well."\nArmin Apple, Hancock County Commissioner, addressed the subject of the effect of the Indianapolis industries on the suburban counties.\n"The Indianapolis area is the economic engine that drives the eight-county area surrounding it. A lot of people work in Indianapolis and choose to live outside Marion County in the suburbs," Apple said. "Indianapolis is a tremendous positive influence on the area."\nApple echoed Hanna's importance on building a diverse market within the community.\n"As an area we are very fortunate to have a very diverse economy. We are fortunate to not have to depend upon one single industry to field jobs in the community," Apple said. "We have such a diverse number of businesses that helps us weather the hard times in the community."\nDiversifying business has greatly benefited Hancock County as it boasts the lowest family poverty rate in the state. According to John Besl, IBRC demographer, Hancock County's family poverty rate was 1.9 percent based on the 2000 census.\nThe IBRC, part of the Kelley School of Business, serves as the state's official liaison with the U.S. Bureau of the Census to analyze population and income data.\n"We take the information released from the Census and create tables to put on our website and make them available to people around the nation and around the world," Besl said.\nIn addition to highlighting the state's highest income areas, the IBRC's data contained those counties which suffer median incomes below $35,000. Besl said that in his research he found many of these counties also suffered incomes of under $10,000 in more than 10 percent of county households and family poverty rate was eight percent or higher in each county.\n"In other words, at least one in 12 families in these counties subsisted below the federal poverty level," Besl said.\nApple and Hanna shared a common interest in two things they believe will continue their respective counties' success, education and hard working people.\n"There are good people in Hancock County that work hard and are very interested in education not only within our local schools, but college and technical education within the community," Apple said. \nAs in Hancock County, Hanna has seen the effects of hard working citizens in Valparaiso and Porter County.\n"One thing I see that is very important in the community is the number of people who want to work. It is very important to potential employers to see that there are those people who want to get involved," Hanna said. "We are fortunate to be able to take a prospect through the county and have them be able to see that in the community"