Editing Kouts, Indiana

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Kouts, Indiana
|settlement_type          = [[Town]]
|nickname                 = 
|mapsize                  = 250x200px
|image_skyline            = Kouts Indiana Town Hall.jpg
|imagesize                = 250px
|image_caption            = Kouts Town Hall
|image_map = File:Porter County Indiana Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Kouts Highlighted 1840518.svg
|map_caption              = Location of Kouts in Porter County, Indiana.
|image_map1               = 
|mapsize1                 = 
|map_caption1             = 
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = United States
|area_footnotes           = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_18.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=March 16, 2022}}</ref>
|unit_pref                = Imperial
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[Indiana]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Indiana|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Porter County, Indiana|Porter]]
|subdivision_type3        = [[List of townships in Indiana|Township]]
|subdivision_name3        = [[Pleasant Township, Porter County, Indiana|Pleasant]]
|government_type          = town council
|leader_title             = president
|leader_name              = Tim Jones
|established_title        = Established
|established_date         = 1865
<!-- Population -->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_total         = 2028
|population_est           = 
|pop_est_as_of            = 
|population_footnotes     = 
|population_density_km2   = 645.34
|population_density_sq_mi = 1671.89
|population_note          = 
|timezone                 = [[North American Central Time Zone|CST]]
|utc_offset               = -6
|timezone_DST             = [[North American Central Time Zone|CDT]]
|utc_offset_DST           = -5
|area_land_km2            = 3.14
|area_water_km2           = 0.00
|area_total_km2           = 3.14
|area_total_sq_mi         = 1.21
|area_land_sq_mi          = 1.21
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.00
|elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
|elevation_ft             = 682
|coordinates              = {{coord|41|19|02|N|87|01|36|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 46347
|area_code                = [[Area code 219|219]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 18-40518<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref>
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 2396697<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2396697}}</ref>
|footnotes                = 
|website                  = {{URL|http://www.koutsindiana.org}}
}}
'''Kouts''' is a town in [[Pleasant Township, Porter County, Indiana|Pleasant Township]], [[Porter County, Indiana|Porter County]], in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Indiana]].<ref name=gnis/> The population was 2,028 at the 2020 census.<ref name="Census 2010">{{cite web| url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/1600000US1840518| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212175048/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/1600000US1840518| url-status=dead| archive-date=February 12, 2020| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (DP-1): Kouts town, Indiana| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder| access-date=March 22, 2013}}</ref> Since 2010, Kouts has had a population growth of 7.90 percent.

==History==
[[File:Kouts, Indiana (1910).jpg|thumb|left|Main Street, 1910]]

Bernhardt Kautz moved here from [[Pennsylvania]], before the arrival of the railroads, and established a farm where the town now sits.  With the arrival of the [[Chicago and St. Louis Railway]] in 1865, Kautz and his brother-in-law H.A. Wright laid out the town and established a store.<ref name=centennial>Kouts Centennial;, 1865-1965; Centennial Committee; Kouts, Indiana; Sept 2–6, 1965</ref>  Known as Kouts Station, the town grew slowly until the [[Chicago and Erie Railroad]] intersected the line in Kouts. Soon, Kouts became the social and economic center of the township.<ref name= Interim>Porter County, Interim Report, Indiana Historic Sites and Structures Inventory; Indiana Dept of Natural Resources and Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana; July 1991, page 87</ref>

===Railroads===
Kouts would remain an important railroad town throughout the first half of the 20th century continuing to be served by the [[Erie Lackawanna Railway]] and the [[Pennsylvania Railroad]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.inportercounty.org/PhotoPages/Kouts/Railroads/Kouts-Railroads001.html | title=Porter County, Indiana, GenWeb - Photographs & Historical Images }}</ref> Railroad traffic in the town began to decline following the bankruptcy of the Pennsylvania Railroad's successor, the [[Penn Central Transportation Company|Penn Central]] and the creation of [[Conrail]]. As the also bankrupt Erie Lackawanna would similarly be absorbed into the new company in 1976. The surplus of Conrail track through Kouts would lead to a decline in both traffic and profitability. The passage of the [[Staggers Rail Act]] of 1980 allowed for U.S railways to abandon unprofitable lines, which Conrail would take advantage of in Kouts. First with the Erie Lackawanna tracks in 1981 and then the Pennsylvania tracks in 1984.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.abandonedrails.com/elgin-to-hammond | title=Elgin, OH to Hammond, IN - Abandoned Rails }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.in.gov/indot/files/Abandonment-Map_Med_StWide_11x17_RH_Abnd.pdf|title=INDIANA RAILROADS (ABANDONED)|website=IN.gov|access-date=September 22, 2022}}</ref> Currently there are little remnants of Kouts railroading past except for the former Pennsylvania Railroad depot which has been converted into a private business.

==Geography==
According to the 2010 census, Kouts has a total area of {{convert|1.12|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, all land.<ref name="census-g001">{{cite web
  |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US1840518
  |title=G001 - Geographic Identifiers - 2010 Census Summary File 1
  |access-date=July 17, 2015
  |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]
  |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213070128/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US1840518
  |archive-date=February 13, 2020
  |url-status=dead
  }}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1880= 214
|1930= 583
|1940= 732
|1950= 718
|1960= 1007
|1970= 1388
|1980= 1619
|1990= 1603
|2000= 1698
|2010= 1879
|2020= 2028
|footnote=Source: US Census Bureau
}}

===2000 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2"/> of 2000, there were 1,698 people, 678 households, and 499 families residing in the town. The population density was {{convert|1,522.0|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 720 housing units at an average density of 645.4/sq mi (248.2/km<sup>2</sup>). The racial makeup of the town was 99.00% [[Race (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.12% [[Race (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.65% from [[Race (U.S. Census)|other races]], and 0.24% from two or more races. [[Race (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Race (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 1.24% of the population.

There were 678 households, out of which 34.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.5% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.4% were non-families. 23.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the town the population was spread out, with 24.9% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 31.2% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.3 males.

The [[median income]] for a household in the town was $44,850, and the median income for a family was $50,819. Males had a median income of $42,315 versus $25,313 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $19,239. About 1.7% of families and 3.2% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 3.3% of those under age 18 and 3.4% of those age 65 or over.

===2010 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name ="wwwcensusgov">{{cite web|title=U.S. Census website|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=December 11, 2012}}</ref> of 2010, there were 1,879 people, 719 households, and 524 families residing in the town. The [[population density]] was {{convert|1677.7|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 753 housing units at an average density of {{convert|672.3|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the town was 97.6% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.3% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.3% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.6% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.2% from [[Race (U.S. Census)|other races]], and 1.0% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 5.1% of the population.

There were 719 households, of which 37.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.2% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 27.1% were non-families. 22.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.09.

The median age in the town was 35.5 years. 27.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 32.2% were from 25 to 44; 21% were from 45 to 64; and 13.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 48.2% male and 51.8% female.

==Education==
Kouts is served by the [[East Porter County School Corporation]]. It has one school which is K-12. Kouts is also home to the East Porter County School Corporation's central administration office which oversees the operation of four other public schools in Porter County. Kouts schools spend an average of $4,027 per student. The average school expenditure in the U.S. is $5,678. There are about 18.7 students per teacher.

Kouts has a [[public library]], a branch of the Porter County Public Library System.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://pcpls.org/library-information/#locations | title=Locations | publisher=Porter County Public Library System | access-date=March 14, 2018}}</ref>

==Infrastructure==
===Transportation===
* [[Indiana State Road 8 (west)|State Route 8]] goes west to [[Hebron, Indiana|Hebron]] and east through [[LaCrosse, Indiana|LaCrosse]] to Marshall County.
* [[Indiana State Road 49|State Route 49]] goes north past [[Valparaiso, Indiana|Valparaiso]] to end at the [[Indiana Dunes State Park]] on [[Lake Michigan]] and south to [[Indiana State Road 14|State Route 14]] in central Jasper County.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.koutsindiana.org Town of Kouts]
{{Commons category}}
{{Porter County, Indiana}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Northwest Indiana]]
[[Category:Towns in Porter County, Indiana]]
[[Category:Towns in Indiana]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1865]]
[[Category:1921 establishments in Indiana]]