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Ancestry refers to the lineage or descent of a person, family, or group, tracing back through generations to identify their origins, heritage, and familial connections. It encompasses the genetic, cultural, and historical ties that link individuals to their forebears, shaping their identity and sense of belonging. Ancestry is a multifaceted concept, intertwining biology, genealogy, history, and culture, and it plays a significant role in how people understand themselves and their place in the world.

At its core, ancestry is rooted in genetics. Each individual inherits a unique combination of DNA from their parents, who in turn inherited their DNA from their own ancestors. This genetic material carries information about physical traits, predispositions to certain health conditions, and even behavioral tendencies. Advances in genetic testing, such as DNA analysis, have made it possible for individuals to trace their biological ancestry with remarkable precision. Companies like 23andMe and AncestryDNA offer services that analyze genetic markers to provide insights into a person's ethnic composition and geographic origins, often revealing surprising connections to distant relatives or previously unknown heritage.

Beyond genetics, ancestry is deeply tied to genealogy, the study of family history and lineage. Genealogical research involves constructing family trees, documenting relationships, and uncovering historical records such as birth certificates, marriage licenses, census data, and immigration documents. This process often reveals stories of migration, resilience, and adaptation, offering a window into the lives of ancestors and the challenges they faced. For many, genealogy is a way to honor their forebears and preserve their legacy for future generations.

Cultural ancestry is another critical dimension, encompassing the traditions, languages, customs, and values passed down through generations. It connects individuals to their ethnic or national heritage, shaping their cultural identity and worldview. For example, someone with Irish ancestry might celebrate St. Patrick's Day, learn traditional Irish dance, or explore the Gaelic language, while someone with Japanese ancestry might practice tea ceremonies, study calligraphy, or observe Obon festivals. Cultural ancestry fosters a sense of continuity and belonging, linking individuals to a broader community with shared experiences and values.

Historical ancestry delves into the broader context of a family's or group's past, including significant events, social conditions, and historical movements that shaped their lives. For instance, the transatlantic slave trade, the Irish Potato Famine, or the Jewish diaspora have profoundly influenced the ancestry of millions of people, leaving lasting imprints on their descendants' identities. Understanding historical ancestry often involves grappling with complex narratives of triumph and tragedy, resilience and oppression, and the interplay of individual and collective experiences.

Ancestry also has a deeply personal and emotional dimension. For many, exploring their ancestry is a journey of self-discovery, offering insights into who they are and where they come from. It can foster a sense of pride, connection, and continuity, as well as a deeper appreciation for the struggles and achievements of those who came before. At the same time, it can raise questions about identity, belonging, and the complexities of heritage, particularly for individuals with mixed or multicultural backgrounds.

In a globalized world, ancestry serves as a bridge between the past and the present, connecting individuals to their roots while also highlighting the interconnectedness of human history. It underscores the diversity and richness of human experience, reminding us that every person's story is part of a larger tapestry woven over centuries. Whether through genetic testing, genealogical research, cultural practices, or historical exploration, ancestry offers a profound way to understand ourselves and our place in the world.

A diversification score measures the diversity of ancestries in the county. As the value appoaches 100, ancestry diversity decreases and therefore increasing the risk of a lack of cultural diversity. The ancestry diversification score for this county is:

Most common ancestry not including "Unknown" is:

Ancestry Report Part I
Description	Total Population	American	Native American	Hawaiian	Caribbean (Latino)	Mexican	Central American	South American	Other Hispanic	African American	Sub- Saharan	Caribbean (Black)

Miami County	35,752	3,125	263	4	198	787	21	60	200	1,399	204	150
Indiana (in 000's)	6,972	477	12	3	68	396	51	28	26	419	128	90
National (in 000's)	343,251	13,890	2,213	626	11,327	38,879	6,181	4,644	3,687	25,893	7,852	7,174
Howard County	84,242	9,360	172	20	508	2,159	116	141	271	4,237	1,280	930
Grant County	66,532	6,193	144	19	358	2,451	151	230	275	2,160	910	808
Cass County	37,548	2,760	128	12	585	4,122	903	383	549	204	80	219
Wabash County	30,802	3,087	106	8	234	458	125	22	67	188	35	28
Fulton County	20,126	1,553	55	0	17	1,002	1	0	42	80	18	16

Per Cent to Total Population	Diversity Index

Miami County	17.65	8.74	0.74	0.01	0.55	2.20	0.06	0.17	0.56	3.91	0.57	0.42
Indiana	11.72	6.84	0.18	0.04	0.98	5.69	0.73	0.40	0.37	6.02	1.84	1.29
National	7.83	4.05	0.64	0.18	3.30	11.33	1.80	1.35	1.07	7.54	2.29	2.09
Howard County	14.46	11.11	0.20	0.02	0.60	2.56	0.14	0.17	0.32	5.03	1.52	1.10
Grant County	15.38	9.31	0.22	0.03	0.54	3.68	0.23	0.35	0.41	3.25	1.37	1.21
Cass County	15.05	7.35	0.34	0.03	1.56	10.98	2.40	1.02	1.46	0.54	0.21	0.58
Wabash County	18.07	10.02	0.34	0.03	0.76	1.49	0.41	0.07	0.22	0.61	0.11	0.09
Fulton County	20.14	7.72	0.27	0.00	0.08	4.98	0.00	0.00	0.21	0.40	0.09	0.08

Comparisons to State Norms	% to Total >= 150%		% to Total < 50%

Miami County		127.83	411.58	29.06	56.58	38.71	8.04	41.81	151.53	65.04	30.98	32.43
Indiana		100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00
National		59.18	360.76	474.02	337.11	199.17	246.53	337.08	290.95	125.38	124.20	161.56
Howard County		162.50	114.24	61.67	61.60	45.07	18.85	41.70	87.14	83.59	82.50	85.33
Grant County		136.13	121.10	74.18	54.97	64.78	31.07	86.13	111.96	53.96	74.26	93.87
Cass County		107.50	190.73	83.02	159.16	193.04	329.24	254.13	396.06	9.03	11.57	45.08
Wabash County		146.57	192.54	67.47	77.61	26.15	55.56	17.79	58.92	10.14	6.17	7.03
Fulton County		112.85	152.90	0.00	8.63	87.55	0.68	0.00	56.53	6.61	4.86	6.14

Comparisons to National Norms	% to Total >= 150%		% to Total < 50%

Miami County		216.00	114.09	6.13	16.78	19.43	3.26	12.40	52.08	51.87	24.94	20.07
Indiana		168.97	27.72	21.10	29.66	50.21	40.56	29.67	34.37	79.76	80.52	61.90
National		100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00
Howard County		274.57	31.67	13.01	18.27	22.63	7.65	12.37	29.95	66.67	66.42	52.82
Grant County		230.02	33.57	15.65	16.31	32.52	12.60	25.55	38.48	43.04	59.79	58.11
Cass County		181.65	52.87	17.51	47.21	96.92	133.55	75.39	136.13	7.20	9.31	27.91
Wabash County		247.66	53.37	14.23	23.02	13.13	22.54	5.28	20.25	8.09	4.97	4.35
Fulton County		190.68	42.38	0.00	2.56	43.96	0.28	0.00	19.43	5.27	3.91	3.80

Ancestry Report Part II
Description	Total Population	Canadian	British	Dutch	French	German	Italian	Polish	Scandinavian	Scotish/ Irish	Spanish	Other European

Miami County	35,752	25	2,823	342	251	5,106	448	262	266	2,841	0	576
Indiana (in 000's)	6,972	12	487	58	71	932	98	110	69	486	11	189
National (in 000's)	343,251	1,350	18,069	1,828	3,642	24,708	9,027	4,667	5,969	20,625	1,140	9,563
Howard County	84,242	32	6,986	452	591	9,582	705	796	663	4,991	215	1,715
Grant County	66,532	166	5,341	632	590	7,179	726	441	520	4,347	118	1,344
Cass County	37,548	20	2,105	269	255	4,567	651	122	239	2,115	0	566
Wabash County	30,802	211	2,984	238	382	5,653	219	136	290	2,499	10	721
Fulton County	20,126	43	1,486	247	220	3,381	178	231	284	1,366	8	368

Per Cent to Total Population	Diversity Index

Miami County	17.65	0.07	7.90	0.96	0.70	14.28	1.25	0.73	0.74	7.95	0.00	1.61
Indiana	11.72	0.17	6.99	0.83	1.02	13.36	1.41	1.57	1.00	6.97	0.16	2.72
National	7.83	0.39	5.26	0.53	1.06	7.20	2.63	1.36	1.74	6.01	0.33	2.79
Howard County	14.46	0.04	8.29	0.54	0.70	11.37	0.84	0.94	0.79	5.92	0.26	2.04
Grant County	15.38	0.25	8.03	0.95	0.89	10.79	1.09	0.66	0.78	6.53	0.18	2.02
Cass County	15.05	0.05	5.61	0.72	0.68	12.16	1.73	0.32	0.64	5.63	0.00	1.51
Wabash County	18.07	0.69	9.69	0.77	1.24	18.35	0.71	0.44	0.94	8.11	0.03	2.34
Fulton County	20.14	0.21	7.38	1.23	1.09	16.80	0.88	1.15	1.41	6.79	0.04	1.83

Comparisons to State Norms	% to Total >= 150%		% to Total < 50%

Miami County		40.07	113.00	115.23	68.59	106.86	89.17	46.55	74.76	113.98	0.00	59.34
Indiana		100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00
National		225.38	75.33	64.15	103.65	53.86	187.16	86.37	174.72	86.19	208.22	102.62
Howard County		21.76	118.67	64.63	68.54	85.11	59.55	60.03	79.08	84.98	159.97	74.98
Grant County		142.96	114.88	114.43	86.63	80.74	77.65	42.11	78.53	93.72	111.17	74.40
Cass County		30.52	80.23	86.30	66.35	91.01	123.38	20.64	63.96	80.80	0.00	55.52
Wabash County		392.50	138.64	93.08	121.16	137.32	50.60	28.05	94.60	116.37	20.35	86.21
Fulton County		122.42	105.66	147.84	106.79	125.70	62.94	72.91	141.79	97.35	24.92	67.35

Comparisons to National Norms	% to Total >= 150%		% to Total < 50%

Miami County		17.78	150.00	179.62	66.17	198.40	47.65	53.90	42.79	132.25	0.00	57.83
Indiana		44.37	132.75	155.88	96.48	185.66	53.43	115.78	57.24	116.03	48.03	97.45
National		100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00
Howard County		9.66	157.54	100.75	66.12	158.02	31.82	69.50	45.26	98.60	76.83	73.07
Grant County		63.43	152.50	178.37	83.58	149.90	41.49	48.75	44.95	108.74	53.39	72.50
Cass County		13.54	106.50	134.53	64.01	168.97	65.92	23.90	36.61	93.74	0.00	54.10
Wabash County		174.15	184.04	145.09	116.89	254.96	27.03	32.48	54.14	135.02	9.77	84.01
Fulton County		54.32	140.26	230.45	103.03	233.38	33.63	84.42	81.15	112.96	11.97	65.63

Ancestry Report Part III
Description	Total Population	Chinese	Filipino	Japanese	Korean	Vietnamese	South Central Asian	South East Asian	Other Asian	Middle Eastern	Other Ancestry	Unknown

Miami County	35,752	58	0	5	2	12	5	2	66	15	3,743	12,493
Indiana (in 000's)	6,972	31	17	6	11	9	57	33	12	19	819	1,736
National (in 000's)	343,251	4,461	3,010	793	1,541	1,913	5,452	1,643	1,229	1,931	47,322	51,000
Howard County	84,242	280	156	4	21	218	226	119	112	81	13,363	23,740
Grant County	66,532	121	16	4	49	48	209	55	68	56	10,259	20,544
Cass County	37,548	86	59	24	19	0	40	267	97	0	4,488	11,614
Wabash County	30,802	53	18	2	2	9	5	7	42	33	2,595	10,335
Fulton County	20,126	0	11	2	10	0	0	22	2	19	1,780	7,684

Per Cent to Total Population	Diversity Index

Miami County	17.65	0.16	0.00	0.01	0.01	0.03	0.01	0.01	0.18	0.04	10.47	34.94
Indiana	11.72	0.44	0.24	0.09	0.16	0.13	0.82	0.47	0.17	0.27	11.74	24.90
National	7.83	1.30	0.88	0.23	0.45	0.56	1.59	0.48	0.36	0.56	13.79	14.86
Howard County	14.46	0.33	0.19	0.00	0.02	0.26	0.27	0.14	0.13	0.10	15.86	28.18
Grant County	15.38	0.18	0.02	0.01	0.07	0.07	0.31	0.08	0.10	0.08	15.42	30.88
Cass County	15.05	0.23	0.16	0.06	0.05	0.00	0.11	0.71	0.26	0.00	11.95	30.93
Wabash County	18.07	0.17	0.06	0.01	0.01	0.03	0.02	0.02	0.14	0.11	8.42	33.55
Fulton County	20.14	0.00	0.05	0.01	0.05	0.00	0.00	0.11	0.01	0.09	8.84	38.18

Comparisons to State Norms	% to Total >= 150%		% to Total < 50%

Miami County		37.00	0.00	16.18	3.57	24.95	1.71	1.18	107.62	15.68	89.16	140.34
Indiana		100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00
National		296.38	369.59	267.29	286.20	414.22	194.19	101.34	208.81	210.15	117.41	59.67
Howard County		75.80	78.04	5.49	15.89	192.34	32.80	29.91	77.51	35.93	135.09	113.18
Grant County		41.47	10.13	6.96	46.94	53.62	38.41	17.50	59.59	31.45	131.32	124.01
Cass County		52.23	66.22	73.96	32.25	0.00	13.02	150.57	150.61	0.00	101.79	124.22
Wabash County		39.24	24.63	7.51	4.14	21.72	1.98	4.81	79.49	40.03	71.75	134.75
Fulton County		0.00	23.03	11.50	31.67	0.00	0.00	23.15	5.79	35.27	75.32	153.33

Comparisons to National Norms	% to Total >= 150%		% to Total < 50%

Miami County		12.48	0.00	6.05	1.25	6.02	0.88	1.17	51.54	7.46	75.94	235.18
Indiana		33.74	27.06	37.41	34.94	24.14	51.50	98.67	47.89	47.58	85.17	167.58
National		100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00
Howard County		25.57	21.11	2.06	5.55	46.44	16.89	29.51	37.12	17.09	115.06	189.67
Grant County		13.99	2.74	2.60	16.40	12.95	19.78	17.27	28.54	14.96	111.85	207.82
Cass County		17.62	17.92	27.67	11.27	0.00	6.71	148.57	72.13	0.00	86.70	208.18
Wabash County		13.24	6.66	2.81	1.45	5.24	1.02	4.75	38.07	19.05	61.11	225.83
Fulton County		0.00	6.23	4.30	11.07	0.00	0.00	22.84	2.77	16.78	64.15	256.96

Sources: STI: PopStats, Circa April 2025

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