Bloomington, Indiana

Bloomington, with a population of 69,987 (Monroe County 121,229), is an economic center for Southern Indiana. This city is also the home of the Indiana University main campus. It offers the advantages of a smaller family oriented community but provides a cosmopolitan and international environment with an unusual range of educational, recreational and business development activities.
   Bloomington is located in South Central Indiana, Approximately 50 miles south of Indianapolis, about 100 miles Northwest of Louisville, Kentucky, and within easy reach of Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton, Chicago, and Saint Louis. Bloomington has a local general aviation airport. It is also 50 minutes from the Indianapolis International Airport.
   Bloomington has long been an Employment center for this region of the state. Our workforce is one of the communities strongest assets. Over 5000 people commute daily into the county to work. Labor costs are reasonable and our industries are quick to note the strong work ethic of their employees.
   Bloomington also has an active existing industry program. When a company becomes a member of our community, we continue to work with that company to assist it in every way that we can - from employee training and tax abatement to ombudsman assistance. You will be welcome in Bloomington.

Recreation

   Twenty parks provide Bloomington with 700 acres for picnicking and recreation purposes, including three public swimming pools, baseball and softball diamonds, play areas, five public golf courses and an ice/roller skating rink. Monroe County Parks and Recreation offers more than 1,500 programs each year.
   Situated in a popular vacation zone, Bloomington is surrounded by three state parks, two state forests and the boating and fishing facilities of Lake Monroe, Lake Lemon and Lake Griffey.
   The local YMCA with 14,000 members, provides a full range of activities, including swimming, walking, aerobics, physical conditioning, handball, basketball, soccer and running.
   IU Club Sports are open to the public and include competition and instruction in cycling, ballroom dancing, gymnastics, lacrosse, rowing and sailing. Facilities include a world class Aquatic Center, 10 racquetball courts, 4 squash courts, an indoor track and facilities for basketball, fencing, karate and other sports.

The Arts

With a cosmopolitan flavor seldom found in a community it's size, Bloomington offers something for everyone. Bloomington is a center for the performing arts. From chamber music to bluegrass there is music everywhere. In theater, IU has several repertory series, plus an active playwright's organization.
The IU Opera Theater produces operas the year-round. In addition to numerous film programs and festivals, Bloomington has a dozen commercial movie houses.
The university's Fine Arts Museum's special exhibits draw visitors from throughout the Midwest Bloomington is also the home of many artists, from painters and potters to musicians and writers. Local art work can be seen at several local galleries and in various art festivals throughout the year.

Climate

Average Annual Precipitation....44.2 inches January Average Temperature..30.4 degrees F. (-0.8 degrees C.) July Average Temperature........76.2 degrees F. (24.6 degrees C.)

	Average Low (F)	Average High (F)	Average Rainfall
January	18	34	2.7"
February	21	39	2.5"
March	30	49	3.6"
April	42	63	3.6"
May	52	73	3.7"
June	61	82	4"
July	65	85	4.3"
August	63	84	3.5"
September	55	78	2.7"
October	43	66	2.5"
November	33	51	3"
December	24	39	3"

Employment

Total employment for 1995 was 53,860. In 1994 5% of the wage and salary labor force worked in construction, 17% in manufacturing, 3% in transportation and utilities, 3% in wholesale trade, 22% in retail trade, 4% in finance, insurance and real estate, 21% in services, and 23% in state and local government (Including Indiana University).
The county's unemployment rate was 5.5 percent in 1985, and fell to 4.0 percent by 1994 and as of mid 1997 was around 3 percent.
Monroe County's annual average wage level in 1995 was $21,774; up 39.4 percent from its level in 1985.

Education

Monroe County has one of the best educational environments in the Midwest. It is a community determined to learn and better itself through an excellent school system and the many resources of Indiana University, which encourages an environment of lifelong learning.

Preschools include 17 nurseries, 14 daycare systems and 35 registered daycare homes as well as an established Head Start program for low income families.

Monroe County Community School Corporation (MCCSC) — with 10,375 students in 2 high schools, 4 middle schools (as of 1998) and 15 elementary schools.

Richland Bean Blossom School System (RBBSC) — with 2,700 students in 1 high school, 1 middle school, 2 elementary schools and 1 early childhood center.

Seven Private Schools — including St. Charles, Harmony, Montessori, and Ellettsville Christian Elementary.

Hoosier Hills Vocational School — a five-county area vocational school with 479 students.

Indiana Vocational and Technical College (Ivy Tech) — providing courses to upgrade the skills of your work-force, from management training to Statistical Process Control.

Indiana University — established in 1820 and the nations tenth largest university. More than 35,000 students attend IU-Bloomington campus each year, giving the area a constant supply of labor and infusion of brain power.

Community Alliance for Lifelong Learning (CALL) — a program that integrates lifelong learning into our cultural framework. The city is committed to supporting efforts to expand education and training to all our children - our future work force.

Good Friends — a mentoring program established by the IU Alumni Association that focuses on improving reading skills in elementary age at-risk children.

IU High School Outreach Program — a program which encourages students to become involved in science through various activities and learning experiences.

Monroe County Head Start Program — a program that provides local children from low-income families with social and educational skills, thereby enhancing communication abilities and interpersonal skills.

Tech Prep — an innovative educational approach providing students with academic and technical foundations for working in business, health, industrial and applied science technologies, resulting in employment placement.

Vital — a community service program that trains and coordinates some 300 volunteer tutors as they provide one-on-one instruction in reading and writing for adult learners.

Adult Basic Education Programs — Programs range from reading and basic life skills to GED preparation and English as a second language. These programs are free and open to adults.

Vocational training, general interest courses, and classes in the arts are offered by many area organizations for adults and youths. Additionally, Bloomington has 20 youth mentoring programs and 22 church and youth groups including the Boys and Girls Club, which serves 1,100 youths every year.

Web Links

Indiana University

Yahoo!'s Bloomington Weather

City of Bloomington Dept. of Parks & Recreation

Monroe County Community School Corporation

Ivy Tech State College, Bloomington

Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce

Monroe County Library

Monroe County Convention & Visitors Bureau