Austin, Indiana  Austin is a city in Jennings Township, Scott County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 4,272 at the 2000 census, at which time it was a town; Austin became a city on January 1, 2008. The population was 4,295 at the 2010 census. Austin was platted in 1853, and named after Austin, Texas. A post office has been in operation at Austin since 1854. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirms that Austin “contains the largest drug-fueled H.I.V. outbreak to hit rural America in recent history.” Its 5 percent infection rate “is comparable to some African nations.” According to New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, who visited with Austin's only doctor, Will Cooke, Austin "doesn’t just sit at the intersection between Indianapolis and Louisville but at the intersection of hopelessness and economic ruin.” In 2015, press reports indicated the city was the center of an outbreak of HIV caused by the use of Opana as an injectable recreational drug. The outbreak required emergency action by state officials. When the outbreak was first detected there were 30 HIV cases in a town that had, up until this point, only had 3 cases over several decades. After 29 days, by the time Governor Mike Pence determined a course of action, the number of HIV cases had skyrocketed to 79. In response to the crisis Scott County established "one-stop shop," where people could also get drug treatment referrals, free HIV testing, syringe exchanges, and other services. Austin is located at (38.742361°,-85.804583°). According to the 2010 census, Austin has a total area of , all land, give or take a few ponds and lakes. The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Austin has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. As of the 2010 census, there were 4,295 people, 1,674 households, and 1,178 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 1,908 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.1% White, 0.3% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.7% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races.