CITY · 1990 CENSUS

Athens

Ohio · 21,265 residents · 9.95 sq mi

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The short version

With 21,265 people, Athens is a city in Ohio. This is an unusually credentialed place: 57% of adults have a four-year degree. The poverty rate is 44.7%, above the 13.2% national rate. This skews young, with a median age of 21.6. 34% of homes are owner-occupied. That trails the Ohio median by roughly 50%.

At a glance

Lower income

below the US median

US median: $30,130

Younger

median age 21.6

US median: 33.0

More educated

57% hold a bachelor's degree

US average: 20%

More affordable

home values down 19%, inflation adjusted

US median home: $93,722

Section 01

Population & growth

Total population

21,265

Unchangedvs 2000

vs 21,342 in 2000

1990 – 2025

Median age

21.6

+1%vs 2000

vs 21.5 in 2000

US average: 33.0

Land area

9.95 sq mi

Population, 1990 – 2024

202423K

Age distribution, 1990

Under 52.7%(579)

US avg: 7.3%

5 to 92.7%(566)

US avg: 7.3%

10 to 142.3%(497)

US avg: 6.9%

15 to 1921.4%(4,556)

US avg: 7.1%

20 to 2440.2%(8,551)

US avg: 7.5%

25 to 3410.8%(2,303)

US avg: 17.5%

35 to 446.7%(1,422)

US avg: 15.1%

45 to 544.3%(925)

US avg: 10.2%

55 to 643.2%(676)

US avg: 8.5%

65 to 742.7%(571)

US avg: 7.3%

75 to 842.2%(478)

US avg: 4%

85 and over0.7%(141)

US avg: 1.2%

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE

Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income

$14,350

+10%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $17,122 in 2000

US average: $30,130

1990 – 2024

Per capita income

$7,915

−28%vs 2000

vs $11,061 in 2000

US average: $14,340

Poverty rate

44.7%

−7.3 ptsvs 2000

vs 51.9% in 2000

US average: 13.2%

Section 03

Housing

Median home value

$68,200

−19%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $111,300 in 2000

US average: $93,722

1990 – 2024

Median gross rent

$383

+2%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $496 in 2000

US average: $450

Owner-occupied

34.1%

+4.2 ptsvs 2000

vs 29.8% in 2000

65.9% rent

Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000

White, non-Hispanic88.4%(18,861)

Black3.8%(806)

Hispanic / Latino1.4%(301)

Asian4.5%(950)

Other0%

1990

White, non-Hispanic89.2%(18,961)

Black4.6%(985)

Hispanic / Latino1.3%(275)

Asian5.6%(1,189)

Other0.6%(130)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin

Mexican1.8%(431)

Central American0.6%(135)

Puerto Rican0.5%(111)

Salvadoran0.4%(83)

South American0.3%(78)

Colombian0.2%(54)

Cuban0.2%(36)

Honduran0.1%(28)

Spaniard0.1%(24)

Panamanian0.1%(18)

Peruvian0.1%(16)

Venezuelan0%(8)

+ 1 more hispanic origin group with data

Guatemalan0%(6)

Asian origin

Chinese1.5%(340)

Asian Indian0.9%(200)

Vietnamese0.3%(66)

Filipino0.3%(61)

Japanese0.2%(55)

Korean0.2%(45)

Indonesian0%(10)

Thai0%(10)

Taiwanese0%(6)

Pakistani0%(1)

Ancestry

German26.1%(6,107)

Irish17.7%(4,141)

English14.6%(3,405)

Italian6.7%(1,579)

Polish4.9%(1,151)

American2.9%(681)

Scottish2.5%(590)

Welsh2%(466)

Arab1.8%(425)

Subsaharan African1.7%(392)

French1.6%(375)

Scotch-Irish1.4%(333)

+ 35 more ancestry groups with data

Swedish1.4%(317)

Dutch1%(239)

Hungarian0.8%(195)

Russian0.8%(194)

Norwegian0.8%(188)

Nigerian0.7%(158)

Greek0.5%(118)

Ghanaian0.5%(108)

British0.4%(102)

Ukrainian0.4%(94)

Slovak0.4%(93)

Czech0.4%(92)

Lebanese0.4%(84)

Slovene0.4%(82)

Swiss0.3%(80)

French Canadian0.3%(72)

Portuguese0.3%(60)

Syrian0.2%(58)

Romanian0.2%(56)

Lithuanian0.2%(49)

Serbian0.2%(49)

Croatian0.2%(46)

Danish0.1%(34)

Canadian0.1%(25)

Belgian0.1%(24)

Latvian0.1%(23)

Austrian0.1%(22)

West Indian0.1%(20)

Brazilian0.1%(18)

Haitian0.1%(14)

Egyptian0.1%(12)

Guyanese0%(7)

Iraqi0%(5)

Israeli0%(5)

Turkish0%(3)

RANKED:Largest German population · Largest Irish population · Largest English population · Largest Italian population · Largest Polish population

Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher

57.2%

−6.7 ptsvs 2000

vs 63.8% in 2000

US average: 20.3%

High school or higher

90.1%

−3.4 ptsvs 2000

vs 93.5% in 2000

US average: 75.2%

Graduate degree

33.5%

−4.8 ptsvs 2000

vs 38.3% in 2000

US average: 7.1%

Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute

13.5 min

+47%vs 2000

vs 9.2 min in 2000

US average: 21.9

Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)

Men 15+

Never married77.3%(8,402)

Married17.7%(1,920)

Widowed1.3%(144)

Divorced3.7%(398)

Women 15+

Never married75.1%(8,331)

Married18.4%(2,038)

Widowed2.6%(288)

Divorced4%(442)

SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024

Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured

4.9%

+0.2 ptssince 2013

from 4.7% in 2013

US average: 8.4%

Employer-based

65.5%

−5.4 ptssince 2020

from 70.9% in 2020

US average: 54.8%

Direct-purchase

19.3%

+4.2 ptssince 2020

from 15.1% in 2020

US average: 13.8%

Medicare

6.8%

Unchangedsince 2020

from 6.8% in 2020

US average: 18.4%

Medicaid

12.2%

+1.1 ptssince 2020

from 11.1% in 2020

US average: 20.9%

VA health care

1.4%

+0.2 ptssince 2020

from 1.2% in 2020

US average: 2.2%

Any private

82.1%

−0.6 ptssince 2020

from 82.7% in 2020

US average: 67.1%

Any public

18.4%

+0.8 ptssince 2020

from 17.6% in 2020

US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024

Gulf War (2001 or later)52.3%(351)

US avg: 26.4%

Gulf War (1990s)9.7%(65)

US avg: 24.3%

Vietnam era28.9%(194)

US avg: 33.1%

Korean War3.9%(26)

US avg: 4.5%

World War II4.5%(30)

US avg: 1%

Share of the 671 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE

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