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COUNTY

Athens County

Ohio · 63,197 residents (2025 est.) · 504 sq mi
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Part of the Athens micropolitan area
The short version

Athens County is a county of 61,737 people in Ohio. The median age is 33.2, younger than the US median of 38.9. People stay put here: 74% were in the same home a year ago. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $185,000. 4% of locals were born outside the United States. 21.5% of locals live below the federal poverty line.

At a glance
Lower income
median household income $56,001, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 33.2
US median: 38.9
Average education
35% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 34%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place

What stands out about Athens County

What changed most since 1990

  • White share93.8% → 88.6% (−5.2 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
  • Poverty rate28.7% → 21.5% (−7.2 pts)US over the same years: −0.8 pts

Among the 88 counties in Ohio

  • 81st in household income$56,001
  • 12th in share with a bachelor's degree34.9%
  • 44th in home value$185,000
  • 37th in diversity score26.4
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
61,737
−1%since 2000
from 62,223 in 2000
63,197 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
123 / sq mi
−1%since 2000
from 124 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
33.2
+29%since 2000
from 25.7 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
504 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
59K61K63K65K67K19902000201020202024Athens County
202462K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 53.8%(2,358)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 93.1%(1,936)
US avg: 6%
10 to 145.1%(3,120)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 1912.8%(7,896)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 2416.2%(10,026)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3411.5%(7,123)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4410.8%(6,676)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5410.2%(6,318)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6411.3%(6,982)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 749.5%(5,895)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 843.9%(2,406)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.6%(1,001)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$56,001
+13%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $27,322 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$30,645
+116%since 2000
from $14,171 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
38.1%
+21.0 ptssince 2009
from 17.1% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
21.5%
−5.9 ptssince 2000
from 27.4% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.493
Unchangedsince 2010
from 0.492 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information9.4%
US avg: 10.8%
Retail trade8.9%
US avg: 9.9%
Finance & insurance4.5%
US avg: 5.9%
Wholesale trade4.3%
US avg: 6.9%
Professional, scientific, technical3.6%
US avg: 5.1%
Other services2.7%
US avg: 6.7%
Transportation & warehousing2%
US avg: 2.2%
Public administration1.5%
US avg: 4.8%
Education & health services0.9%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.9%
US avg: 1.6%
Arts, entertainment, food0.9%
US avg: 1.9%
Construction0.6%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0.3%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$185,000
+34%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $75,800 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$939
+10%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $469 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
60.4%
−0.1 ptssince 2000
from 60.5% in 2000
39.6% rent
Vacancy rate
13.1%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 13.8% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.35 people
−3%since 2009
from 2.43 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
16.1%
−7.7 ptssince 2009
from 23.8% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
51.5%
−11.3 ptssince 2009
from 62.8% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
3.3
−10%since 2009
from 3.7 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
69
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic92.8%(57,768)
Black2.4%(1,467)
Hispanic / Latino1%(639)
Asian1.9%(1,180)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic88.6%(54,699)
Black2.2%(1,349)
Hispanic / Latino2.3%(1,422)
Asian2%(1,257)
Other4.9%(3,010)
Diversity Score
26
+46%since 2009
from 18 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
26
−1%since 2020
from 26 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican0.9%(569)
Puerto Rican0.5%(281)
Spaniard0.2%(106)
Salvadoran0.1%(83)
Colombian0.1%(68)
Cuban0.1%(53)
Honduran0%(28)
Peruvian0%(16)
+ 2 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Chinese0.7%(405)
Filipino0.5%(289)
Asian Indian0.3%(215)
Nepalese0.2%(117)
Japanese0.2%(104)
Vietnamese0.1%(77)
Korean0.1%(45)
Cambodian0%(11)
Thai0%(10)
Pacific Islander origin
Ancestry
German22.6%(13,982)
English17.5%(10,808)
Irish15.4%(9,531)
American5.1%(3,125)
Italian3.6%(2,213)
Polish2.4%(1,501)
Scottish2%(1,256)
Scotch-Irish1.6%(994)
Dutch1.4%(839)
Welsh1.3%(795)
French1.2%(751)
Hungarian1%(619)
+ 38 more ancestry groups with data
British0.9%(573)
Swedish0.8%(474)
Arab0.8%(473)
Norwegian0.4%(274)
Russian0.4%(261)
Czech0.3%(187)
Slovak0.3%(187)
Greek0.3%(182)
Swiss0.3%(167)
Nigerian0.3%(158)
Lithuanian0.2%(140)
Macedonian0.2%(139)
Danish0.2%(126)
Ukrainian0.2%(125)
Lebanese0.2%(124)
Canadian0.2%(117)
Ghanaian0.2%(108)
Austrian0.2%(94)
West Indian0.1%(90)
Slovene0.1%(85)
Serbian0.1%(82)
Croatian0.1%(76)
Romanian0.1%(63)
Syrian0.1%(60)
Portuguese0.1%(60)
Belgian0.1%(43)
Finnish0.1%(42)
Latvian0%(23)
Haitian0%(21)
Egyptian0%(18)
Brazilian0%(18)
Iraqi0%(5)
Israeli0%(5)
Turkish0%(5)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
34.9%
+9.2 ptssince 2000
from 25.7% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
91.7%
+8.8 ptssince 2000
from 82.9% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
18.6%
+5.5 ptssince 2000
from 13.1% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
24.1 min
+60%since 2000
from 15.0 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
65.2%
−4.1 ptssince 2009
from 69.3% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
9.7%
+1.5 ptssince 2009
from 8.2% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.7%
−0.9 ptssince 2009
from 1.6% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
13.1%
+8.4 ptssince 2009
from 4.7% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
9.9%
−4.7 ptssince 2009
from 14.6% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.7%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 0.9% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
6.8%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 7.6% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
6.5%
−5.4 ptssince 2011
from 11.9% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
57.4%
+3.6 ptssince 2011
from 53.8% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
69.8%
+5.4 ptssince 2020
from 64.4% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
19.5%
−3.2 ptssince 2009
from 22.7% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
41.1%
+7.9 ptssince 2009
from 33.2% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.8%
+0.9 ptssince 2009
from 48.9% in 2009
Female
50.2%
−0.9 ptssince 2009
from 51.1% in 2009
Foreign born
3.7%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 3.6% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
5.9%
−1.3 ptssince 2009
from 7.1% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
17.9%
+4.6 ptssince 2012
from 13.3% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
5.7%
−5.0 ptssince 2013
from 10.7% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
86.9%
+15.9 ptssince 2017
from 71.0% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
93.2%
+3.8 ptssince 2020
from 89.4% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
74.2%
+4.7 ptssince 2020
from 69.5% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
94.2%
−0.3 ptssince 2016
from 94.5% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
0.8%
Unchangedsince 2016
from 0.8% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married51.7%(13,875)
Married38.2%(10,238)
Widowed2.2%(580)
Divorced7.9%(2,128)
Women 15+
Never married45.1%(12,396)
Married37.3%(10,268)
Widowed7.2%(1,984)
Divorced10.4%(2,854)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
5.7%
−5.0 ptssince 2013
from 10.7% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
58.8%
−1.5 ptssince 2020
from 60.3% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
13.6%
+1.6 ptssince 2020
from 12.0% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
16.8%
−1.2 ptssince 2020
from 18.0% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
20.9%
+0.4 ptssince 2020
from 20.5% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.9%
+0.7 ptssince 2020
from 2.2% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
70.3%
+0.6 ptssince 2020
from 69.7% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
35.2%
+0.7 ptssince 2020
from 34.5% 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)29%(892)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)20.5%(629)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era39.4%(1,212)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War3.4%(106)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1%(30)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 3,075 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
Over time

Athens County, decade by decade

Athens County population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
YearPopulationMedian household incomeMedian home valueBachelor's degree+Diversity score
199059,549$46,007$112,56323.4%14.8
200062,223$49,771$138,08125.7%17.1
201064,757$45,400$164,14127.3%21.8
202062,431$51,407$168,59531.8%30.7
202461,737$56,001$185,00034.9%26.4

Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.

Drill deeper

Places similar to Athens County

Walker County
Pop 65,140
Pope County
Pop 64,976
Vermilion County
Pop 71,259
Troup County
Pop 72,844
Places similar to Athens County
Head to head

Compare Athens County to nearby counties

ATHENS COUNTY VS
Meigs County
Income$46,873−16%
Home value$119,300−36%
Population21,587−66%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ATHENS COUNTY VS
Morgan County
Income$59,351+6%
Home value$150,900−18%
Population13,626−78%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ATHENS COUNTY VS
Vinton County
Income$55,336−1%
Home value$150,000−19%
Population12,645−80%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ATHENS COUNTY VS
Hocking County
Income$62,960+12%
Home value$186,400+1%
Population27,512−56%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Athens County, Ohio?

Athens County, Ohio has about 61,737 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Athens County, Ohio?

The typical household in Athens County, Ohio earns about $56,001 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Athens County, Ohio expensive?

In Athens County, Ohio, the median home is worth about $185,000, and the typical rent is about $939 a month.

How educated are people in Athens County, Ohio?

About 34.9% of adults age 25 and over in Athens County, Ohio hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Athens County, Ohio?

About 21.5% of people in Athens County, Ohio live below the federal poverty line.

Has Athens County, Ohio grown since 1990?

Yes, Athens County, Ohio has grown since 1990. The population has added about 2,188 residents, a change of about 4 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →