CensusEasy
COUNTY

Ottawa County

Ohio · 39,481 residents (2025 est.) · 255 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO
Part of the Sandusky metro area
Compare
The short version

Ottawa County is home to 39,994 people in Ohio. The median age is 50.6, about 12 years above the US median. Owners hold 84% of the housing stock. Few US counties rank higher on income. 1% of people here were born outside the United States. The typical home is worth $219,900, having more than doubled since 2000.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 50.6
US median: 38.9
Less educated
30% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
39,994
−2%since 2000
from 40,985 in 2000
39,481 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
157 / sq mi
−3%since 2009
from 161 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
50.6
+23%since 2000
from 41.0 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
255 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
40K40K41K41K42K19902000201020202024Ottawa County
202440K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 53.8%(1,537)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 94.9%(1,967)
US avg: 6%
10 to 145.4%(2,163)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 195.1%(2,037)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 244.6%(1,824)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 349.8%(3,916)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4410.3%(4,100)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5411.9%(4,767)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6416.5%(6,613)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7416.1%(6,428)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 848.5%(3,417)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over3.1%(1,225)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$76,101
−6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $44,224 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$49,306
+124%since 2000
from $21,973 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
50.7%
+17.9 ptssince 2009
from 32.7% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
8.4%
+2.5 ptssince 2000
from 5.9% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.465
+14%since 2010
from 0.409 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade17.3%
US avg: 9.9%
Information9.2%
US avg: 10.8%
Wholesale trade8.4%
US avg: 6.9%
Finance & insurance5.9%
US avg: 5.9%
Other services5.2%
US avg: 6.7%
Professional, scientific, technical3.9%
US avg: 5.1%
Public administration3.5%
US avg: 4.8%
Education & health services1.9%
US avg: 0.9%
Transportation & warehousing1.7%
US avg: 2.2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.4%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction1.1%
US avg: 1.2%
Arts, entertainment, food0.6%
US avg: 1.9%
Manufacturing0.3%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$219,900
+11%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $109,200 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$930
+3%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $496 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
83.6%
+2.9 ptssince 2000
from 80.6% in 2000
16.4% rent
Vacancy rate
36.0%
+1.8 ptssince 2009
from 34.2% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.13 people
−7%since 2009
from 2.29 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
17.1%
−5.9 ptssince 2009
from 22.9% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
38.1%
−4.0 ptssince 2009
from 42.1% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
2.9
+9%since 2009
from 2.7 in 2009
2009 – 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
46
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic94.6%(38,767)
Black0.6%(260)
Hispanic / Latino3.7%(1,535)
Asian0.2%(93)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic90.3%(36,131)
Black1%(383)
Hispanic / Latino5.3%(2,113)
Asian0.4%(153)
Other3%(1,214)
Diversity Score
23
+52%since 2009
from 15 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
22
−16%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
Mexican4.1%(1,640)
Puerto Rican0.7%(276)
Spaniard0.1%(46)
Dominican0.1%(43)
Panamanian0.1%(33)
Asian origin
Chinese0.1%(44)
Thai0.1%(41)
Filipino0.1%(27)
Korean0%(15)
Laotian0%(15)
Uzbek0%(14)
Pacific Islander origin
Ancestry
German38.5%(15,415)
Irish13%(5,215)
English11.4%(4,572)
American4.9%(1,977)
Polish4.8%(1,915)
Italian4.1%(1,644)
French3.1%(1,257)
Hungarian2%(807)
Scottish1.4%(558)
Slovak1.2%(485)
Dutch1.2%(481)
+ 29 more ancestry groups with data
Welsh0.6%(228)
Norwegian0.5%(198)
Scotch-Irish0.5%(182)
Swiss0.4%(159)
Czech0.4%(149)
Belgian0.4%(144)
Ukrainian0.3%(116)
Lithuanian0.2%(99)
Danish0.2%(94)
Swedish0.2%(91)
Slovene0.2%(85)
Austrian0.2%(79)
Finnish0.2%(75)
Russian0.2%(65)
Romanian0.1%(50)
Arab0.1%(48)
Croatian0.1%(47)
Lebanese0.1%(42)
Greek0.1%(40)
Brazilian0.1%(35)
British0.1%(34)
Serbian0.1%(34)
Armenian0.1%(32)
Canadian0.1%(25)
Turkish0%(9)
Syrian0%(6)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
29.5%
+13.5 ptssince 2000
from 16.0% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
94.4%
+10.3 ptssince 2000
from 84.2% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
11.4%
+5.9 ptssince 2000
from 5.5% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
24.8 min
+63%since 2000
from 15.3 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
81.1%
−5.6 ptssince 2009
from 86.8% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
6.5%
+1.4 ptssince 2009
from 5.2% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.4%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 0.8% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
7.8%
+5.1 ptssince 2009
from 2.7% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
1.7%
−1.5 ptssince 2009
from 3.1% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.3%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 0.5% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
3.5%
−1.4 ptssince 2009
from 4.9% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
3.1%
−4.1 ptssince 2011
from 7.3% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
57.3%
−5.5 ptssince 2011
from 62.8% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
76.5%
+3.6 ptssince 2020
from 72.9% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
15.2%
+2.4 ptssince 2009
from 12.9% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
36.3%
+6.2 ptssince 2009
from 30.1% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
50.0%
+0.6 ptssince 2009
from 49.3% in 2009
Female
50.0%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 50.7% in 2009
Foreign born
0.8%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 1.6% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
7.9%
−5.1 ptssince 2009
from 13.0% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
15.6%
+1.8 ptssince 2012
from 13.8% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
3.9%
−6.8 ptssince 2013
from 10.7% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
87.8%
+10.7 ptssince 2017
from 77.1% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
94.5%
+3.3 ptssince 2020
from 91.2% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
91.2%
+0.8 ptssince 2020
from 90.4% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
97.6%
+0.3 ptssince 2016
from 97.3% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
1.5%
−0.2 ptssince 2016
from 1.7% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married24.9%(4,268)
Married57.7%(9,895)
Widowed5.2%(886)
Divorced12.3%(2,101)
Women 15+
Never married20.2%(3,468)
Married55.6%(9,544)
Widowed12.7%(2,178)
Divorced11.6%(1,987)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
3.9%
−6.8 ptssince 2013
from 10.7% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
61.4%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 61.7% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
18.4%
+2.1 ptssince 2020
from 16.3% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
29.3%
+2.4 ptssince 2020
from 26.9% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
12.8%
−0.7 ptssince 2020
from 13.5% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.4%
−0.7 ptssince 2020
from 3.1% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
75.9%
+0.5 ptssince 2020
from 75.4% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
40.0%
+1.4 ptssince 2020
from 38.6% 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)21.1%(547)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)12.1%(314)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era45%(1,166)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War1.7%(44)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.8%(20)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 2,589 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
Drill deeper

Places similar to Ottawa County

Lumpkin County
Pop 36,178
Pickens County
Pop 37,167
Nez Perce County
Pop 42,905
Livingston County
Pop 35,057
Places similar to Ottawa County
Head to head

Compare Ottawa County to nearby counties

OTTAWA COUNTY VS
Sandusky County
Income$62,295−18%
Home value$160,700−27%
Population58,655+49%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
OTTAWA COUNTY VS
Erie County
Income$71,993−5%
Home value$199,700−9%
Population73,296+86%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
OTTAWA COUNTY VS
Lucas County
Income$62,224−18%
Home value$163,900−25%
Population423,347+972%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
OTTAWA COUNTY VS
Seneca County
Income$66,025−13%
Home value$154,700−30%
Population54,522+38%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Ottawa County, Ohio?

Ottawa County, Ohio has about 39,994 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Ottawa County, Ohio earns about $76,101 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Ottawa County, Ohio expensive?

In Ottawa County, Ohio, the median home is worth about $219,900, and the typical rent is about $930 a month.

How educated are people in Ottawa County, Ohio?

About 29.5% of adults age 25 and over in Ottawa County, Ohio hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Ottawa County, Ohio?

About 8.4% of people in Ottawa County, Ohio live below the federal poverty line.

Has Ottawa County, Ohio grown since 1990?

Yes, Ottawa County, Ohio has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 35 residents, a change of about -0 percent over that period.

Keep going

Explore from here

Up the hierarchy
All counties in Ohio

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

How we source and harmonize this data →