Defiance County, Ohio

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 414 sqmi, of which 411 sqmi is land and 2.7 sqmi (0.7%) is water.

Adjacent counties

• Williams County (north)
• Henry County (east)
• Putnam County (southeast)
• Paulding County (south)
• Allen County, Indiana (southwest)
• DeKalb County, Indiana (west)

Demographics

|align-fn=center 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2020

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 38,286. The median age was 41.4 years. 23.2% of residents were under the age of 18 and 20.0% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 98.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 96.0 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 87.9% White, 1.7% Black or African American, 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% Asian,

46.4% of residents lived in urban areas, while 53.6% lived in rural areas.

There were 15,482 households in the county, of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 50.5% were married-couple households, 18.5% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 23.9% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 27.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 16,539 housing units, of which 6.4% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 76.1% were owner-occupied and 23.9% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.7%.

Racial and ethnic composition

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 39,037 people, 15,268 households, and 10,792 families living in the county.{{cite web |access-date=December 27, 2015 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213032744/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0500000US39039 |archive-date=February 13, 2020 |url-status=dead |access-date=December 27, 2015 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213234501/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTPH1.CY07/0500000US39039 |archive-date=February 13, 2020 |url-status=dead |access-date=December 27, 2015 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213023538/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0500000US39039 |archive-date=February 13, 2020 |url-status=dead

Of the 15,268 households, 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.1% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.3% were non-families, and 24.6% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 2.97. The median age was 39.4 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $44,480 and the median income for a family was $54,472. Males had a median income of $44,354 versus $30,610 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,139. About 11.2% of families and 12.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.0% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.{{cite web |access-date=December 27, 2015 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213024958/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0500000US39039 |archive-date=February 13, 2020 |url-status=dead

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 39,500 people, 15,138 households, and 11,020 families living in the county. The population density was 96 PD/sqmi. There were 16,040 housing units at an average density of 39 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 92.59% White, 1.75% Black or African American, 0.26% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 3.59% from other races, and 1.43% from two or more races. 7.23% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 45.6% were of German, 13.5% American, 6.8% Irish and 5.1% English ancestry according to Census 2000.

There were 15,138 households, out of which 34.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.90% were married couples living together, 9.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.20% were non-families. 23.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.02.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.50% under the age of 18, 9.20% from 18 to 24, 27.40% from 25 to 44, 23.90% from 45 to 64, and 12.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 97.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $44,938, and the median income for a family was $50,876. Males had a median income of $37,936 versus $23,530 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,667. About 4.50% of families and 5.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.40% of those under age 18 and 5.30% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Prior to 1940, Defiance County was a Democratic stronghold, voting Republicans only three times since 1856. Starting with the 1940 election, it has been a Republican stronghold, with the exception of Democrat Lyndon Johnson in the 1964 presidential election.

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Communities

City

• Defiance (county seat)

Villages

• Hicksville
• Ney
• Sherwood

Townships

• Adams
• Defiance
• Delaware
• Farmer
• Hicksville
• Highland
• Mark
• Milford
• Noble
• Richland
• Tiffin
• Washington

Census-designated place

• Brunersburg

Unincorporated communities

• Evansport
• Farmer
• Jewell
• Mark Center

Education

School districts include:

• Ayersville Local School District
• Central Local School District
• Defiance City School District
• Edgerton Local School District
• Hicksville Exempted Village School District
• Northeastern Local School District

In popular culture

The closeness of elections in Defiance County has also been referenced in fiction; the ABC political drama Scandal in its second season had as the center of the ongoing plot of the first half of that season, a vote manipulation conspiracy which bent the presidential election towards Republican candidate Fitzgerald Grant based on tampering of the voting machines in Defiance County.

References

References

1. "Ohio County Profiles: Defiance County". Ohio Department of Development.
2. [https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/interactive/2020-population-and-housing-state-data.html 2020 census]
3. "Find a County". National Association of Counties.
4. "Maumee Valley Heritage Corridor".
5. Gannett, Henry. (1905). "The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States". Govt. Print. Off..
6. (August 22, 2012). "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau.
7. "County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2024".
8. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau.
9. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library.
10. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau.
11. (April 2, 2001). "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000". United States Census Bureau.
12. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)".
13. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)".
14. (2023). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)".
15. "1980 Census of Population - General Social and Economic Characteristics - Ohio- Table 59 - Persons by Spanish Origin, Race, and Sex: 1980 AND Table 58 - Race by Sex: 1980".
16. "1990 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Ohio: Table 6 - Race and Hispanic Origin".
17. "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Defiance County, Ohio".
18. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Defiance County, Ohio".
19. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Defiance County, Ohio".
20. included in the Asian category in the 1980 Census
21. included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census
22. not an option in the 1980 Census
23. not an option in the 1990 Census
24. "U.S. Census website". [[United States Census Bureau]].
25. "Defiance County Election Results".
26. (November 5, 2024). "2024 Senate Election (Official Returns)".
27. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Defiance County, OH". [[U.S. Census Bureau]].