Athens County, OH

County

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2024 Population

61,737

US Senator

Bernie Moreno

Republican Party

US Senator

Jon Husted

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

33.2

1.22% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

21.5%

2.79% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$56,001

4.02% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$185,000

6.44% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

28,748

0.251% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Athens County, OH reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

97.6% of the residents in Athens County, OH are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Athens County, OH are Ohio University-Main Campus (8,937 degrees awarded in 2023), Hocking College (509 degrees), and Tri-County Adult Career Center (81 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Athens County, OH was $185,000, and the homeownership rate was 60.4%.

Most people in Athens County, OH drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 24.1 minutes. The average car ownership in Athens County, OH was 2 cars per household.

Athens County, OH borders Hocking County, OH, Meigs County, OH, Morgan County, OH, Perry County, OH, Vinton County, OH, Washington County, OH, and Wood County, WV.

United States Ohio Athens, OH

Population & Diversity

Athens County, OH is home to a population of 61.7k people, from which 97.6% are citizens. As of 2024, 3.72% of Athens County, OH residents were born outside of the country (2.3k people).

In 2024, there were 21.7 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (54.7k people) in Athens County, OH than any other race or ethnicity. There were 2.52k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 1.35k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

97.6%

2024 Citizenship

97.4%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 97.6% of Athens County, OH residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Athens County, OH was 97.4%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Athens County, OH compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Athens County, OH

White (Non-Hispanic)
54.7k ± 184
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
2.52k ± 342
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
1.35k ± 215

2.3%

Hispanic Population

1.42k people

2.3% of the people in Athens County, OH are hispanic (1.42k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Athens County, OH as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Ohio.

Most Common Origin

India
66,106 ± 6,295 people
Mexico
45,962 ± 5,253 people
China
32,703 ± 4,434 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Ohio was India, the natal country of 66,106 Ohio residents, followed by Mexico with 45,962 and China with 32,703.

Foreign-Born Population

3.72%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

2.3k people

3.77%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

2.32k people

As of 2024, 3.72% of Athens County, OH residents (2.3k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Athens County, OH was 3.77%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Athens County, OH compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
1,122 ± 217
Gulf War (2001-)
892 ± 321
Gulf War (1990s)
392 ± 134

Athens County, OH has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.26 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Athens County, OH.

Economy

The economy of Athens County, OH employs 28.7k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Athens County, OH were Educational Services (6,744 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (4,507 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (3,006 people), and the highest paying industries were Finance & Insurance ($64,514), Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($60,893), and Wholesale Trade ($60,000).

Employment

Occupations

28.7k

2024 Value

± 1,312

0.251%

1 Year growth

± 6.22%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Athens County, OH grew at a rate of 0.251%, from 28.7k employees to 28.7k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Athens County, OH, are Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (3,688 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (2,743 people), and Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations (2,547 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Athens County, OH.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Ohio.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Ohio (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

28.7k

2024 Value

± 1,312

0.251%

1 Year growth

± 6.22%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Athens County, OH grew at a rate of 0.251%, from 28.7k employees to 28.7k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Athens County, OH, are Educational Services (6,744 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (4,507 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (3,006 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Athens County, OH, though some of these residents may live in Athens County, OH and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$36,677

Median earning men ± $3,995

$26,841

Median earning women ± $2,819

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Information ($68,977), Wholesale Trade ($59,063), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($55,600).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($85,588), Wholesale Trade ($63,333), and Public Administration ($44,000).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Ohio.

Y-Axis

1.48%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 5.51M people employed in Ohio. This represents a 1.48% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 15.4%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Ohio.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

83
Other Services (except Public Administration)
58
Retail Trade
54
Construction

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$176k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$82.8k
Retail Trade
$44.9k
Accommodation and Food Services

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Ohio went to Donald J. Trump with 55.1% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (43.9%), followed by Chase Oliver (0.489%).

Bernie Moreno and Jon Husted are the senators currently representing the state of Ohio. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Ohio is currently represented by 15 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Athens County, OH. Showing the available data for Ohio.

2024 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (55.1%)
Republican Party
Kamala Harris (43.9%)
Democratic Party
Chase Oliver (0.489%)
Libertarian Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Ohio went to Donald J. Trump with 55.1% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (43.9%), followed by Chase Oliver (0.489%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Ohio for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Ohio

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Ohio.

Bernie Moreno

Senator from Ohio

Assumed office on January 3, 2025

Jon Husted

Senator from Ohio

Assumed office on January 21, 2025
While elections for full class 3 terms will take place in 2028, Ohio will hold a special election in 2026 to elect a senator to complete the remainder of JD Vance's term.

Bernie Moreno and Jon Husted are the senators currently representing Ohio.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Ohio over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Education

In 2023, universities in Athens County, OH awarded 9,527 degrees. The student population of Athens County, OH in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 10,747 male students and 16,060 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Athens County, OH are White (7,469 and 81.8%), Black or African American (593 and 6.5%), Hispanic or Latino (349 and 3.82%), and Two or More Races (285 and 3.12%).

The largest universities in Athens County, OH by number of degrees awarded are Ohio University-Main Campus (8,937 and 93.8%), Hocking College (509 and 5.34%), and Tri-County Adult Career Center (81 and 0.85%).

The most popular majors in Athens County, OH are Registered Nursing (1,515 and 15.9%), General Business Administration & Management (412 and 4.32%), and Business Analytics (340 and 3.57%).

The median tuition cost for a public four year colleges is $13,746 for in-state students and $24,114 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Athens County, OH, the percentage of applicants admitted was 84.8%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 21.1%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 26,807 (40.1% men and 59.9% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 26,807 students enrolled in Athens County, OH, 40.1% men and 59.9% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 20,849 records, of which 60.8% were women and 39.2% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Registered Nursing
1,396 degrees awarded
General Psychology
247 degrees awarded
General Marketing & Marketing Management
242 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Athens County, OH was Registered Nursing with 1,396 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Athens County, OH according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Ohio University-Main Campus
8,937 degrees awarded
Hocking College
509 degrees awarded
Tri-County Adult Career Center
81 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Ohio University-Main Campus with 8,937 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 3,781 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Athens County, OH, which is 0.658 times less than the 5,746 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 7,469 degrees mean that there were 12.6 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 593 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Public, 4-year or above ($13,746) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($1,580) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($788) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Athens County, OH was $185,000 in 2024, which is 0.556 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $173,800 to $185,000, a 6.44% increase. The homeownership rate in Athens County, OH is 60.4%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Athens County, OH have an average commute time of 24.1 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Athens County, OH is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 19.3% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Athens County, OH. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 3.44%.

Housing

Property

$185,000

Median Property Value 2024

±$10,740

$13,899

Median Property Taxes

±$847

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Athens County, OH the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Athens County, OH compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

60.4%

Homeownership

2024

65%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 60.4% of the housing units in Athens County, OH were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 61.9%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Athens County, OH compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$56,001

Median Household Income

± $2,207

23k

Number of Households

± 1,164

In 2024, the median household income of the 23k households in Athens County, OH grew to $56,001 from the previous year's value of $53,837.

The following chart displays the households in Athens County, OH distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the < $10k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Athens County, OH is from Ohio.

0.453

2023 Wage GINI in Ohio

0.456

2022 Wage GINI in Ohio

In 2023, the income inequality in Ohio was 0.453 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.645% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Ohio was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Ohio in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Ohio across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (65.2%)
Worked At Home (13.1%)
Walked (9.91%)

In 2024, 65.2% of workers in Athens County, OH drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (13.1%) and those who walked to work (9.91%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

24.1 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Athens County, OH have a shorter commute time (24.1 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 4.18% of the workforce in Athens County, OH have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Athens County, OH compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Athens County, OH distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Athens County, OH have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 19.3% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Athens County, OH. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 3.44%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

21.5% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Athens County, OH (11.6k out of 54.2k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 18 - 24, followed by Males 18 - 24 and then Males 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Athens County, OH is White, followed by Two Or More and Black.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 21.2% of the children was living in poverty in Athens County, OH. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 10.3%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 112 in Athens County, OH. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 9.97 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

94.3% of the population of Athens County, OH has health coverage, with 51.1% on employee plans, 17.6% on Medicaid, 11% on Medicare, 12.8% on non-group plans, and 1.8% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Athens County, OH see 1,591 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,591 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 4213 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 150 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.6% were men and 50.4% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,591 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Athens County, OH

Primary care physicians in Athens County, OH see an average of 1,591 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,591 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Athens County, OH in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 19.2% under 18 years, 33.6% between 18 and 34 years, 32.3% between 35 and 64 years, and 14.9% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.6% were men and 50.4% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

5.72%

Uninsured

51.1%

Employer Coverage

17.6%

Medicaid

11%

Medicare

12.8%

Non-Group

1.8%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Athens County, OH declined by 0.902% from 5.77% to 5.72%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Athens County, OH changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 34.9 in Athens County, OH.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Athens County, OH.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 38.3% in Athens County, OH.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Athens County, OH.