Athens County, Ohio

OH · FIPS 39009 Democrat

Located in Ohio, Athens County has a population of 61,737 residents and a median age of 33.2 years, making it the #875 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 21.5%. The median home value is $185,000, and the median household income is $56,001, which is 25% below the national median.

61,737
Population
#875 of 3,222
$56,001
Median Income
-25.5% #2,405 of 3,222
33.2 years
Median Age
-14.7% #3,072 of 3,222
21.5%
Poverty Rate
+70.6% #2,794 of 3,222

Demographics

Athens County has a population of 61,737, making it the #875 most populous county in the US. The median age is 33.2 years, which is 14.7% below the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

96.3%
Native Born
3.7%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Athens County is $56,001, ranking #2,405 out of 3,222 counties — 25.5% below the national median. The poverty rate is 21.5% and unemployment stands at 6.5%.

Income#2,405
$56,001
-25.5%
vs nation
25th percentile
Per Capita#2,318
$30,645
-25.7%
vs nation
28th percentile
Poverty#2,794
21.5%
+70.6%
vs nation
13th percentile
Unemployment#2,691
6.5%
+22.7%
vs nation
16th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Athens County is $185,000 (-34.4% vs national). Renters pay a median of $939/mo and the homeownership rate is 60.4%.

Home Value#1,576
$185,000
-34.4%
vs nation
51th percentile
Rent#1,228
$939
-19.3%
vs nation
62th percentile
Homeownership#2,995
60.4%
-6.2%
vs nation
7th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Athens County, 34.9% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 3.6% above the national average, ranking #468 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
34.9% +3.6% vs nation
Rank #468 of 3,222
86th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Athens County is 74.8 years. 18.3% of adults report poor or fair health and 8.4% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,700
74.8
-0.5%
vs nation
45th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,428
18.3%
-6.5%
vs nation
55th percentile
Diabetes#1,997
11.7%
+5.1%
vs nation
37th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#1,930
38.7%
+3.7%
vs nation
39th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#3,011
6.7
+19.1%
vs nation
4th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,536
5.0
+12.8%
vs nation
19th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,316
8.4%
-19.7%
vs nation
58th percentile
Physical Inactivity#985
23.6%
-10.5%
vs nation
69th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,718
18.3%
+27.0%
vs nation
14th percentile

Substance Use

17.7% of adults in Athens County smoke , 38.3% are obese , and 19.8% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 40.8 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#1,558
17.7%
-1.4%
vs nation
51th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,538
38.3%
+1.0%
vs nation
51th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,504
19.8%
-0.3%
vs nation
52th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,613
40.8
+26.0%
vs nation
24th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Athens County is 2.2 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 14.3 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 11.8 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#140
2.2
-72.3%
vs nation
91th percentile
Suicide Rate#619
14.3
-27.4%
vs nation
76th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#304
9.1
-48.9%
vs nation
88th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#549
11.8
-41.9%
vs nation
81th percentile

Families & Children

21.2% of children in Athens County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 6.4 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 7.9 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#677
6.4
-6.0%
vs nation
50th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#253
7.9
-63.9%
vs nation
92th percentile
Child Poverty#2,076
21.2%
+11.6%
vs nation
34th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Athens County is 47.7%. The mean commute time is 25.1 min, which is 9.1% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
47.7% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
25.1 min −9.1% vs nation
Rank #1,924 of 3,222
40th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Athens County voted Democratic with a margin of 10.7%. The vote was 54.9% Dem / 44.2% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.3 toward Republicans .

2024 DEM +10.7%
54.9% 44.2%
Dem 25,726 votes Rep
2020 DEM +15.0%
56.7% 41.7%
Dem 26,059 votes Rep
2016 DEM +17.0%
55.7% 38.7%
Dem 27,941 votes Rep
2012 DEM +35.0%
66.1% 31.1%
Dem 26,112 votes Rep
2008 DEM +35.3%
66.6% 31.3%
Dem 31,098 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Athens County, Ohio

Athens County, Ohio has a total population of 61,737, making it the 875th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Athens County is 33.2 years, which is 14.7% below the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Athens County is $56,001, which ranks #2,405 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 25.5% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 21.5%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 6.5%.

The median home value in Athens County is $185,000, 34.4% below the national median. Renters in Athens County pay a median gross rent of $939 per month. The homeownership rate is 60.4%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Athens County, 34.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 3.6% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 94.3% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 25.1 min.

Athens County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 88.6% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (4.6%) and Hispanic or Latino (2.3%).

All data for Athens County, Ohio comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.