Darke County, Ohio

OH · FIPS 39037 Republican

Located in Ohio, Darke County has a population of 51,594 residents and a median age of 41.8 years, making it the #992 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 11.0%. The median home value is $173,200, and the median household income is $64,486, which is 14% below the national median.

51,594
Population
#992 of 3,222
$64,486
Median Income
-14.2% #1,670 of 3,222
41.8 years
Median Age
+7.5% #1,572 of 3,222
11.0%
Poverty Rate
-12.5% #1,009 of 3,222

Demographics

Darke County has a population of 51,594, making it the #992 most populous county in the US. The median age is 41.8 years, which is 7.5% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

99.0%
Native Born
1.0%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Darke County is $64,486, ranking #1,670 out of 3,222 counties — 14.2% below the national median. The poverty rate is 11.0% and unemployment stands at 2.8%.

Income#1,670
$64,486
-14.2%
vs nation
48th percentile
Per Capita#1,620
$34,842
-15.6%
vs nation
50th percentile
Poverty#1,009
11.0%
-12.5%
vs nation
69th percentile
Unemployment#587
2.8%
-47.1%
vs nation
82th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Darke County is $173,200 (-38.6% vs national). Renters pay a median of $779/mo and the homeownership rate is 72.4%.

Home Value#1,737
$173,200
-38.6%
vs nation
46th percentile
Rent#2,279
$779
-33.0%
vs nation
29th percentile
Homeownership#1,958
72.4%
+12.4%
vs nation
39th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Darke County, 16.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 51.1% below the national average, ranking #2,591 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
16.5% −51.1% vs nation
Rank #2,591 of 3,222
20th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Darke County is 75.5 years. 19.3% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.4% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,431
75.5
+0.5%
vs nation
53th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,678
19.3%
-1.3%
vs nation
47th percentile
Diabetes#1,998
11.7%
+5.1%
vs nation
37th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#942
35.0%
-6.2%
vs nation
70th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,478
6.1
+8.1%
vs nation
21th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,023
4.7
+4.5%
vs nation
36th percentile
Uninsured Rate#972
7.4%
-29.2%
vs nation
69th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,731
26.7%
+1.2%
vs nation
45th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,512
14.0%
-2.8%
vs nation
52th percentile

Substance Use

21.5% of adults in Darke County smoke , 40.1% are obese , and 21.9% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 33.0 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#2,622
21.5%
+19.7%
vs nation
17th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,100
40.1%
+5.8%
vs nation
33th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,324
21.9%
+10.0%
vs nation
26th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,311
33.0
+2.2%
vs nation
38th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 15.9 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 16.9 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#900
15.9
-19.5%
vs nation
65th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#444
10.5
-41.1%
vs nation
82th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,214
16.9
-16.3%
vs nation
57th percentile

Families & Children

11.3% of children in Darke County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 5.5 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 18.9 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#410
5.5
-19.8%
vs nation
70th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#1,358
18.9
-13.5%
vs nation
55th percentile
Child Poverty#494
11.3%
-40.5%
vs nation
84th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Darke County is 69.8%. The mean commute time is 24.9 min, which is 9.6% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
69.8% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
24.9 min −9.6% vs nation
Rank #1,951 of 3,222
39th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Darke County voted Republican with a margin of 65.3%. The vote was 17% Dem / 82.3% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 1.6 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +65.3%
17% 82.3%
Dem 27,000 votes Rep
2020 REP +63.7%
17.4% 81.1%
Dem 27,134 votes Rep
2016 REP +61.2%
17.6% 78.8%
Dem 25,000 votes Rep
2012 REP +44.9%
26.6% 71.5%
Dem 24,807 votes Rep
2008 REP +36.1%
30.9% 67%
Dem 25,793 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Darke County, Ohio

Darke County, Ohio has a total population of 51,594, making it the 992nd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Darke County is 41.8 years, which is 7.5% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Darke County is $64,486, which ranks #1,670 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 14.2% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 11.0%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 2.8%.

The median home value in Darke County is $173,200, 38.6% below the national median. Renters in Darke County pay a median gross rent of $779 per month. The homeownership rate is 72.4%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Darke County, 16.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 51.1% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 92.8% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 24.9 min.

Darke County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 94.6% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (2.3%) and Hispanic or Latino (1.9%).

All data for Darke 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.