Ottawa County, Ohio

OH · FIPS 39123 Republican

Located in Ohio, Ottawa County has a population of 39,994 residents and a median age of 50.6 years, making it the #1,204 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 8.4%. The median home value is $219,900, and the median household income is $76,101, which is 1% above the national median.

39,994
Population
#1,204 of 3,222
$76,101
Median Income
+1.3% #775 of 3,222
50.6 years
Median Age
+30.1% #193 of 3,222
8.4%
Poverty Rate
-33.1% #450 of 3,222

Demographics

Ottawa County has a population of 39,994, making it the #1,204 most populous county in the US. The median age is 50.6 years, which is 30.1% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

99.2%
Native Born
0.8%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Ottawa County is $76,101, ranking #775 out of 3,222 counties — 1.3% above the national median. The poverty rate is 8.4% and unemployment stands at 3.1%.

Income#775
$76,101
+1.3%
vs nation
76th percentile
Per Capita#238
$49,306
+19.5%
vs nation
93th percentile
Poverty#450
8.4%
-33.1%
vs nation
86th percentile
Unemployment#734
3.1%
-41.5%
vs nation
77th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Ottawa County is $219,900 (-22.0% vs national). Renters pay a median of $930/mo and the homeownership rate is 83.6%.

Home Value#1,188
$219,900
-22.0%
vs nation
63th percentile
Rent#1,280
$930
-20.0%
vs nation
60th percentile
Homeownership#209
83.6%
+29.8%
vs nation
94th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Ottawa County, 29.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 12.4% below the national average, ranking #802 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
29.5% −12.4% vs nation
Rank #802 of 3,222
75th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Ottawa County is 76.6 years. 16.2% of adults report poor or fair health and 6.6% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,045
76.6
+2.0%
vs nation
66th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#862
16.2%
-17.2%
vs nation
73th percentile
Diabetes#1,330
10.3%
-7.5%
vs nation
58th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#1,480
37.3%
0.0%
vs nation
53th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,809
5.8
+1.9%
vs nation
43th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,268
4.3
-4.4%
vs nation
60th percentile
Uninsured Rate#676
6.6%
-36.7%
vs nation
79th percentile
Physical Inactivity#940
23.4%
-11.3%
vs nation
70th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,405
13.7%
-4.9%
vs nation
55th percentile

Substance Use

17.4% of adults in Ottawa County smoke , 41.2% are obese , and 21.4% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 32.4 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#1,447
17.4%
-3.1%
vs nation
54th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,425
41.2%
+8.7%
vs nation
23th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,172
21.4%
+7.7%
vs nation
31th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,288
32.4
+0.2%
vs nation
39th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 22.0 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 14.1 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#1,803
22.0
+11.5%
vs nation
30th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#654
12.4
-30.6%
vs nation
74th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#842
14.1
-30.2%
vs nation
70th percentile

Families & Children

12.0% of children in Ottawa County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 12.6 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#658
12.6
-42.4%
vs nation
78th percentile
Child Poverty#595
12.0%
-36.8%
vs nation
81th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Ottawa County is 72.9%. The mean commute time is 26.2 min, which is 5.1% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
72.9% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
26.2 min −5.1% vs nation
Rank #1,647 of 3,222
49th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Ottawa County voted Republican with a margin of 25.1%. The vote was 37% Dem / 62.1% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 1.7 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +25.1%
37% 62.1%
Dem 23,956 votes Rep
2020 REP +23.4%
37.5% 60.9%
Dem 24,007 votes Rep
2016 REP +19.6%
37.4% 57%
Dem 21,742 votes Rep
2012 DEM +4.0%
51.1% 47.1%
Dem 21,936 votes Rep
2008 DEM +6.3%
52.3% 46%
Dem 23,069 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Ottawa County, Ohio

Ottawa County, Ohio has a total population of 39,994, making it the 1,204th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Ottawa County is 50.6 years, which is 30.1% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Ottawa County is $76,101, which ranks #775 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 1.3% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 8.4%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.1%.

The median home value in Ottawa County is $219,900, 22.0% below the national median. Renters in Ottawa County pay a median gross rent of $930 per month. The homeownership rate is 83.6%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Ottawa County, 29.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 12.4% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 96.1% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 26.2 min.

Ottawa County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 90.3% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (5.3%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).

All data for Ottawa 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.