Van Wert County, Ohio

OH · FIPS 39161 Republican

Located in Ohio, Van Wert County has a population of 28,826 residents and a median age of 41.6 years, making it the #1,511 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 9.0%. The median home value is $152,000, and the median household income is $67,917, which is 10% below the national median.

28,826
Population
#1,511 of 3,222
$67,917
Median Income
-9.6% #1,349 of 3,222
41.6 years
Median Age
+6.9% #1,628 of 3,222
9.0%
Poverty Rate
-28.7% #568 of 3,222

Demographics

Van Wert County has a population of 28,826, making it the #1,511 most populous county in the US. The median age is 41.6 years, which is 6.9% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

98.7%
Native Born
1.3%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Van Wert County is $67,917, ranking #1,349 out of 3,222 counties — 9.6% below the national median. The poverty rate is 9.0% and unemployment stands at 3.4%.

Income#1,349
$67,917
-9.6%
vs nation
58th percentile
Per Capita#1,659
$34,583
-16.2%
vs nation
49th percentile
Poverty#568
9.0%
-28.7%
vs nation
82th percentile
Unemployment#923
3.4%
-35.7%
vs nation
71th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Van Wert County is $152,000 (-46.1% vs national). Renters pay a median of $782/mo and the homeownership rate is 82.1%.

Home Value#2,208
$152,000
-46.1%
vs nation
31th percentile
Rent#2,249
$782
-32.8%
vs nation
30th percentile
Homeownership#355
82.1%
+27.4%
vs nation
89th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Van Wert County, 17.1% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 49.3% below the national average, ranking #2,474 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
17.1% −49.3% vs nation
Rank #2,474 of 3,222
23th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Van Wert County is 75.5 years. 17.7% of adults report poor or fair health and 6.0% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,440
75.5
+0.5%
vs nation
53th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,277
17.7%
-9.5%
vs nation
59th percentile
Diabetes#1,640
10.9%
-2.1%
vs nation
48th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#1,420
37.0%
-0.8%
vs nation
55th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,380
6.0
+7.1%
vs nation
24th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,718
4.5
+0.9%
vs nation
45th percentile
Uninsured Rate#454
6.0%
-42.9%
vs nation
86th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,260
24.7%
-6.4%
vs nation
60th percentile
Food Insecurity#984
12.5%
-13.2%
vs nation
69th percentile

Substance Use

18.9% of adults in Van Wert County smoke , 42.3% are obese , and 20.6% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 26.9 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#1,966
18.9%
+5.2%
vs nation
38th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,690
42.3%
+11.6%
vs nation
14th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,800
20.6%
+3.4%
vs nation
43th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#992
26.9
-17.0%
vs nation
53th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 7.6 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 11.6 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#38
7.6
-61.6%
vs nation
99th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#308
9.2
-48.7%
vs nation
88th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#526
11.6
-42.9%
vs nation
81th percentile

Families & Children

14.4% of children in Van Wert County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 8.8 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 17.6 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#1,153
8.8
+30.2%
vs nation
16th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#1,206
17.6
-19.3%
vs nation
60th percentile
Child Poverty#1,012
14.4%
-24.2%
vs nation
68th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Van Wert County is 69.6%. The mean commute time is 21.9 min, which is 20.5% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
69.6% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
21.9 min −20.5% vs nation
Rank #2,544 of 3,222
21th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Van Wert County voted Republican with a margin of 58.5%. The vote was 20.4% Dem / 78.9% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 1.2 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +58.5%
20.4% 78.9%
Dem 14,729 votes Rep
2020 REP +57.3%
20.5% 77.8%
Dem 14,965 votes Rep
2016 REP +56.4%
19.6% 76%
Dem 13,584 votes Rep
2012 REP +40.5%
28.9% 69.4%
Dem 13,586 votes Rep
2008 REP +27.3%
35.3% 62.6%
Dem 14,652 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Van Wert County, Ohio

Van Wert County, Ohio has a total population of 28,826, making it the 1,511th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Van Wert County is 41.6 years, which is 6.9% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Van Wert County is $67,917, which ranks #1,349 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 9.6% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 9.0%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.4%.

The median home value in Van Wert County is $152,000, 46.1% below the national median. Renters in Van Wert County pay a median gross rent of $782 per month. The homeownership rate is 82.1%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Van Wert County, 17.1% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 49.3% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 96.0% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 21.9 min.

Van Wert County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 91.7% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (4.2%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).

All data for Van Wert 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.