Ohio Population 2024

11,812,173

Ohio sits in the US Midwest, linking the country's Northeast to the Midwest. The state has one of the most central locations in the country with the 10th largest highway network. It's also just a day's drive within 50% of all of North America's population.

Ohio has an interesting history, and despite being only the 34th largest state, it is the 7th most populous and 10th most densely populated in the country. Still, it has one of the lowest growth rates in the nation, growing at a rate of just 0.67%, which ranks 43rd in the country.

The last official Census occurred in 2010, showing Ohio had a population of 11,536,504. This number has increased slightly to 11,548,087 in 2015, representing a very slight growth rate.

Ohio Area and Population Density

While Ohio's growth is slow, it's still ahead of the rest of the country. Ohio has a population density of 282.3 people per square mile, ranking 10th in the nation, with a total land area of 44,825 square miles, which ranks 34th.

Ohio's population is spread throughout the state with many major cities. Columbus, the capital, has the highest population with 850,000 residents, followed by Cleveland (388,072), Cincinnati (298,550), Toledo (298,550) and Akron (197,542).

Interestingly, the cities are wildly different when it comes to demographics and growth. While Columbus is growing rapidly at a rate of 10% every decade, Cleveland, by comparison, is losing people at an alarming rate. In 1950, more than 900,000 people lived in Cleveland, and its population is declining at a rate similar to decaying cities like Detroit.

The most populated county in Ohio is Franklin County at 1,291,981 residents in its boundaries, with Cuyahoga County coming in at a close second place with 1,248,514 residents. However, Cuyahoga has a 2% rate of loss of population in recent years.

Ohio Gender and Religion Statistics

The median age across the population in Ohio is approximately 39.3 years of age. When it comes to the ratio of females to males, Ohio has 51.1% females and 48.9% males.

In terms of preferred religions through the state's population, 73% of the population is affiliated with a Christian based faith, 4% are affiliated with non-Christian based faiths, and 22% are unaffiliated with any faith in particular.

Ohio Boundary, Census, and Statehood History

Ohio was part of the Territory Northwest of the River Ohio, established in 1787 and commonly known as the Northwest Territory. Besides present-day Ohio, it included what are now Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and northeastern Minnesota. In 1800, with the creation of Indiana Territory, the Northwest Territory was reduced essentially to present-day Ohio, a small portion of southeastern Indiana, and the eastern half of lower Michigan. Ohio became a separate territory in 1802 and was admitted as a State on March 1, 1803, with its present boundaries except for a much-disputed strip along the northwestern border. This strip was governed by Michigan Territory until finally ceded to Ohio in 1836.

In 1790 the Northwest Territory had no census coverage. The 1800 census enumerated population in much of present-day Ohio and in a portion of southeastern Indiana; the total excludes the then Wayne County, nearly all of whose population was in present-day Michigan. The 1810, 1820, and 1830 censuses covered all of present-day Ohio except for the disputed northwestern strip, which was enumerated as part of Michigan.

Ohio Demographics

According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Ohio was:

  • White: 79.65%
  • Black or African American: 12.34%
  • Two or more races: 4.27%
  • Asian: 2.35%
  • Other race: 1.2%
  • Native American: 0.16%
  • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.03%

Ohio Population History

In 1800, the population of Ohio was recorded at 45,365 but like most states in the country, an explosion in numbers was just over the horizon. Ten years later in 1810, the Census of that year showed that the figures had leaped by over 400% to 230,760. This was the biggest rise in Ohio population on a census by census basis but further impressive growth was to follow through the decades.

By the start of the 20th century, the number of people in Ohio had climbed to 4,157,545 and impressive percentage increases were experienced for much of the rest of the century. From 1970 onwards, however, growth started to slow down gradually, although it is still increasing, as evidenced by the rise reported in the 2010 census.

Ohio Population Growth

The question for the 2020 Census is whether Ohio's population can rise above 12 million. If a similar rise to that seen between 2000 and 2010 occurs, then it won’t make it. But population statistics in Ohio are sometimes a bit up and down – in the 10 years between 1990 and 2000, population rose by more than 4%, and if that rise was replicated between 2010 and 2020, it might just make it past 12 million in time for the next census.

Ohio Population Projections

It's currently estimated that Ohio will continue its very slow growth, not even breaking 11.7 million between 2020 and 2030.

Ohio has one of the lowest Hispanic populations in the country based on percentages. The majority of Ohio's Hispanic residents are Mexican American and live in the Columbus and Toledo. It is ranked among the bottom 10 states when it comes to the percentage of Hispanics compared to the total population of the state. Ohio is ranked 17th out of 50 states for its African American population, which primarily reside in the state's major metropolitan areas. Approximately 4.1% of the state's residents were foreign-born.

Today, nearly one-third of Ohio's population under the age of 1 belongs to a minority group. The largest ancestry groups are: German (26.5%), Irish (14.5%), English (9.0%), Slavic countries including Poland, Russia and Croatia (8.0%), Italian (6.4%), French (2.5%) and Scottish (1.9%).

Ohio Growth Rate

Ohio Population Rank

Ohio Population 2024

Ohio Facts

Population

100K

200K

300K

400K

500K

600K

700K

800K

900K

1M

1.1M

1.2M

1.3M

Using data from the 2010 Census and estimates from the Census Bureau taken in 2015, Ohio's counties have shown population increases and decreases through the 5-year period. The highest population increase was recorded in the central county of Delaware, which had a growth rate of 10.2%. The neighboring county of Franklin, located to the south of Delaware County, had the next highest rate of growth at 7.32%, followed by the southwestern county of Warren at 5.13%. Other counties, including Woods, Holmes, Union, and Miami saw smaller growth rates.

Some counties in the state saw population declines, with the majority of the largest declines being reported along the eastern border of the state. Carroll County had the largest loss in population during the 5-year period, at 3.52%. Other counties that had smaller populations in 2015 when compared to 2010 include Scioto at 3.4%, Jefferson at 3.25%, and Gallia at 3.03%, amongst others.

Ohio Population by County

Population by Race

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Race
Population
Percentage (of total)
White9,374,53879.65%
Black or African American1,452,53012.34%
Two or more races502,3924.27%
Asian276,8282.35%
Other race141,3201.2%
Native American18,4160.16%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander3,8990.03%

White

Black or African American

Two or more races

Asian

Other race

Native American

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

Ohio Population by Race

Ohio Population Pyramid 2024

Ohio Median Age

39.4

Total

38.2

Male

40.6

Female

Ohio Adults

There are 9,139,934 adults, (2,004,802 of whom are seniors) in Ohio.

Ohio Age Dependency

65

Age Dependency Ratio

28.1

Old Age Dependency Ratio

36.9

Child Dependency Ratio

Ohio Sex Ratio

Female5,969,91950.72%
Male5,800,00449.28%

Ohio Population by Age

Ohio Renter vs Owner Occupied by Household Type

Household Type
Count
Average Size
Owner
Renter
All4,754,1612.4166.633.4
Married2,154,8543.0985.614.4
Non Family1,789,2081.2351.548.5
Female581,6993.2345.654.4
Male228,4003.1658.641.4

3.03

Average Family Size

2.41

Average Household Size

66.6%

Rate of Home Ownership

Married

Male

Female

NonFamily

owner

renter

Ohio Households and Families

Male

Female

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Less Than 9th Grade

9th to 12th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Associates Degree

Bachelors Degree

Graduate Degree

Ohio Educational Attainment by Sex (over 25)

Ohio Educational Attainment by Race

High School Graduation Rate

Bachelors Rate

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The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 92.39%.

The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 61.3%.

Ohio Educational Attainment by Race

All

Male

Female

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$42,811

Average Earnings

$50,978

Average Male

$35,696

Average Female

Ohio Earnings by Educational Attainment

Ohio Language by Age

Only English

Spanish

Other Indo-European Languages

Asian and Pacific Island Languages

Other Languages

Ohio Language

92.66% of Ohio residents speak only English, while 7.34% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Other Indo-European, which is spoken by 2.67% of the population.

Ohio Language

Ohio Poverty by Race

rate

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Name
Total
In Poverty
Poverty Rate
White8,929,272919,97610.3%
Black1,389,779385,54027.74%
Hispanic466,692107,71923.08%
Multiple488,509104,74421.44%
Other138,36533,99024.57%
Asian269,39532,69812.14%
Native17,6254,03822.91%
Islander3,6901,23633.5%

13.35%

Overall Poverty Rate

12.11%

Male Poverty Rate

14.55%

Female Poverty Rate

Poverty in Ohio

The race most likely to be in poverty in Ohio is Islander, with 33.5% below the poverty level.

The race least likely to be in poverty in Ohio is White, with 10.3% below the poverty level.

The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 2.35%. Among those working part-time, it was 16.67%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 21.2%.

Ohio Poverty

rate

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Rate
Poverty
Less Than 9th Grade27.5%
High School13.33%
Some College10.1%
Bachelors or Greater3.89%

Ohio Poverty Rate by Education

rate

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Rate
Poverty
Female Unemployed35.59%
Male Unemployed28.59%
Female Employed7.46%
Male Employed4.77%

Ohio Poverty Rate by Employment Status and Sex

Ohio Income by Household Type

Households

Families

MarriedFamilies

NonFamilies

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mean

median

Income by Household Type

Ohio Marital Status

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Marriage Rates

47.3%

Overall Marriage Rate

48.7%

Male Marriage Rate

45.9%

Female Marriage Rate

Ohio Married by Age and Sex

male

female

Ohio Marriage

The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 45-54.

Ohio Marital Status by Race

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Ohio Marital Status

Second Gulf War

First Gulf War

Vietnam

Korea

World War II

666,320

Number of Veterans

614,283

Male Veterans

52,037

Female Veterans

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Ohio Veterans by War

count

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Ohio Veterans by Age

count

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Ohio Veterans by Race

Ohio Veterans by Education

Less Than 9th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Bachelors or Greater

7.23%

Veteran Poverty Rate

29.41%

Veteran Disability Rate

Ohio Veterans by Education

LaborForceParticipation

63.3%

Labor Force Participation

59.9%

Employment Rate

5.3%

Unemployment Rate

Ohio Employment by Age

LaborForceParticipation

Ohio Employment by Race

LaborForceParticipation

Ohio Employment by Education

Origin of Non-Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.

Origin of Naturalized Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

74.86%

Born in Ohio

95.25%

Native Born

4.75%

Foreign Born

2.22%

Non Citizen

2.53%

Naturalized

Place of Birth

95.25% of Ohio residents were born in the United States, with 74.86% having been born in Ohio. 2.22% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Asia.

Ohio Place of Birth

  1. US Census State Population Estimates - Most recent state estimates from the Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program
  2. US Census County Population Estimates - Most recent county estimates from the Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program
  3. American Community Survey (2009 - 2013)
  4. Census QuickFacts
  5. Historical Populations of States and Counties (1790 - 1990)

Sources