Darke County, Ohio Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Darke County, OH Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
B
Health Around average
-
C
Income Below average
-
D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Darke County | Ohio Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 51,593 | 11,799,428 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 86.0 | 263.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.14% | 0.23% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.7 | 38.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 21,297 | 4,857,236 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Darke County declined by 1.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 51,593 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Darke County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 20.9% of residents. That is 0.7 points above Ohio as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 10,222 19.8% -1.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 9,422 18.3% -2.9 pts
- Gen X 45–60 10,759 20.9% +0.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 10,091 19.6% +1.5 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Ohio, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.4% of the people living in Darke County and men 49.6%.
- Women 50.4% Ohio 50.8%
- Men 49.6% Ohio 49.2%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Darke County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Darke County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Darke County | Ohio Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $64,114 | $71,509 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.01% | 4.38% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.8% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Darke County is about 10% lower than in Ohio.
Housing
| Metric | Darke County | Ohio Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $326,785 | $139,044 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $778 | $1,033 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 72.4% | 67.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Darke County is about 35.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $778 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Darke County spend about 37 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 153 hours, about 6.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Darke County | Ohio Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.3 | 21.1 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 36.6 | 42.2 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 153 | 176 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,730 | $5,447 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 5.6% | 13.0% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 6,400 | 8,648 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 726 | 1,212 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Ohio:
Hancock County (15.3 min), Van Wert County (15.5 min), Mercer County (16.0 min).
Slowest:
Morgan County (32.5 min), Vinton County (32.0 min), Brown County (32.0 min).
The average commute time in Darke County is 18 minutes, shorter than the 21 minutes in Ohio.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Darke County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Darke County | Ohio Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.5% | 28.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.40 | 2.37 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Ohio:
Delaware County (0.4), Warren County (0.4), Greene County (0.3).
Lowest:
Holmes County (0.1), Vinton County (0.2), Noble County (0.2).
Health
Darke County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Darke County | Ohio Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.6 | 77.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 16.8% | 17.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 24.0% | 24.3% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Ohio:
Delaware County (0.8), Union County (0.8), Warren County (0.8).
Lowest:
Adams County (0.8), Holmes County (0.8), Scioto County (0.8).
Darke County, OH Compared With Nearby Counties
Darke County, OH is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 51,593 residents against a local median of 42,484. Where Darke County, OH breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 129% above the local median of $142,672 at $326,785.
The counties themselves spread $128,759 on median home price, so Darke County, OH sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Darke County, OH has the highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darke County, OH | 51,593 | $64,114 #5/6 | $326,785 #1/6 | 18.3 min #3/6 |
| Preble County, OH | 40,765 | $69,933 | $164,705 | 22.9 min |
| Randolph County, IN | 24,387 | $60,625 | $94,318 | 20.6 min |
| Miami County, OH | 110,296 | $76,958 | $223,077 | 20.1 min |
| Mercer County, OH | 42,484 | $77,000 | $142,672 | 16.0 min |
| Shelby County, OH | 47,929 | $73,782 | $131,785 | 16.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Darke County, Ohio.
How big is Darke County, Ohio by population?
About 51,593 people live in Darke County, Ohio, in 21,297 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 42.7, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
Is Darke County, Ohio mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Darke County, Ohio has 86 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Is Darke County, Ohio an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 5.1 times the median household income ($326,785 against $64,114), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $778 a month takes about 15% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Darke County, Ohio?
Unemployment in Darke County, Ohio is only 2.8%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How educated are people in Darke County, Ohio?
15.5% of adults in Darke County, Ohio hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →