Hardin County, Ohio Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Hardin 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.
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C
Health Below average
-
C
Income Below average
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 82% of counties in Ohio
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Hardin County | Ohio Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 27,171 | 11,799,428 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 57.7 | 263.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 3.32% | 0.23% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 32.9 | 38.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 11,722 | 4,857,236 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Hardin County declined by 14.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 27,171 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Hardin County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 24.1% of residents. That is 3.3 points above Ohio as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 6,553 24.1% +3.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 4,962 18.3% -2.9 pts
- Gen X 45–60 5,637 20.7% +0.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 4,192 15.4% -2.7 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 50.6% of the people living in Hardin County and men 49.4%.
- Women 50.6% Ohio 50.8%
- Men 49.4% Ohio 49.2%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Hardin County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Hardin County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Hardin County | Ohio Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $64,919 | $71,509 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.30% | 4.38% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.6% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Hardin County is about 9% lower than in Ohio.
Housing
| Metric | Hardin County | Ohio Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $17,321 | $139,044 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $792 | $1,033 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 74.7% | 67.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Hardin County is about 1.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $792 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Hardin County spend about 44 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 182 hours, about 7.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Hardin County | Ohio Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 21.9 | 21.1 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 43.8 | 42.2 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 182 | 176 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,657 | $5,447 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 4.8% | 13.0% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,429 | 8,648 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 495 | 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 Hardin County is 22 minutes, longer 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
Hardin County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Hardin County | Ohio Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.1% | 28.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.44 | 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
Hardin County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Hardin County | Ohio Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.6 | 77.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 16.8% | 17.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 24.4% | 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).
Hardin County, OH Compared With Nearby Counties
Hardin County, OH is the smallest of the 5 counties compared here, 27,171 residents against a local median of 71,093. Hardin County, OH's median home price, at $17,321, runs 83% below the $100,056 typical of the counties around it.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 21.9 min against a local median of 17.5 min, 25% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 25% above the local median it puts Hardin County, OH at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $191,118 on median home price, so Hardin County, OH sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Hardin County, OH has the 5th highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardin County, OH | 27,171 | $64,919 #4/5 | $17,321 #5/5 | 21.9 min #4/5 |
| Logan County, OH | 46,089 | $71,742 | $89,001 | 18.4 min |
| Hancock County, OH | 74,864 | $73,080 | $111,111 | 15.3 min |
| Allen County, OH | 101,348 | $64,736 | $51,379 | 16.6 min |
| Union County, OH | 67,322 | $111,904 | $242,497 | 23.4 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Hardin County, Ohio.
What is the population of Hardin County, Ohio?
About 27,171 people live in Hardin County, Ohio, in 11,722 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 32.9, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
Is Hardin County, Ohio mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Hardin County, Ohio has 58 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 67% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Hardin County, Ohio?
The median home costs 0.3 times the median household income ($17,321 against $64,919), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $792 a month takes about 15% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Hardin County, Ohio have a college degree?
16.1% of adults in Hardin County, Ohio hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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