Ottawa County, Ohio Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Ottawa 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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B
Health Around averageHealthier than 85% of counties in Ohio
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B
Income Around averageWealthier than 87% of counties in Ohio
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D
Education Well below averageBetter educated than 74% of counties in Ohio
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Ottawa County | Ohio Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 39,994 | 11,799,428 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 68.4 | 263.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.30% | 0.23% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 50.9 | 38.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 18,504 | 4,857,236 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Ottawa County declined by 2.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 39,994 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Ottawa County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 25.5% of residents. That is 7.4 points above Ohio as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 6,360 15.9% -4.9 pts
- Millennials 29–44 6,823 17.1% -4.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 9,269 23.2% +3.0 pts
- Boomers 61–79 10,186 25.5% +7.4 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 50.1% of the people living in Ottawa County and men 49.9%.
- Women 50.1% Ohio 50.8%
- Men 49.9% Ohio 49.2%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Ottawa County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Ottawa County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Ottawa County | Ohio Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $76,272 | $71,509 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.30% | 4.38% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.1% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Ottawa County is about 7% higher than in Ohio.
Housing
| Metric | Ottawa County | Ohio Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $65,000 | $139,044 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $930 | $1,033 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 83.6% | 67.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Ottawa County is about 5.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $930 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Ottawa County spend about 42 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 175 hours, about 7.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Ottawa County | Ohio Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 21.0 | 21.1 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 42.1 | 42.2 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 175 | 176 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,434 | $5,447 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.8% | 13.0% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 6,272 | 8,648 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,260 | 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 Ottawa County is about the same as 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
Ottawa County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Ottawa County | Ohio Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 25.3% | 28.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.13 | 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
Ottawa County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Ottawa County | Ohio Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.6 | 77.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.3% | 17.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.7% | 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).
Ottawa County, OH Compared With Nearby Counties
Ottawa County, OH is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 39,994 residents against a local median of 74,571. Ottawa County, OH's median home price, at $65,000, runs 56% below the $149,137 typical of the counties around it.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 21.0 min against a local median of 17.6 min, 20% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 20% above the local median it puts Ottawa County, OH at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $224,735 on median home price, so Ottawa County, OH sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Ottawa County, OH has the 6th highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ottawa County, OH | 39,994 | $76,272 #2/6 | $65,000 #6/6 | 21.0 min #5/6 |
| Sandusky County, OH | 58,778 | $62,362 | $149,137 | 16.6 min |
| Lucas County, OH | 427,836 | $62,969 | $115,392 | 18.3 min |
| Erie County, OH | 74,571 | $71,843 | $323,498 | 17.3 min |
| Seneca County, OH | 54,770 | $67,059 | $98,763 | 17.6 min |
| Monroe County, MI | 155,488 | $77,773 | $194,999 | 23.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Ottawa County, Ohio.
What is the population of Ottawa County, Ohio?
About 39,994 people live in Ottawa County, Ohio, in 18,504 households of 2.1 people on average. The median age is 50.9, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 14 years.
Is Ottawa County, Ohio urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Ottawa County, Ohio has 68 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Ottawa County, Ohio?
The median home costs 0.9 times the median household income ($65,000 against $76,272), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $930 a month takes about 15% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Ottawa County, Ohio?
Unemployment in Ottawa County, Ohio is only 3.1%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
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