Preble County, Ohio Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Preble 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 average
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C
Income Below averageWealthier than 70% of counties in Ohio
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Preble County | Ohio Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 40,765 | 11,799,428 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 95.5 | 263.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.24% | 0.23% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.7 | 38.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 16,725 | 4,857,236 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Preble County declined by 2.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 40,765 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Preble County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 22.6% of residents. That is 2.5 points above Ohio as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 7,818 19.2% -1.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 7,604 18.7% -2.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 9,207 22.6% +2.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 8,090 19.8% +1.8 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 Preble 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 Preble County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Preble County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Preble County | Ohio Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $69,933 | $71,509 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.89% | 4.38% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.2% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Preble County is about 2% lower than in Ohio.
Housing
| Metric | Preble County | Ohio Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $164,705 | $139,044 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $794 | $1,033 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 79.7% | 67.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Preble County is about 17.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $794 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Preble County spend about 46 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 191 hours, about 7.9 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Preble County | Ohio Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 22.9 | 21.1 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 45.7 | 42.2 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 191 | 176 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,907 | $5,447 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.3% | 13.0% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 6,535 | 8,648 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,203 | 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 Preble County is 23 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
Preble County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Preble County | Ohio Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.7% | 28.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.42 | 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
Preble County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Preble County | Ohio Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.5 | 77.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.5% | 17.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 23.4% | 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).
Preble County, OH Compared With Nearby Counties
Preble County, OH is the smallest of the 5 counties compared here, 40,765 residents against a local median of 230,006. Preble County, OH's median home price, at $164,705, runs 51% above the $108,976 typical of the counties around it.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 22.9 min against a local median of 18.6 min, 23% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 23% above the local median it puts Preble County, OH at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $264,286 on median home price, so Preble County, OH sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Preble County, OH has the 2nd highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preble County, OH | 40,765 | $69,933 #2/5 | $164,705 #2/5 | 22.9 min #5/5 |
| Butler County, OH | 393,616 | $82,209 | $89,021 | 22.1 min |
| Montgomery County, OH | 535,982 | $66,795 | $128,931 | 18.9 min |
| Wayne County, IN | 66,397 | $56,057 | $62,500 | 16.8 min |
| Darke County, OH | 51,593 | $64,114 | $326,785 | 18.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Preble County, Ohio.
What is the population of Preble County, Ohio?
About 40,765 people live in Preble County, Ohio, in 16,725 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 40.7, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 3 years.
Is Preble County, Ohio urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Preble County, Ohio has 96 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 Preble County, Ohio?
The median home costs 2.4 times the median household income ($164,705 against $69,933), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $794 a month takes about 14% 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 Preble County, Ohio?
Unemployment in Preble County, Ohio is only 3.2%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How common is a college degree in Preble County, Ohio?
17.7% of adults in Preble 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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