Ross County, Ohio


Ross County is a county in the Appalachian region of the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 77,093. Its county seat is Chillicothe, the first and third capital of Ohio. Established on August 20, 1798, the county is named for Federalist Senator James Ross of Pennsylvania.
Ross County comprises the Chillicothe, OH Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH Combined Statistical Area.
WWW Official Site

History

Ross County was formed by proclamation of Governor St. Clair, August 20, 1798, being the sixth county formed in the Northwest Territory.
Ross County was described by Ephraim George Squier and Edwin Hamilton Davis as having almost "one hundred enclosures of various sizes, and five hundred mounds" in their book, Ancient Monuments of the Mississippi Valley. They described the Indian-built earthworks as ranging from in size, and enclosures of large. These included Serpent Mound, Fort Ancient, Mound City, and Seip Earthworks, and Newark Earthworks.

Geography

State Route 180.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Countryside northeast of Chillicothe on State Route 180]
The Scioto River flows southward through the east-central part of the county. Paint Creek drains the lower central part of the county, flowing eastward to its terminus with the Scioto at a point southeast of Chillicothe. The county terrain consists of frequent wooded hills, with the intermediate level areas devoted to agriculture. The county's highest point is Farrell Hill, northeast of Bainbridge. The county has a total area of, of which is land and is water. Ross County is the second-largest county by land area in Ohio, after Ashtabula County, as well as the fifth-largest by total area.

Adjacent counties

Protected areas

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 77,093. The median age was 41.4 years. 21.1% of residents were under the age of 18 and 17.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 109.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 110.5 males age 18 and over.
The racial makeup of the county was 88.3% White, 5.2% Black or African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.5% from some other race, and 5.1% from two or more races. Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino] residents of any race comprised 1.3% of the population.
41.2% of residents lived in urban areas, while 58.8% lived in rural areas.
There were 29,386 households in the county, of which 29.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 46.2% were married-couple households, 18.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 26.2% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 28.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 32,066 housing units, of which 8.4% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 69.5% were owner-occupied and 30.5% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.7%.

Racial and ethnic composition

Race / Ethnicity Pop 1980Pop 1990Pop 2000Pop 2010Pop 2020% 1980% 1990% 2000% 2010% 2020
White alone 61,00364,13766,99170,37867,70593.84%92.51%91.34%90.15%87.82%
Black or African American alone 3,4044,4124,5344,8044,0055.24%6.36%6.18%6.15%5.20%
Native American or Alaska Native alone 631462062121890.10%0.21%0.28%0.27%0.25%
Asian alone 1642652582953690.25%0.38%0.35%0.38%0.48%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone xx14720xx0.02%0.01%0.03%
Other race alone 8024781061960.12%0.03%0.11%0.14%0.25%
Mixed race or Multiracial xx8351,5143,578xx1.14%1.94%4.64%
Hispanic or Latino 2903464297481,0310.45%0.50%0.58%0.96%1.34%
Total65,00469,33073,34578,06477,093 100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 78,064 people, 28,919 households, and 19,782 families in the county. The population density was. There were 32,148 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the county was 90.7% white, 6.2% black or African American, 0.4% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.3% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.0% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 27.0% were German, 15.2% were Irish, 12.5% were American, and 10.5% were English.
Of the 28,919 households, 32.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.2% were married couples living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 31.6% were non-families, and 26.2% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 2.95. The median age was 39.8 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $42,626 and the median income for a family was $50,081. Males had a median income of $42,721 versus $32,374 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,595. About 13.1% of families and 17.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.7% of those under age 18 and 8.2% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census, there were 73,345 people, 27,136 households, and 19,185 families in the county. The population density was. There were 29,461 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the county was 91.74% White, 6.20% Black or African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.35% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.19% from other races, and 1.20% from two or more races. 0.58% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 27,136 households, out of which 32.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.20% were married couples living together, 11.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.30% were non-families. 24.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.97.
The county population contained 24.00% under the age of 18, 8.60% from 18 to 24, 31.60% from 25 to 44, 23.60% from 45 to 64, and 12.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 108.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 109.00 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $37,117, and the median income for a family was $43,241. Males had a median income of $35,892 versus $23,399 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,569. About 9.10% of families and 12.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.10% of those under age 18 and 10.20% of those age 65 or over.

Government

County officials

County officials are :County Auditor Jeff LehnerCounty Board of Elections
  • * Traci Henness, Director
  • * Jessica Ott, Deputy Director
  • * Beth Neal, Chair
  • * Eric Rinehart, Member
  • * Doug Corcoran, Member
  • * Philip Gray, MemberClerk of Courts Jordan WheelerBoard of Commissioners
  • * James "Oody" Lowe
  • * Jack Everson
  • * David GlassRoss County Court of Common Pleas:
  • * Judge Michael M. Ater
  • * Judge Matthew Schmidt
  • * Probate and Juvenile Court Judge J. Jeffrey Benson
  • * Magistrate John Di CesareCounty Coroner Ben TrotterCounty Engineer Charles R. OrtmanCounty Prosecutor Jeffrey C. MarksCounty Recorder Anthony “Major” Maughmer County Treasurer David JeffersCounty Sheriff George W. Lavender

Politics

Ross is a generally Republican county in Presidential and Congressional elections, although until recent years, Democratic candidates performed fairly well in the county. The last Democrat to win a majority in the county was Lyndon Johnson in 1964, while Bill Clinton won a plurality in 1996 and Barack Obama came within just 439 votes in 2012.
Ross is part of Ohio's 2nd congressional district, which is represented by Republican David Taylor.

Education

School districts

School districts covering portions of Ross County include:

Pickaway-Ross Career & Technology Center

Pickaway-Ross lies in the Northern part of the county. Students from the following affiliated Ross and Pickaway county districts attend the vocational school:
  • Adena Local School District
  • Chillicothe City School District
  • Huntington Local School District
  • Paint Valley Local School District
  • Southeastern Local School District
  • Unioto Local School District
  • Zane Trace Local School District
  • Circleville City School District
  • Logan Elm Local School District
  • Westfall Local School District

Ohio University Chillicothe">Ohio University – Chillicothe">Ohio University Chillicothe

Ohio University established a regional campus in Chillicothe in 1966. The university has over 2,500 students enrolled as of 2010, ranging from traditional-aged students and non-traditional learners.

Communities

[Image:Map of Ross County Ohio With Municipal and Township Labels.PNG|thumb|300 px|Map of Ross County, Ohio With Municipal and Township Labels]

City

Villages

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

Townships

Notable people