Eaton is a city in and the county seat of Preble County, Ohio, United States. It is approximately west of Dayton. The population was 8,375 at the 2020 census.
History
Eaton was founded and platted in 1806 by William Bruce. The village derives its name from William Eaton, the U.S. Consul General to Tunis from 1797–1803 and commander of U.S. military forces in First Barbary War. In addition to the city of Eaton and the county of Preble, various streets in Eaton (including Barron, Decatur, Israel, Wadsworth, and Somers) were named in honor of heroes of the First Barbary War and Second Barbary War.
The town grew quickly following its establishment. In 1846, the town first had 1000 inhabitants. This growth was primarily derived from the town's location at the strategic junction of two turnpikes. In 1849, Eaton was the site of a cholera outbreak. About half of the inhabitants fled; of the remaining 600 people, 120 died.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.
The city includes Crystal Lake and Seven Mile Creek. Parks include: Fort St. Clair, Water Works Park, 7-Mile Park, and Clarence Hook Memorial Park.
Climate
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Eaton had a population of 8,375. The median age was 43.8 years. 21.3% of residents were under the age of 18 and 23.9% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 89.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 85.9 males age 18 and over.
96.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 4.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 3,663 households in Eaton, of which 24.8% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 39.7% were married-couple households, 18.3% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 34.3% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 36.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
! Race !! Number !! Percent
|-
| White || 7,774 || 92.8%
|-
| Black or African American || 74 || 0.9%
|-
| American Indian and Alaska Native || 15 || 0.2%
|-
| Asian || 78 || 0.9%
|-
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 0 || 0.0%
|-
| Some other race || 53 || 0.6%
|-
| Two or more races || 381 || 4.5%
|-
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 99 || 1.2%
|}
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 8,407 people, 3,486 households, and 2,181 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 3,903 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.3% White, 0.6% African American, 0.2% Native American, 1.0% Asian, 0.5% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.8% of the population.
There were 3,486 households, of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.2% were married couples living together, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.4% were non-families. 32.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.90.
The median age in the city was 40.4 years. 23.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.7% were from 25 to 44; 25.7% were from 45 to 64; and 19.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.2% male and 52.8% female.
2000 census
As of the census
Education
Eaton Community Schools operates two elementary schools, one middle school, and Eaton High School.
Edison State Community College operates a satellite campus in Eaton.
Notable people
- Victor J. Banis, author often associated with the first wave of West Coast gay writing
- Andrew L. Harris, one of the heroes of the Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War and 44th governor of Ohio (1906-1909)
- Jane LeCompte, novelist who has written over 20 romance novels under the name Jane Ashford
- Travis Miller, former Major League Baseball pitcher for the Minnesota Twins (1996-2002)
- William Stephens, 24th governor of California (1917-1923)
- Kent Vosler, diver in the 1976 Summer Olympics
Sister cities
Eaton has a sister city arrangement with Rödental bei Coburg, Germany.