Seneca County, Ohio

Seneca County is a county located in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 55,069. Its county seat is Tiffin. The county was created in 1820 and organized in 1824. It is named for the Seneca Indians, the westernmost nation of the Iroquois Confederacy. This people were based in present-day New York but had territory extending into Pennsylvania and Ohio.

Toward the end of the 19th century, during the Great Depression, and the post–World War II baby boom, this area had periods of greater population increase. In 1980 the census recorded a population of 61,901; the total has since declined. Since about 2000, the county's population declines by about 100–300 persons annually, mainly due to a migration deficit of about 300 persons annually. This decline is projected to continue in the future.

Almost 80% of the county's total area is agricultural land. Some 10% is covered by forest. Most of the rest is developed, with some allocated for pastureland.

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|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<br />1790-1960 1900-1990<br />1990-2000 2020

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2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 55,069, and the median age was 40.6 years. 21.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 19.1% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 100.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 98.5 males.

The racial makeup of the county was 89.6% White, 2.5% Black or African American, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 1.6% from some other race, and 5.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 5.3% of the population.

54.4% of residents lived in urban areas, while 45.6% lived in rural areas.

There were 22,017 households in the county, of which 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 47.2% were married-couple households, 19.5% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 24.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 29.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. There were 23,934 housing units, of which 8.0% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 71.7% were owner-occupied and 28.3% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.3% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.2%.

!Pop 1990

!Pop 2000

!Pop 2010

!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" | Pop 2020

!% 1980

!% 1990

!% 2000

!% 2010

!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" |% 2020

|White alone (NH)

|59,093

|56,574

|54,821

|51,739

|style='background: #ffffe6; |48,213

|95.46%

|94.71%

|93.42%

|91.18%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |87.55%

|Black or African American alone (NH)

|1,151

|1,143

|1,016

|1,227

|style='background: #ffffe6; |1,314

|1.86%

|1.91%

|1.73%

|2.16%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |2.39%

|Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)

|42

|78

|79

|84

|style='background: #ffffe6; |66

|0.07%

|0.13%

|0.15%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.12%

|Asian alone (NH)

|137

|228

|218

|321

|style='background: #ffffe6; |359

|0.22%

|0.38%

|0.37%

|0.57%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.65%

|Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)

|style='background: #ffffe6; |36

|0.01%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.07%

|Other race alone (NH)

|75

|34

|41

|51

|style='background: #ffffe6; |158

|0.12%

|0.06%

|0.07%

|0.09%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.29%

|Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)

|532

|793

|style='background: #ffffe6; |2,024

|0.91%

|1.40%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |3.68%

|Hispanic or Latino (any race)

|1,403

|1,676

|1,972

|2,524

|style='background: #ffffe6; |2,899

|2.27%

|2.81%

|3.36%

|4.45%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |5.26%

|Total

|61,901

|59,733

|58,683

|56,745

|style='background: #ffffe6; |55,069

|100.00%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |100.00%

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 56,745 people, 21,774 households, and 14,870 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 24,122 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 93.7% white, 2.3% black or African American, 0.6% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 1.3% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 4.4% of the population.

Of the 21,774 households, 31.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.6% were married couples living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 31.7% were non-families, and 26.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.97. The median age was 38.8 years.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 58,683 people, 22,292 households, and 15,738 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 23,692 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 95.04% White, 1.76% Black or African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.38% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.39% from other races, and 1.25% from two or more races. 3.36% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 22,292 households, out of which 33.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.10% were married couples living together, 10.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.40% were non-families. 24.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.00% under the age of 18, 10.40% from 18 to 24, 27.20% from 25 to 44, 22.40% from 45 to 64, and 14.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 98.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $38,037, and the median income for a family was $44,600. Males had a median income of $32,387 versus $22,383 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,027. About 6.10% of families and 9.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.60% of those under age 18 and 7.20% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Prior to 1936, Seneca County had supported Democrats in presidential elections, supporting Republican candidates only four times from 1856 to 1932. But starting with the 1936 election, it has become a Republican stronghold in presidential elections. Its support for Democrats Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964 and Bill Clinton in 1996 were the exceptions.

Government and politics

County officials

{| class="wikitable"

! Office

! Name

! Party

| Commissioner

| Tony Paradiso-President

| Republican

| Commissioner

| William 'Bill' Frankart

| Republican

| Commissioner

| Tyler Shuff-Vice President

| Republican

| Prosecutor

| Derek W. DeVine

| Independent

| Sheriff

| Fredrick W. Stevens

| Republican

| Clerk of Courts

| Stephanie Hicks

| Republican

| Recorder

| Michael Dell

| Republican

| Treasurer

| Paul Harrison

| Republican

| Engineer

| Mark Zimmerman

| Republican

| Coroner

| Mark Akers

| Republican

| Auditor

| Julie Adkins

| Republican

| Common Pleas Court Judge

| Steve Shuff

| Republican

| Common Pleas Court Judge

| Damon Alt

| Republican

| Juvenile Court Judge

| Jay A. Meyer

| Republican

Transportation

Major highways

20px U.S. Route 23
20px U.S. Route 224

Other highways

20px State Route 4
20px State Route 12
20px State Route 18
20px State Route 19
20px State Route 53
20px State Route 67
20px State Route 100
20px State Route 101
20px State Route 162
20px State Route 228
20px State Route 231
20px State Route 587
20px State Route 590
20px State Route 635
20px State Route 778

Airports

Bandit Field Airdrome
Fostoria Metropolitan Airport
Seneca County Airport
Weiker Airport

Communities

thumb|right|300px|Map of Seneca County, Ohio With Municipal and Township Labels

Cities

Bellevue (partly)
Fostoria (partly)
Tiffin (county seat)

Villages

Attica
Bettsville
Bloomville
Green Springs (partly)
New Riegel
Republic

Townships

Adams
Big Spring
Bloom
Clinton
Eden
Hopewell
Jackson
Liberty
Loudon
Pleasant
Reed
Scipio
Seneca
Thompson
Venice

Census-designated places

Bascom
Flat Rock
Fort Seneca
Kansas
McCutchenville
Melmore
Old Fort

Unincorporated communities

Adrian
Alvada
Amsden
Angus
Berwick
Caroline
Carrothers
Cooper
Cromers
Fireside
Frenchtown
Iler
Lowell
Maple Grove
Omar
Reedtown
Rehoboth
Rockaway
Saint Stephens
Siam
Springville
Swander
Watson
West Lodi

Places of interest

Seneca Caverns

Natural history

Before widespread settlement, the area of Seneca County was for the most part woodland. Besides the fringe of the Great Black Swamp in the northwest, there was also an extensive area of marshland in the Bloomville area as well as smaller patches of swamp terrain which were formed due to the county's essentially level terrain.

External links

A Centennial Biographical History of Seneca County, Ohio. Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co., 1902.
County website