Lawrence County, Ohio facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lawrence County
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Lawrence County Courthouse
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Location within the U.S. state of Ohio
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 Ohio's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
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| State |  Ohio |
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| Founded | March 1, 1817 | ||
| Named for | James Lawrence | ||
| Seat | Ironton | ||
| Largest city | Ironton | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 457 sq mi (1,180 km2) | ||
| • Land | 453 sq mi (1,170 km2) | ||
| • Water | 3.9 sq mi (10 km2) 0.9%% | ||
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 58,240  |
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| • Density | 130/sq mi (50/km2) | ||
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) | ||
| Congressional district | 2nd | ||
Lawrence County is the southernmost county of the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 58,240. Its county seat is Ironton. The county was created in 1815 and later organized in 1817. It is named for James Lawrence, the naval officer famous for the line "do not give up the ship". Lawrence County is part of the Huntington–Ashland metropolitan area.
Contents
History
The earliest European-American settlers, Luke Kelly and his family, and May Keyser, settled at Hanging Rock along the Ohio River in 1796, having migrated from the east. Lawrence County was formed on December 20, 1816, from parts of Gallia and Scioto counties, with the county seat named as Burlington. In 1851, the county seat was moved from Burlington to Ironton. A new courthouse was built at that time. It burned in 1857. The present Lawrence County Courthouse was built in 1908.
Men from Lawrence County served in the Mexican–American War, with at least one having died during that conflict. By 1862, about 3,200 of Lawrence County's men were soldiers in the Union Army in the American Civil War. During World War I, 2,200 of Lawrence County's men served in the armed forces, and 99 died.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 457 square miles (1,180 km2), of which 453 square miles (1,170 km2) is land and 3.9 square miles (10 km2) (0.9%) is water. It is the southernmost county in the state of Ohio and part of Appalachian Ohio.
Adjacent counties
- Jackson County (north)
- Gallia County (northeast)
- Cabell County, West Virginia (southeast)
- Wayne County, West Virginia (south)
- Boyd County, Kentucky (southwest)
- Greenup County, Kentucky (southwest)
- Scioto County (northwest)
National protected area
- Wayne National Forest (part)
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1820 | 3,499 | — | |
| 1830 | 5,367 | 53.4% | |
| 1840 | 9,738 | 81.4% | |
| 1850 | 15,246 | 56.6% | |
| 1860 | 23,249 | 52.5% | |
| 1870 | 31,380 | 35.0% | |
| 1880 | 39,068 | 24.5% | |
| 1890 | 39,556 | 1.2% | |
| 1900 | 39,534 | −0.1% | |
| 1910 | 39,488 | −0.1% | |
| 1920 | 39,540 | 0.1% | |
| 1930 | 44,541 | 12.6% | |
| 1940 | 46,705 | 4.9% | |
| 1950 | 49,115 | 5.2% | |
| 1960 | 55,438 | 12.9% | |
| 1970 | 56,868 | 2.6% | |
| 1980 | 63,849 | 12.3% | |
| 1990 | 61,834 | −3.2% | |
| 2000 | 62,319 | 0.8% | |
| 2010 | 62,450 | 0.2% | |
| 2020 | 58,240 | −6.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2020 |
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2010 census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 62,450 people, 24,974 households, and 17,405 families living in the county. The population density was 137.7 inhabitants per square mile (53.2/km2). There were 27,603 housing units at an average density of 60.9 per square mile (23.5/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 95.9% white, 2.0% black or African American, 0.4% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.2% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.7% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 18.0% were American, 15.4% were German, 12.9% were Irish, and 10.8% were English. In Lawrence County, less than 1% of people who self-identify as "Irish" are Catholic. Scholars believe this is part of a trend in which people are vaguely aware that at least some of their ancestors come from Ireland, but that population is primarily of "Scots-Irish" or "Ulster Scots" ancestry, and those identifying as "Irish" are simply unaware of the distinction. Those citing "American" ancestry in Lawrence County are of overwhelmingly English extraction, most English Americans identify simply as American because their ancestors have been in North America for centuries—in some cases since the 1600s.
Of the 24,974 households, 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.0% were married couples living together, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 30.3% were non-families, and 26.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.95. The median age was 40.1 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $36,461 and the median income for a family was $46,732. Males had a median income of $38,170 versus $28,251 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,452. About 15.2% of families and 19.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.0% of those under age 18 and 11.9% of those age 65 or over.
Communities
City
- Ironton (county seat)
Villages
Townships
- Aid
- Decatur
- Elizabeth
- Fayette
- Hamilton
- Lawrence
- Mason
- Perry
- Rome
- Symmes
- Union
- Upper
- Washington
- Windsor
Census-designated places
- Burlington
- Miller
Unincorporated communities
- Eifort
- Etna
- Firebrick
- Kitts Hill
- Pedro
- Rock Camp
- Scottown
- Waterloo
- Willow Wood
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Lawrence (Ohio) para niños
