Licking County, Ohio facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Licking County
U.S. county
Licking County Courthouse
Flag Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Ohio
Ohio's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Ohio
Founded	March 1, 1808
Seat	Newark
Largest city	Newark
Area
• Total	687 sq mi (1,780 km2)
• Land	683 sq mi (1,770 km2)
• Water	5.0 sq mi (13 km2)  0.7%%
Population  (2020)
• Total	178,519
• Estimate  (2021)	180,401
• Density	259.85/sq mi (100.33/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	12th

Licking County is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Ohio. At the 2020 census, the population was 178,519. Its county seat is Newark. The county was formed on January 30, 1808, from portions of Fairfield County.

It is named after the Licking River, which is thought to be named for the salt licks that were in the area. However, one account explains it as an English pronunciation of the river's indigenous Delaware name W'li/'ik'/nk, which means "where the flood waters recede".

Licking County is part of the Columbus, OH Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 687 square miles (1,780 km²), of which 683 square miles (1,770 km²) is land and 5.0 square miles (13 km²) (0.7%) is water. It is the third-largest county in Ohio by land area.

Adjacent counties

• Knox County (north)
• Coshocton County (northeast)
• Muskingum County (east)
• Perry County (southeast)
• Fairfield County (southwest)
• Franklin County (west)
• Delaware County (northwest)

Major highways

Demographics

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 166,492 people, 63,989 households, and 45,162 families living in the county. The population density was 243.9 inhabitants per square mile (94.2/km²). There were 69,291 housing units at an average density of 101.5 units per square mile (39.2 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 93.2% white, 3.4% black or African American, 0.7% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.4% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.4% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 29.5% were German, 16.0% were Irish, 13.0% were English, 10.8% were American, and 5.5% were Italian.

Of the 63,989 households, 34.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.5% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.4% were non-families, and 23.8% of households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.00. The median age was 39.1 years.

The median household income was $53,291 and the median family income was $64,386. Males had a median income of $47,391 versus $37,054 for females. The per capita income for the county was $25,534. About 8.2% of families and 11.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.7% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over.

Industry and business

An industrial history of Licking County

Since Licking County's establishment in 1808, businesses and industries have served as a source of employment, generating income and promoting economic growth. Notable industries include manufacturing, retail and wholesale trade, health care and social assistance, accommodation and food services. Manufacturing, agriculture, and services prove to be the major sectors of Licking County's industry.

Manufacturing

Manufacturing is one of the largest industry sectors in Licking County. Major establishments and advancements have been made by manufacturing facilities in the county by renowned companies or corporations, namely Invenergy, Armstrong World Industries, Intel, and Atkore. These investments have provided Licking County residents with a diverse range of employment opportunties and facilitated its economic growth. However, in the past many other successful manufacturing companies have come to a close, such as Longaberger, Fyrepel, Meritor plant in Heath, and E.T. Rugg. This shows the competitiveness of economic activity in the county. The glass-making industry, which has been established since the late 19th century from Newark with natural gas supplies, sand quarry, and cheap labor, is also a significant manufacturing sector in Licking County.

Agriculture

Agriculture is regarded as a traditional cornerstone of Licking County. It secures the earnings and living of the residents by offering a variety of crops and livestock, such as corn, wheat, cattle, and goats. Charles Metz and Brothers Meat Market, a local agricultural company located in Newark, is a well known meat provider for regional butchers and markets. Weiant Greenhouses was another local company that grew lettuce. It covered five acres of glass structures, becoming one of the largest greenhouses in Ohio and providing vegetables to three nearby states during its time. Unfortunately, it came to a close after a destructive storm in 1978. While modern farmers have multiple advantages such as better agricultural equipment, pesticides and fertilizers, many have encountered challenges due to an increase in the cost of producing crops and raising livestock, and a declining payout as well.

Services

The service industry, as a whole, has provided jobs for more than 30% of the employed population in Licking County. From housing and dining services to entertainment services, a variety of services have been available in Licking County. Among these, Education Services and Accommodations & Food Services are considered the major forms of services. Educational institutions in Licking County include Denison University, Newark City Schools, and Columbus State Community College. Meanwhile, Elliot's Wood Fired Kitchen & Tap, Shipp Brothers Brewing Restaurant & Taproom, and Three Tigers Brewing Co. are popular dining-service establishments in the county.

Contemporary business and industry in Licking County

AEP headquarters building in Columbus, Ohio

Licking County continues to see substantial growth in industries across multiple fields, especially traditional companies with major distribution. Manufacturing, Retail Trade, Health Care and Social Assistance are the top three industries in Licking County's employment for recent years.

From 2017 to 2022, the number of jobs increased by 22.6% in Licking County, compared to the national growth rate of 3.8%. The number of jobs is projected to grow an additional 7,455 over the next 5 years. Licking County's manufacturing economy continued to grow with a 12% increase in manufacturing jobs between 2017 and 2022.

In January 2022 Intel announced their intention to build a $20 billion semiconductor plant in Licking County that would employ up to 3,000 workers. The facility will be built on a 3,190 acre site that has been annexed from the Jersey Township to New Albany. In March 2023, Invenergy invested $600 million in Illuminate USA, with the goal of manufacturing high-quality domestic solar panels and creating 850 new, high-paying jobs.

Top 10 employers in Licking County (2018):

1. Amazon
2. Licking Memorial
3. Ascena Retail
4. Kroger
5. Licking County Government
6. Owens Corning
7. AEP Ohio
8. L Brands
9. Anomatic
10. Denison University

Places of interest

View from a section of the Great Circle Earthworks, part of the Newark Earthworks.

• Newark Earthworks
• Blackhand Gorge State Nature Preserve
• Flint Ridge State Memorial
• Dawes Arboretum
• Ye Olde Mill in Utica, where Velvet ice cream is produced.
• Heisey Glass Museum
• Longaberger former basket facility (Main office building was a 7-story replica basket, the largest in the world)
• National Trail Raceway - NHRA Dragstrip
• Denison University
• Home Building Association Bank

Sports

Longaberger former headquarters in Newark, Ohio, a giant Longaberger medium market basket.

Licking County high school athletic programs include Granville High School, Heath High School, Johnstown-Monroe High School, Lakewood High School, Licking Valley High School, Licking Heights High School, Newark Catholic High School, Newark High School, Northridge High School, Utica High School, and Watkins Memorial High School. In baseball, a state title has been won by a Licking County high school team every year since to 2002, when three Licking County teams won state titles. Newark Catholic High School and Heath High School have combined for nine state titles in a six-year span.

Licking County schools won at least one state title in four straight sport seasons: Heath in both baseball and boys track and field (2007), Newark Catholic in football (2007), Newark in boys basketball (2008) and Lakewood in softball (2008).

Communities

Map of Licking County, Ohio with Municipal and Township Labels

Cities

• Heath
• Johnstown
• New Albany
• Newark (county seat)
• Pataskala
• Reynoldsburg

Villages

Townships

Census-designated places

• Beechwood Trails
• Brownsville
• Etna
• Granville South
• Harbor Hills
• Marne

Unincorporated communities

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Licking para niños