Stark County, Ohio facts for kids

Stark County
	Stark County, Ohio
	Map
	; Location in the state of Ohio
	; Ohio's location in the U.S.
	Statistics
Founded	January 1, 1809
Seat	Canton
Largest City	Canton
Area; - Total; - Land; - Water	; 581 sq mi (1,505 km²); 575 sq mi (1,489 km²); 5.3 sq mi (14 km²), 0.9%
Population; - (2010); - Density	; 375,586; 653/sq mi (252/km²)
Time zone	Eastern: UTC-5/-4
	Website: http://www.starkcountyohio.gov/
	Named for: John Stark

Stark County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2010 census, the population was 375,586. Its county seat is Canton. The county was created in 1808 and organized the next year. It is named for John Stark, an officer in the American Revolutionary War.

Stark County is included in the Canton-Massillon, OH Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH Combined Statistical Area.

History

Stark County was named in honor of American Revolutionary War General John Stark. John Stark (August 28, 1728 – May 8, 1822) was a general who served in the American Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He became widely known as the "Hero of Bennington" for his exemplary service at the Battle of Bennington in 1777.

During the early 20th century, Stark County was an important location in the early development of professional football. The rivalry between the Massillon Tigers and Canton Bulldogs helped bring the Ohio League to prominence in the mid-1900s (decade) and again in the late 1910s. The Bulldogs ended up a charter member of the National Football League, where it played for several years. (The role Stark County had in developing the game is part of the reason the Pro Football Hall of Fame is located in Canton.) Two relatively large football stadiums, Fawcett Stadium in Canton and Paul Brown Tiger Stadium in Massillon, are still in use (albeit now mostly for high school football), with Fawcett Stadium hosting the NFL's annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Game each year.

In the later 20th century, Stark County's voting record swung from one party to another, closely tracking the winner of the U.S. Presidential election. Even within the swing state of Ohio, Stark County is regarded as a quintessential bellwether, and thus presidential candidates have typically made multiple visits to the region. Major media outlets typically pay close attention to the election results in the county. The New York Times in particular has covered the county's citizens and their voting concerns in a series of features each election cycle for over a decade.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 581 square miles (1,500 km²), of which 575 square miles (1,490 km²) is land and 5.3 square miles (14 km²) (0.9%) is water.

Adjacent counties

Portage County (north)
Mahoning County (northeast)
Columbiana County (east)
Carroll County (southeast)
Tuscarawas County (south)
Holmes County (southwest)
Wayne County (west)
Summit County (northwest)

National protected area

First Ladies National Historic Site

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1810	2,734	—
1820	12,406	353.8%
1830	26,588	114.3%
1840	34,603	30.1%
1850	39,878	15.2%
1860	42,978	7.8%
1870	52,508	22.2%
1880	64,031	21.9%
1890	84,170	31.5%
1900	94,747	12.6%
1910	122,987	29.8%
1920	177,218	44.1%
1930	221,784	25.1%
1940	234,887	5.9%
1950	283,194	20.6%
1960	340,345	20.2%
1970	372,210	9.4%
1980	378,823	1.8%
1990	367,585	−3.0%
2000	378,098	2.9%
2010	375,586	−0.7%
Est. 2015	375,165	−0.1%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2013

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 378,098 people, 148,316 households, and 102,782 families residing in the county. The population density was 656 people per square mile (253/km²). There were 157,024 housing units at an average density of 272 per square mile (105/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 90.28% White, 7.20% Black or African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.54% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.29% from other races, and 1.43% from two or more races. 0.92% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 148,316 households out of which 31.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.20% were married couples living together, 11.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.70% were non-families. 26.10% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the county, the population was spread out with 24.80% under the age of 18, 8.30% from 18 to 24, 27.80% from 25 to 44, 24.00% from 45 to 64, and 15.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 92.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.40 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $39,824, and the median income for a family was $47,747. Males had a median income of $37,065 versus $23,875 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,417. About 6.80% of families and 9.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.90% of those under age 18 and 6.60% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 375,586 people, 151,089 households, and 100,417 families residing in the county. The population density was 652.9 inhabitants per square mile (252.1/km²). There were 165,215 housing units at an average density of 287.2 per square mile (110.9/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 88.7% white, 7.6% black or African American, 0.7% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.5% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.6% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 33.6% were German, 15.5% were Irish, 10.1% were English, 10.1% were Italian, and 7.7% were American.

Of the 151,089 households, 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.2% were married couples living together, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 33.5% were non-families, and 28.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.96. The median age was 41.1 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $44,941 and the median income for a family was $55,976. Males had a median income of $44,238 versus $31,896 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,015. About 9.5% of families and 12.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.5% of those under age 18 and 6.7% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Map of Stark County, Ohio with municipal and township labels

Cities

Villages

Townships

Bethlehem
Canton
Jackson
Lake
Lawrence
Lexington
Marlboro
Nimishillen
Osnaburg
Paris
Perry
Pike
Plain
Sandy
Sugar Creek
Tuscarawas
Washington