Stark County, Ohio facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Stark County
U.S. county
Stark 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	January 1, 1809
Named for	John Stark
Seat	Canton
Largest city	Canton
Area
• Total	581 sq mi (1,500 km2)
• Land	575 sq mi (1,490 km2)
• Water	5.3 sq mi (14 km2)  0.9%%
Population  (2020)
• Total	374,853
• Estimate  (2021)	373,834
• Density	645.2/sq mi (249.11/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional districts	6th, 13th

Stark County is a county located in the northeastern part of U.S. state of Ohio. In 2020, about 374,853 people lived there. Its main city, or county seat, is Canton. The county was started in 1808 and officially organized in 1809. It is named after John Stark, a brave officer from the American Revolutionary War.

Stark County is part of a larger area called the Canton-Massillon, OH Metropolitan Statistical Area. This area is also part of the even bigger Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH Combined Statistical Area.

History of Stark County

Stark County got its name from American Revolutionary War General John Stark. John Stark was born in 1728 and died in 1822. He was a general in the American Continental Army during the war. He became famous as the "Hero of Bennington" for his great service at the Battle of Bennington in 1777.

In the 1760s and 1770s, Moravian missionaries came to the area. They were from Pennsylvania. They wanted to share their faith with the native people. They also helped native people who had already converted to move away from white settlers. Some of the first missionaries were Christian Frederick Post and John Heckewelder.

The first lasting settlements in Stark County began in 1805. Canton was one of the first. Many early settlers, maybe 80%, spoke German and came from Pennsylvania. Others came from Virginia, New York, and New England. Cutting down trees and sawmills were important early businesses. They provided wood for all the new settlers. Stark County was originally part of Columbiana County. It became its own county in 1807.

When the American Civil War began, men from Stark County quickly volunteered. They wanted to help keep the United States together. By 1862, over 1,100 men from the county had joined the army.

Football History in Stark County

In the early 1900s, Stark County was very important for the start of professional football. There was a big rivalry between the Massillon Tigers and the Canton Bulldogs. This rivalry helped make the Ohio League very popular. The Canton Bulldogs later became one of the first teams in the National Football League. They played in the NFL for several years.

Because of Stark County's role in football history, the Pro Football Hall of Fame is located in Canton. Two large football stadiums are still used today. They are Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton and Paul Brown Tiger Stadium in Massillon. These stadiums are mostly used for high school football. Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium also hosts the NFL's yearly Pro Football Hall of Fame Game.

Stark County's Role in Elections

In the later 1900s, Stark County's voting patterns often changed. The county's votes closely matched who won the U.S. Presidential election. Ohio is known as a "swing state," meaning it can vote for either party. Within Ohio, Stark County is seen as a "bellwether." This means it often predicts the national election winner.

Because of this, presidential candidates often visit the area many times. Big news groups also pay close attention to the election results in Stark County. For example, New York Times has written many stories about the county's citizens and their voting concerns for over ten years.

Geography of Stark County

Stark County covers about 581 square miles. Most of this, about 575 square miles, is land. The rest, about 5.3 square miles, is water.

Neighboring Counties

Main Roads and Highways

Protected Areas

• First Ladies National Historic Site

Population and People

2010 Census Information

In 2010, there were 375,586 people living in Stark County. There were 151,089 households and 100,417 families. The population density was about 653 people per square mile.

Most people in the county were white (88.7%). About 7.6% were black or African American. Other groups included Asian (0.7%), American Indian (0.3%), and people from two or more races (2.2%). About 1.6% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

Many people in Stark County have German roots (33.6%). Other common backgrounds include Irish (15.5%), English (10.1%), and Italian (10.1%).

About 30.2% of households had children under 18 living with them. About 49.2% were married couples. The average household had 2.42 people. The average family had 2.96 people. The average age in the county was 41.1 years old.

The average income for a household was $44,941. For a family, it was $55,976. About 12.7% of all people in the county lived below the poverty line. This included 19.5% of those under 18.

Education in Stark County

Colleges and Universities

• Kent State University at Stark
• Malone University
• Stark State College
• University of Mount Union
• Walsh University

Technical and Career Centers

• R. G. Drage Career Technical Center
• Sours Adult Career & Technical Center

Public School Districts

Private School Districts

• Stark County Catholic Schools

High Schools

Communities in Stark County

Map of Stark County, Ohio with city and township names

Cities

Villages

Townships

Before 1815, Stark County had only eight large townships. After some changes, the townships now are:

Census-Designated Places

These are areas that are not officially cities or villages but are recognized for census purposes:

Unincorporated Communities

These are small communities that are not part of any city, village, or census-designated place:

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Stark (Ohio) para niños