Population 38,343 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of Defiance County: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Defiance County
Household size in Defiance County
| Period | Defiance County | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.52 | 2.51 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.48 | 2.51 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.46 | 2.47 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.55 | 2.46 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.03 | −0.05 | −0.03 |
The average household in Defiance County has 2.55 people, a bit under the U.S. average of 2.65. Even so, the typical household here is bigger than in Ohio as a whole, where it has 2.46 people. Household size has crept up from 2.52 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Defiance County
| Period | Defiance County | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.0 | 39.0 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 39.7 | 40.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.0 | 40.7 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.3 | 40.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.3 | +1.8 | +2.3 |
At 41.3, the median age in Defiance County is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 39.0, mirroring the country. The youngest areas are in the northwest, the oldest in the southeast.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Defiance County
| Period | Defiance County | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.3% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.8% | 11.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.2% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.3% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.0 pts | −0.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in Defiance County as they are nationally: 11.3%, against 11.6%. The single-parent share has barely moved since 2006–10, while the national share fell.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Defiance County
Renters in Defiance County
| Period | Defiance County | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.4% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 25.3% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 23.7% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 20.7% | 32.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.7 pts | +2.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 20.7% of households in Defiance County rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. More than four in ten owners (44.0%) have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the center and least common in the north. The renter share is down 0.7 points from 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Defiance County
| Period | Defiance County | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.5% | 10.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.4% | 10.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.4% | 10.2% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.5% | 8.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.0 pts | −2.2 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Defiance County: 7.5% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. The picture is much the same across Ohio. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 3.0 points, mirroring the country.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Defiance County
| Period | Defiance County | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1962 | 1968 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1964 | 1969 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1966 | 1970 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1967 | 1972 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +4 | +6 |
Defiance County is a place of older homes: half were built before 1967, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. The median year built has moved up from 1962 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the north, while the west has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Defiance County
| Period | Defiance County | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $637 | $765 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $676 | $814 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $816 | $901 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $899 | $1,142 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$262 | +$377 | +$606 |
Rent in Defiance County runs $899 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $262 a month since 2006–10, up 41%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 25.3% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the east and lowest in the northwest.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Defiance County
Bachelor's degrees in Defiance County
| Period | Defiance County | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.2% | 25.4% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 16.3% | 26.5% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 17.6% | 28.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 19.5% | 31.9% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.2 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Defiance County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 19.5%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree is up 3.2 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the east and least in the west.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Defiance County
| Period | Defiance County | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 87.7% | 87.7% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 88.8% | 88.9% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 90.8% | 90.4% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.7% | 91.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.9 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Defiance County is above the national rate: 92.7% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. That is in line with the rest of Ohio. The share with a diploma has risen 4.9 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Defiance County
| Period | Defiance County | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.7% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.7% | 9.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.4% | 5.5% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.3% | 4.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.4 pts | −3.8 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 5.3%, unemployment in Defiance County is close to the national rate of 5.4%. Unemployment is down 4.4 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Defiance County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Defiance County | 2.55 | 41.3 | 11.3% | 20.7% | 7.5% | 1967 | $899 | 19.5% | 92.7% | 5.3% |
| Paulding County | 2.49 | 41.8 | 10.7% | 19.9% | 10.5% | 1971 | $812 | 17.0% | 90.5% | 3.3% |
| Henry County | 2.41 | 43.0 | 8.7% | 17.5% | 6.2% | 1964 | $935 | 19.9% | 93.0% | 3.9% |
| DeKalb County | 2.62 | 39.9 | 11.9% | 17.9% | 8.9% | 1974 | $912 | 20.3% | 92.5% | 4.6% |
| Allen County | 2.59 | 37.1 | 12.3% | 31.1% | 6.7% | 1978 | $1,176 | 32.3% | 89.6% | 4.7% |
| Whitley County | 2.48 | 41.1 | 9.4% | 18.2% | 7.3% | 1976 | $905 | 23.1% | 92.5% | 3.3% |
| Seneca County | 2.38 | 41.5 | 12.0% | 26.6% | 8.5% | 1960 | $848 | 20.5% | 93.4% | 3.4% |
| Sandusky County | 2.38 | 43.1 | 13.2% | 26.6% | 8.3% | 1961 | $811 | 18.6% | 93.5% | 4.2% |
| Kosciusko County | 2.55 | 39.6 | 10.3% | 23.0% | 14.5% | 1980 | $1,056 | 25.3% | 87.3% | 2.7% |
| Marshall County | 2.63 | 41.0 | 11.2% | 23.6% | 11.3% | 1971 | $1,011 | 20.6% | 84.3% | 2.6% |
| Huron County | 2.48 | 40.7 | 12.4% | 26.0% | 9.8% | 1967 | $884 | 16.7% | 90.7% | 4.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Macoupin County, IL · McKean County, PA · Marion County, TN · Marion County, SC · Marion County, MO · Marion County, IL · Marion County, IA · Marion County, AL · Marinette County, WI · Manati Municipio, PR
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Defiance County. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.