Fairfield County is located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 158,921. Its county seat and largest city is Lancaster. Its name is a reference to the Fairfield area of the original Lancaster. Fairfield County is part of the Columbus, OH Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History Fairfield County originally encompassed all or parts of Knox, Hocking, Licking, Perry, and Pickaway Counties. Fairfield is a descriptive name referring to the beauty of their fields.
Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.8%) is water.
Fairfield County sits just on the edge of Ohio's Appalachian region. While the once-glaciated northern portion of the county is fairly flat, as one travels south along U.S. 33 one can easily recognize the foothills of a mountainous region beginning around the village of Carroll. Although not officially part of the state or federal definition of Appalachia, certain areas of Fairfield County—particularly those south of U.S. 22—bear a distinctly Appalachian feel in both physical geography and demographics.
The scenic Hocking Hills region lies immediately to the south, mostly in neighboring Hocking County. A large portion of Buckeye Lake is located in northeastern Fairfield County.
Mudhouse Mansion, an allegedly haunted house, was located in the county.
Adjacent counties Licking County (north) Perry County (east) Hocking County (south) Pickaway County (southwest) Franklin County (northwest)
Demographics
2020 census +Fairfield County, Ohio – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 1980Pop 1990Pop 2000Pop 2010 Pop 2020% 1980% 1990% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)92,598101,269116,201130,377130,66498.85%97.88%94.66%89.20%82.22%Black or African American alone (NH)3181,1253,2458,60913,3020.34%1.09%2.64%5.89%8.37%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)811822192782870.09%0.18%0.18%0.19%0.18%Asian alone (NH)2173748781,6263,0630.23%0.36%0.72%1.11%1.93%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)x included in the Asian category in the 1980 Censusx included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census263931xx0.02%0.03%0.02%Other race alone (NH)6522731905150.07%0.02%0.06%0.13%0.32%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)x not an option in the 1980 Censusx not an option in the 1990 Census1,1242,5277,038xx0.92%1.73%4.43%Hispanic or Latino (any race)3994899932,5104,0210.43%0.47%0.81%1.72%2.53%Total93,678103,461122,759146,156158,921 100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 158,921. The median age was 39.7 years. 24.3% of residents were under the age of 18 and 16.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 98.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 96.2 males age 18 and over.
The racial makeup of the county was 82.9% White, 8.5% Black or African American, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.9% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 1.0% from some other race, and 5.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 2.5% of the population.
64.4% of residents lived in urban areas, while 35.6% lived in rural areas.
There were 58,691 households in the county, of which 34.1% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 55.1% were married-couple households, 14.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 22.8% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 22.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 62,466 housing units, of which 6.0% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 73.7% were owner-occupied and 26.3% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.0% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.5%.
2010 census As of the 2010 United States census, there were 146,156 people, 54,310 households, and 39,846 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 58,687 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 90.2% white, 6.0% black or African American, 1.1% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.6% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.7% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 31.2% were German, 16.2% were Irish, 11.7% were English, 8.6% were American, and 5.2% were Italian.
Of the 54,310 households, 37.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.3% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 26.6% were non-families, and 21.9% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.07. The median age was 38.2 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $56,796 and the median income for a family was $65,835. Males had a median income of $49,314 versus $37,209 for females. The per capita income for the county was $26,130. About 7.5% of families and 10.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.7% of those under age 18 and 6.7% of those age 65 or over.
2000 census As of the census of 2010, there were 146,156 people, 54,310 households, and 39,846 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 58,678 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 90.02% White, 6.00% Black or African American, 0.20% Native American, 1.10% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.23% from other races, and 1.90% from two or more races. 1.70% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 54,310 households, out of which 34.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.30% were married couples living together, 11.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.60% were non-families. 21.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.07.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.30% under the age of 18, 8.00% from 18 to 24, 30.20% from 25 to 44, 23.90% from 45 to 64, and 12.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.30 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $47,962, and the median income for a family was $55,539. Males had a median income of $39,566 versus $27,353 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,671. About 4.50% of families and 5.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.40% of those under age 18 and 6.20% of those age 65 or over. Politics Prior to 1944, Fairfield County was Democratic in presidential elections, only voting for Republicans twice from 1856 to 1940. Starting with the 1944 election, the county has become a Republican stronghold in presidential elections, with Lyndon B. Johnson being the only Democrat to win since then, but Harry S. Truman came within 96 votes of winning it in 1948.
Government
Office Officeholder Party Fairfield County Commissioner David L. Levacy Republican Fairfield County Commissioner Steve Davis Republican Fairfield County Commissioner Jeffrey Fix Republican Auditor Carri Brown, PhD Republican Clerk of Courts Branden Meyer Republican Coroner Dr. L. Brian Varney, M.D. Republican Engineer Jeremiah Upp Republican Prosecutor Kyle Witt Republican Recorder Lisa R. McKenzie Republican Sheriff Alex Lape Republican Treasurer James Bahnsen Republican
Ohio House of Representatives District Representative Party 69 Kevin Miller Republican 73 Jeff LaRe Republican
Ohio State Senate District Senator Party 20 Tim Schaffer Republican
United States House of Representatives District Representative Party 12 Troy Balderson Republican 15 Mike Carey Republican
United States Senate Senator Party Bernie Moreno Republican Jon Husted Republican
Education
School districts and state schools School districts include: - Text list
Amanda-Clearcreek Local School District Berne Union Local School District Bloom-Carroll Local School District Canal Winchester Local School District (Franklin & Fairfield) Fairfield Union Local School District Lancaster City School District Liberty Union-Thurston Local School District Northern Local School District Pickerington Local School District Reynoldsburg City Schools Southwest Licking Local School District Teays Valley Local School District (Almost entirely Pickaway) Walnut Township Local School District
Elementary schools St. Mary's School St. Bernadette School Mount Pleasant Elementary Medill Elementary (housed at former East Elementary location during reconstruction) Sanderson Elementary (to be closed upon completion of Medill Elementary reconstruction) Tallmadge Elementary (housed at former West Elementary location during reconstruction) Tarhe Trails Elementary Gorsuch West Elementary Pleasantville Elementary Bremen Elementary
High schools Amanda-Clearcreek Digital Academy Amanda-Clearcreek High School Liberty Union High School Bloom-Carroll High School Fairfield Career Center Fairfield Christian Academy Fairfield Union High School Lancaster Fairfield Alternative School Lancaster High School Millersport Jr/Sr High School Walnut Township Academy Pickerington Alternative School Pickerington High School Central Pickerington High School North Berne Union High School William V. Fisher Catholic High School
Transportation Airports The Fairfield County Airport is located northwest of Lancaster's central business district.
Major highways
Communities
Cities Canal Winchester Columbus (mostly in Franklin County and partly in Delaware County) Lancaster (county seat) Pickerington Reynoldsburg
Villages
Amanda Baltimore Bremen Buckeye Lake Carroll Lithopolis Millersport Pleasantville Rushville Stoutsville Sugar Grove Tarlton Thurston West Rushville
Townships
Amanda Berne Bloom Clearcreek Greenfield Hocking Liberty Madison Pleasant Richland Rush Creek Violet Walnut
Census-designated places Fairfield Beach Hamburg Hide-A-Way Hills
Unincorporated communities
Cedar Hill Clearport Colfax Delmont Drinkle Dumontsville Geneva Greencastle Havensport Hooker Horns Mill Jefferson Lockville Marcy New Salem North Berne Oakland Oakthorpe Revenge Royalton Waterloo
Source:
See also National Register of Historic Places listings in Fairfield County, Ohio
References
External links Fairfield County Government's website Fairfield County Visitors & Convention Bureau Lancaster-Fairfield County Annual July 4 Celebration