Willshire is a

village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred ...

Van Wert County, Ohio Van Wert County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 28,931. Its county seat is Van Wert. The county was created in February 12, 1820 and later organized on March 18, 1837. It is named for ...

, United States. The population was 397 at the 2010 census. It is included within the

Van Wert, Ohio Van Wert is a city in and the county seat of Van Wert County, Ohio, United States. The municipality is located in northwestern Ohio approximately 77 mi (123 km) SW of Toledo and 34 mi (54 km) SE of Fort Wayne, Indiana. The po ...

Micropolitan Statistical Area. Willshire is located from the Ohio/Indiana State line. St. Mary's River flows along the east edge of village.

History

Willshire was founded by Captain James Riley in 1822, and is named for the English man who saved him while he was a captive in Africa, William Willshire. A post office has been in operation at Willshire since 1822. Willshire served as the first county seat for Van Wert County.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...

, the village has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of 2010, there were 397 people, 162 households, and 109 families living in the village. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

was . There were 199 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 97.7%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 1.0%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.5% Native American, 0.3%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, and 0.5% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 0.8% of the population. There were 162 households, of which 28.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.1% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 32.7% were non-families. 29.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.06. The median age in the village was 41.1 years. 25.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.9% were from 25 to 44; 27% were from 45 to 64; and 18.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 49.6% male and 50.4% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 463 people, 192 households, and 124 families living in the village. The

was 1,221.1 people per square mile (470.4/km). There were 207 housing units at an average density of 545.9 per square mile (210.3/km). The racial makeup of the village was 98.92%

, 0.22% Asian, 0.22% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 0.65% from two or more races.

of any race were 0.65% of the population. There were 192 households, out of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.6% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.9% were non-families. 30.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 3.02. In the village, the population was spread out, with 25.1% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 32.8% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 106.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.1 males. The median income for a household in the village was $40,625, and the median income for a family was $50,536. Males had a median income of $31,818 versus $23,281 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the village was $18,425. About 4.9% of families and 5.9% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 10.1% of those under age 18 and 3.7% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Parkway Local Schools in

Rockford, Ohio Rockford is a village in Mercer County, Ohio, United States. The village is on the St. Mary's River near the center of the western Ohio border 12 miles Northwest of Celina. The population was 1,120 at the 2010 census. The village was founded ...

. Willshire has a public library, a branch of the Brumback Library.

References

{{authority control Villages in Van Wert County, Ohio Villages in Ohio Populated places established in 1822 1822 establishments in Ohio