Hancock County is a

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

located in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 74,920.2020 census
/ref> Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

and largest city is Findlay. The county was created in 1820 and later organized in 1828. It was named for

John Hancock John Hancock ( – October 8, 1793) was an American Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father, merchant, statesman, and prominent Patriot (American Revolution), Patriot of the American Revolution. He was the longest-serving Presi ...

, the first signer of the

Declaration of Independence A declaration of independence is an assertion by a polity in a defined territory that it is independent and constitutes a state. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the territory of another state or failed state, or are breaka ...

. Hancock County comprises the Findlay, Ohio Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Hancock County was established on January 21, 1828, by the Ohio General Assembly from the southern portions of Wood County. Originally containing only Findlay Township, the county would add Amanda and Welfare (now Delaware) townships later in April of that year. Additional townships were laid out as follows: Jackson in 1829; Liberty and Marion in December 1830; Big Lick, Blanchard, and Van Buren in 1831; Washington, Union, and Eagle in 1832; Cass and Portage in 1833; Pleasant in 1835; Orange in 1836; Madison in 1840, and finally Allen in 1850. Originally nearly 24 miles square, Hancock County would lose some of its southeast portion in 1845 to the new Wyandot County.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.4%) is water.

Adjacent counties

* Wood County (north) * Seneca County (northeast) * Wyandot County (southeast) * Hardin County (south) * Allen County (southwest) * Putnam County (west) * Henry County (northwest)

Demographics

2000 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 71,295 people, 27,898 households, and 19,138 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 29,785 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 95.14%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 1.11%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.18% Native American, 1.22% Asian, 0.02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 1.22% from other races, and 1.12% from two or more races. 3.07% of the population were

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race. There were 27,898 households, out of which 32.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.40% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 8.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.40% were non-families. 26.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.80% 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 3.01. In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.70% under the age of 18, 9.70% from 18 to 24, 28.70% from 25 to 44, 22.60% from 45 to 64, and 13.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 94.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.20 males. The median income for a household in the county was $43,856, and the median income for a family was $51,490. Males had a median income of $37,139 versus $24,374 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the county was $20,991. About 5.20% of families and 7.50% 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 ...

, including 8.80% of those under age 18 and 6.10% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 74,782 people, 30,197 households, and 19,884 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 33,174 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 93.4% white, 1.7% Asian, 1.5% black or African American, 0.2% American Indian, 1.4% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 4.5% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 43.1% were German, 11.0% were Irish, 10.3% were English, and 6.6% were American. Of the 30,197 households, 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.3% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 34.2% were non-families, and 27.9% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.94. The median age was 38.5 years. The median income for a household in the county was $49,070 and the median income for a family was $59,600. Males had a median income of $42,479 versus $31,631 for females. The per capita income for the county was $25,158. About 8.5% of families and 11.4% of the population were below the

, including 15.2% of those under age 18 and 5.7% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Cities

* Findlay (county seat) * Fostoria

Villages

* Arcadia * Arlington * Benton Ridge * Bluffton * Jenera * McComb * Mount Blanchard * Mount Cory * Rawson * Van Buren * Vanlue

Townships

* Allen * Amanda * Biglick * Blanchard *

Cass Cass may refer to: People and fictional characters * Cass (surname), a list of people * Cass (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Big Cass, ring name of wrestler William Morrissey * Cass, in British band Skunk Anansie * Cass, ...

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic states, South Atlantic regions of the United States. It borders Maryland to its south and west, Pennsylvania to its north, New Jersey ...

Eagle Eagle is the common name for the golden eagle, bald eagle, and other birds of prey in the family of the Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of Genus, genera, some of which are closely related. True eagles comprise the genus ''Aquila ( ...

* Jackson *

Liberty Liberty is the state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one's way of life, behavior, or political views. The concept of liberty can vary depending on perspective and context. In the Constitutional ...

* Madison * Marion * Orange * Pleasant *

Portage Portage or portaging ( CA: ; ) is the practice of carrying water craft or cargo over land, either around an obstacle in a river, or between two bodies of water. A path where items are regularly carried between bodies of water is also called a '' ...

* Union * Van Buren * Washington

Unincorporated communities

* Cannonsburg * Cordelia * Deweyville * Houcktown * Mortimer * New Stark * Portage Center * Shawtown * West Independence * Williamstown

Ghost town

Moffit

Government

Politics

Although in the period up to

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

Hancock County's German heritage caused it to lean Democratic, since that war – when

German Americans German Americans (, ) are Americans who have full or partial German ancestry. According to the United States Census Bureau's figures from 2022, German Americans make up roughly 41 million people in the US, which is approximately 12% of the pop ...

were driven from the Democratic Party by

Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was the 28th president of the United States, serving from 1913 to 1921. He was the only History of the Democratic Party (United States), Democrat to serve as president during the Prog ...

’s postwar settlement policies and James M. Cox’s refusal to accept

German language German (, ) is a West Germanic language in the Indo-European language family, mainly spoken in Western Europe, Western and Central Europe. It is the majority and Official language, official (or co-official) language in Germany, Austria, Switze ...

instructionBenseler, David P.; Nickisch, Craig W. and Nollendorfs, Cora Lee (editors); ''Teaching German in Twentieth-century America'', p. 60 – the county has been powerfully Republican. Since 1920 no Democratic presidential candidate has obtained an absolute majority of Hancock County's vote – although

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...

did win narrow pluralities in his 1932 and 1936 landslides – and it was one of just five Ohio counties that voted for

Barry Goldwater Barry Morris Goldwater (January 2, 1909 – May 29, 1998) was an American politician and major general in the United States Air Force, Air Force Reserve who served as a United States senator from 1953 to 1965 and 1969 to 1987, and was the Re ...

over

Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), also known as LBJ, was the 36th president of the United States, serving from 1963 to 1969. He became president after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, under whom he had served a ...

in 1964. Although Goldwater won by just sixty-three votes, no Democratic presidential nominee since has cracked three-eighths (37.5%) of the county's vote.

References

External links

Hancock County Government's website
{{authority control 1828 establishments in Ohio Populated places established in 1828