Appalachian Ohio is abioregion and political unit in the southeastern part of theU.S. state ofOhio, characterized by the western foothills of theAppalachian Mountains and theAppalachian Plateau. TheAppalachian Regional Commission defines the region as consisting of thirty-two counties.[1] This region roughly overlaps with theAppalachian mixed-mesophytic forests, which begin in southeast Ohio and southwestPennsylvania and continue south toGeorgia andAlabama. The mixed-mesophytic forest is found only in Central and SouthernAppalachia and eastern/centralChina. It is one of the most biodiverse temperate forests in the world.
Geologically, Appalachian Ohio corresponds closely to theterminal moraine of an ancientglacier that runs southwest to northeast through the state. Areas south and east of the moraine are characterized by rough, irregular hills and hollows, characteristic of theAllegheny Plateau andCumberland Plateaus of the westernAppalachian Plateau System. Unlike eastern Appalachia, this region does not have long fin-like ridges like those of theRidge-and-Valley Appalachians subranges, but a network of rocky hollows and hills going in all directions.
The region is considered part of "central Appalachia", a political, cultural, and bioregional classification that includes southeastern Ohio,Eastern Kentucky, most ofWest Virginia andSouthwestern Virginia. The region has a total population of roughly 1.982 million.
| 1.Adams County 2.Ashtabula County 3.Athens County 4.Belmont County 5.Brown County 6.Carroll County 7.Clermont County 8.Columbiana County 9.Coshocton County 10.Gallia County 11.Guernsey County 12.Harrison County 13.Highland County 14.Hocking County 15.Holmes County 16.Jackson County | 17.Jefferson County 18.Lawrence County 19.Mahoning County 20.Meigs County 21.Monroe County 22.Morgan County 23.Muskingum County 24.Noble County 25.Perry County 26.Pike County 27.Ross County 28.Scioto County 29.Trumbull County 30.Tuscarawas County 31.Vinton County 32.Washington County |
The Governor's Office of Appalachia subdivides the 32 counties of Appalachian Ohio into three smaller regions: East Central Ohio, South East Ohio, and Southern Ohio.[1][2] The following lists include each county in the region and its county seat.
| East Central Ohio | South East Ohio | Southern Ohio |
|---|---|---|
Appalachian Ohio has several cities within its borders, which as of the2010 census included the following localities:
With the exception of progressive college cities likeAthens, Ohio, Appalachian Ohio has been a Republican stronghold since Donald Trump became the party's nominee in 2016. Historically, the region was a Democratic stronghold or evenly split.
Neighboring parts of Appalachia in other states have also shifted towards the Republicans during the same time period, includingWest Virginia and theEastern Kentucky Coalfield.[3]
DemocratSherrod Brown's Ohio U.S. Senate elections show the region's long-term trend towards Republicans. In2024, Brown only won Athens county. But in2006, Brown had won almost every single county in the region.
| Year | Democratic | Republican | Third parties |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 30.8%288,055 | 68.4%638,561 | 0.6%7,196 |
| 2020 | 32.7%313,027' | 66.0%632,243 | 1.4%12,982 |
| 2016 | 33.3%298,738 | 62.6%562,102 | 4.1%37,224 |
| 2012 | 48.7%433,276 | 51.3%456,776 | 0%0 |
| 2008 | 48.51%461,255 | 48.99%465,768 | 2.5%23,814 |
| 2004 | 48.31%462,464 | 51.13%489,425 | 0.56%5,341 |
| 2000 | 47.07%388,202 | 48.92%403,405 | 2.54%20,975 |
| 1996 | 49.48%401,991 | 36.2%294,062 | 13.37%108,635 |
John Glenn Columbus International Airport, inColumbus, is the largest airport and serves most of the residents in southeast Ohio. John Glenn offers primarily domestic flights.Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport to the southwest serves most of the residents ofCincinnati and itsmetropolitan area, andCleveland Hopkins International Airport to the north is also a majorhub airport.
TheAppalachian Regional Commission was formed in 1965 to aid economic development in the Appalachian region, which was lagging far behind the rest of the nation on most economic indicators. The Appalachian region currently defined by the commission includes 420 counties in 13 states, including 32 counties in Ohio. The commission gives each county one of five possible economic designations— distressed, at-risk, transitional, competitive, or attainment— with "distressed" counties being the most economically endangered and "attainment" counties being the most economically prosperous. These designations are based primarily on three indicators— three-year average unemployment rate, market income per capita, and poverty rate.[5] In 2009, Appalachian Ohio had a three-year average unemployment rate of 8.4%, compared with 7.5% statewide and 6.6% nationwide. In 2008, Appalachian Ohio had a per capita market income of $22,294, compared with $29,344 statewide and $34,004 nationwide. In 2009, Appalachian Ohio had a poverty rate of 16%, compared to 13.6% statewide and 13.5% nationwide.[6] Seven Ohio counties—Adams,Athens,Meigs,Morgan,Noble,Pike andVinton—were designated "distressed", while nine—Ashtabula,Gallia,Guernsey,Harrison,Jackson,Lawrence,Monroe,Perry andScioto—were designated "at-risk". The remaining half of Appalachian Ohio counties were designated "transitional", meaning they lagged behind the national average on one of the three key indicators. No counties in Ohio were given the "attainment" or "competitive" designations.
Athens County had Appalachian Ohio's highest poverty rating, with 32.8% of its residents living below the poverty line.Clermont had Appalachian Ohio's highest per capita income ($30,515) andHolmes had the lowest unemployment rate (5.5%).[5]Washington County has the highest high school graduation rate (84.5%), whileAdams County has the lowest (68.6%). Although Holmes County has a significantly lower high school graduation rate than Adams County at 51.5%, its graduation rates are somewhat skewed compared to the rest of the region, due to the county's high population ofAmish, whose children do not attend school past the eighth grade.[7]
Notable Americans from Appalachian Ohio include:
