Lawrence County, Ohio | |
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 Flag  Seal | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofOhio | |
| Coordinates:38°35′N82°32′W / 38.59°N 82.54°W /38.59; -82.54 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Ohio |
| Founded | March 1, 1817 |
| Named after | James Lawrence |
| Seat | Ironton |
| Largest city | Ironton |
| Area | |
• Total | 457 sq mi (1,180 km2) |
| • Land | 453 sq mi (1,170 km2) |
| • Water | 3.9 sq mi (10 km2) 0.9% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 58,240 |
| • Density | 130/sq mi (50/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 2nd |
| Website | www |
Lawrence County is the southernmostcounty of theU.S. state ofOhio. As of the2020 census, the population was 58,240.[1] Itscounty seat isIronton.[2] The county was created in 1815 and later organized in 1817.[3] It isnamed forJames Lawrence, the naval officer famous for the line "do not give up the ship".[4]Lawrence County is part of theHuntington–Ashland metropolitan area.
The earliest European-American settlers, Luke Kelly and his family, and May Keyser, settled at Hanging Rock along theOhio River in 1796, having migrated from the east.[5] Lawrence County was formed on December 20, 1816, from parts of Gallia and Scioto counties, with the county seat named asBurlington.[6] In 1851, the county seat was moved from Burlington toIronton. A new courthouse was built at that time. It burned in 1857. The presentLawrence County Courthouse was built in 1908.
Men from Lawrence County served in theMexican–American War, with at least one having died during that conflict. By 1862, about 3,200 of Lawrence County's men were soldiers in theUnion Army in theAmerican Civil War.[7] DuringWorld War I, 2,200 of Lawrence County's men served in the armed forces, and 99 died.[8]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 457 square miles (1,180 km2), of which 453 square miles (1,170 km2) is land and 3.9 square miles (10 km2) (0.9%) is water.[9] It is the southernmost county in the state of Ohio and part ofAppalachian Ohio.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1820 | 3,499 | — | |
| 1830 | 5,367 | 53.4% | |
| 1840 | 9,738 | 81.4% | |
| 1850 | 15,246 | 56.6% | |
| 1860 | 23,249 | 52.5% | |
| 1870 | 31,380 | 35.0% | |
| 1880 | 39,068 | 24.5% | |
| 1890 | 39,556 | 1.2% | |
| 1900 | 39,534 | −0.1% | |
| 1910 | 39,488 | −0.1% | |
| 1920 | 39,540 | 0.1% | |
| 1930 | 44,541 | 12.6% | |
| 1940 | 46,705 | 4.9% | |
| 1950 | 49,115 | 5.2% | |
| 1960 | 55,438 | 12.9% | |
| 1970 | 56,868 | 2.6% | |
| 1980 | 63,849 | 12.3% | |
| 1990 | 61,834 | −3.2% | |
| 2000 | 62,319 | 0.8% | |
| 2010 | 62,450 | 0.2% | |
| 2020 | 58,240 | −6.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[10] 1790-1960[11] 1900-1990[12] 1990-2000[13] 2020[1] | |||
As of the2020 census, the county had a population of 58,240. The median age was 43.1 years. 21.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 20.0% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 94.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 91.7 males age 18 and over.[14][15]
The racial makeup of the county was 93.2%White, 1.9%Black or African American, 0.2%American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Asian, <0.1%Native Hawaiian andPacific Islander, 0.4% from some other race, and 3.8% fromtwo or more races.Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 1.1% of the population.[15]
54.7% of residents lived in urban areas, while 45.3% lived in rural areas.[16]
There were 23,872 households in the county, of which 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 46.6% were married-couple households, 17.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 28.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[14]
There were 26,501 housing units, of which 9.9% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 71.4% were owner-occupied and 28.6% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.9% and the rental vacancy rate was 5.9%.[14]
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 1980[17] | Pop 1990[18] | Pop 2000[19] | Pop 2010[20] | Pop 2020[21] | % 1980 | % 1990 | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 61,770 | 60,003 | 59,915 | 59,547 | 54,016 | 96.74% | 97.04% | 96.14% | 95.35% | 92.75% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 1,536 | 1,555 | 1,297 | 1,267 | 1,100 | 2.41% | 2.51% | 2.08% | 2.03% | 1.89% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 105 | 57 | 105 | 111 | 134 | 0.16% | 0.09% | 0.17% | 0.18% | 0.23% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 75 | 70 | 117 | 240 | 219 | 0.12% | 0.11% | 0.19% | 0.38% | 0.38% |
| Native Hawaiian orPacific Islander alone (NH) | x[22] | x[23] | 3 | 3 | 7 | x | x | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.01% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 51 | 10 | 22 | 50 | 135 | 0.08% | 0.02% | 0.04% | 0.08% | 0.23% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | x[24] | x[25] | 505 | 787 | 2,011 | x | x | 0.81% | 1.26% | 3.45% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 312 | 139 | 355 | 445 | 618 | 0.49% | 0.22% | 0.57% | 0.71% | 1.06% |
| Total | 63,849 | 61,834 | 62,319 | 62,450 | 58,240 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the2010 United States census, there were 62,450 people, 24,974 households, and 17,405 families living in the county.[26] The population density was 137.7 inhabitants per square mile (53.2/km2). There were 27,603 housing units at an average density of 60.9 per square mile (23.5/km2).[27] The racial makeup of the county was 95.9% white, 2.0% black or African American, 0.4% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.2% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.7% of the population.[26] In terms of ancestry, 18.0% wereAmerican, 15.4% wereGerman, 12.9% wereIrish, and 10.8% wereEnglish.[28] In Lawrence County, less than 1% of people who self-identify as "Irish" are Catholic. Scholars believe this is part of a trend in which people are vaguely aware that at least some of their ancestors come from Ireland, but that population is primarily of "Scots-Irish" or "Ulster Scots" ancestry, and those identifying as "Irish" are simply unaware of the distinction.[29] Those citing "American" ancestry in Lawrence County are of overwhelmingly English extraction, mostEnglish Americans identify simply as American because their ancestors have been in North America for centuries—in some cases since the 1600s.[30][31][32][33][34]
Of the 24,974 households, 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.0% were married couples living together, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 30.3% were non-families, and 26.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.95. The median age was 40.1 years.[26]
The median income for a household in the county was $36,461 and the median income for a family was $46,732. Males had a median income of $38,170 versus $28,251 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,452. About 15.2% of families and 19.4% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 28.0% of those under age 18 and 11.9% of those age 65 or over.[35]
As of thecensus[36] of 2000, there were 62,319 people, 24,732 households, and 17,807 families living in the county. The population density was 137 inhabitants per square mile (53/km2). There were 27,189 housing units at an average density of 60 units per square mile (23/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 96.55%White, 2.09%Black orAfrican American, 0.18%Native American, 0.19%Asian, 0.01%Pacific Islander, 0.11% fromother races, and 0.88% from two or more races. 0.57% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 24,732 households, out of which 32.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.00% weremarried couples living together, 11.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.00% were non-families. 24.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.20% 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 2.96.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.50% under the age of 18, 8.60% from 18 to 24, 28.00% from 25 to 44, 24.50% from 45 to 64, and 14.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 92.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.40 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $29,127, and the median income for a family was $35,308. Males had a median income of $30,622 versus $20,961 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $14,678. About 15.10% of families and 18.90% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 27.30% of those under age 18 and 12.90% of those age 65 or over.
Lawrence County tends to support the Republican Party in presidential elections.Bill Clinton was the last Democrat to win the county, in 1996 – a distinction shared with 16 other Ohio counties, mostly in this region. Despite this fact, Democrats continued to crack 40% in election years. This changed in 2016, as with much ofAppalachia, when Hillary Clinton's 26.03% was the lowest in nearly 90 nears. Four years later, Joe Biden barely did better.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1856 | 743 | 26.58% | 1,150 | 41.14% | 902 | 32.27% |
| 1860 | 1,801 | 55.90% | 1,147 | 35.60% | 274 | 8.50% |
| 1864 | 2,985 | 72.68% | 1,122 | 27.32% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1868 | 3,159 | 65.73% | 1,647 | 34.27% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1872 | 3,624 | 68.17% | 1,637 | 30.79% | 55 | 1.03% |
| 1876 | 3,975 | 57.15% | 2,949 | 42.40% | 31 | 0.45% |
| 1880 | 4,627 | 61.50% | 2,862 | 38.04% | 34 | 0.45% |
| 1884 | 4,817 | 60.91% | 3,024 | 38.24% | 67 | 0.85% |
| 1888 | 4,713 | 59.54% | 3,068 | 38.76% | 135 | 1.71% |
| 1892 | 4,193 | 56.84% | 2,988 | 40.50% | 196 | 2.66% |
| 1896 | 5,408 | 63.42% | 3,050 | 35.77% | 69 | 0.81% |
| 1900 | 5,505 | 64.97% | 2,876 | 33.94% | 92 | 1.09% |
| 1904 | 5,587 | 72.42% | 1,905 | 24.69% | 223 | 2.89% |
| 1908 | 5,708 | 66.67% | 2,654 | 31.00% | 200 | 2.34% |
| 1912 | 2,650 | 37.39% | 2,042 | 28.81% | 2,395 | 33.79% |
| 1916 | 4,363 | 59.10% | 2,821 | 38.21% | 198 | 2.68% |
| 1920 | 7,616 | 65.08% | 3,955 | 33.80% | 131 | 1.12% |
| 1924 | 6,798 | 63.96% | 2,729 | 25.68% | 1,101 | 10.36% |
| 1928 | 10,346 | 74.51% | 3,470 | 24.99% | 69 | 0.50% |
| 1932 | 8,598 | 50.83% | 8,157 | 48.22% | 160 | 0.95% |
| 1936 | 8,498 | 42.35% | 11,471 | 57.17% | 97 | 0.48% |
| 1940 | 10,274 | 49.08% | 10,661 | 50.92% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 9,312 | 53.90% | 7,966 | 46.10% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 8,113 | 45.88% | 9,495 | 53.69% | 76 | 0.43% |
| 1952 | 11,962 | 56.22% | 9,316 | 43.78% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 12,607 | 62.72% | 7,492 | 37.28% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 13,159 | 60.32% | 8,656 | 39.68% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 7,757 | 38.04% | 12,635 | 61.96% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 9,782 | 46.75% | 8,671 | 41.44% | 2,470 | 11.81% |
| 1972 | 15,125 | 67.02% | 7,112 | 31.52% | 330 | 1.46% |
| 1976 | 10,668 | 46.39% | 12,072 | 52.50% | 256 | 1.11% |
| 1980 | 13,799 | 52.68% | 11,366 | 43.39% | 1,029 | 3.93% |
| 1984 | 14,793 | 55.96% | 11,431 | 43.24% | 213 | 0.81% |
| 1988 | 12,937 | 52.23% | 11,628 | 46.95% | 203 | 0.82% |
| 1992 | 10,044 | 37.17% | 12,325 | 45.61% | 4,652 | 17.22% |
| 1996 | 8,832 | 36.91% | 11,595 | 48.46% | 3,499 | 14.62% |
| 2000 | 12,531 | 51.25% | 11,307 | 46.24% | 614 | 2.51% |
| 2004 | 15,455 | 55.77% | 12,120 | 43.74% | 135 | 0.49% |
| 2008 | 15,415 | 56.28% | 11,262 | 41.12% | 713 | 2.60% |
| 2012 | 14,651 | 56.50% | 10,744 | 41.43% | 537 | 2.07% |
| 2016 | 18,689 | 69.76% | 6,974 | 26.03% | 1,126 | 4.20% |
| 2020 | 20,306 | 72.06% | 7,489 | 26.58% | 384 | 1.36% |
| 2024 | 20,013 | 74.58% | 6,514 | 24.27% | 309 | 1.15% |
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2024 | 18,077 | 68.66% | 7,192 | 27.32% | 1,060 | 4.03% |
Lawrence County Elected Officials:[39]
Commissioner: Dr. Colton Copley (R-South Point)
Commissioner: DeAnna Holliday (R-Ironton)
Commissioner: Mike Finley (R-Ironton)
Auditor - Paul David Knipp (R-Ironton)
Treasurer - Tresa Baker (R-Proctorville)
Clerk of Courts - Mike Patterson (D-Kitts Hill)
Sheriff - Jeff Lawless (R-Ironton)
Recorder - Lori Morris (R-Kitts Hill)
Coroner - Ben Mack (R-Crown City)
Prosecutor - Brigham Anderson (R-Ironton)
Engineer - Patrick Leighty (R-South Point)
Common Pleas Judge - Andrew Ballard (D-Proctorville)
Common Pleas Judge - Christen Finley (R-South Point)
Juvenile/Probate Judge - Patricia Sanders (R-South Point)
Primary Political Parties:
{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal= (help){{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal= (help)Places adjacent to Lawrence County, Ohio | |
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Municipalities and communities ofLawrence County, Ohio,United States | ||
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| City |  | |
| Villages | ||
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| CDPs | ||
| Other communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| Principal cities |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Municipalities with population over 5,000 | ||
| Municipalities with population 1,000–5,000 | ||
| Municipalities with population under 1,000 | ||
| West Virginia counties | ||
| Kentucky counties | ||
| Ohio counties | ||
38°35′N82°32′W / 38.59°N 82.54°W /38.59; -82.54
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| National | |
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