Lorain County, Ohio | |
|---|---|
 Old county building in Elyria | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofOhio | |
| Coordinates:41°28′N82°09′W / 41.47°N 82.15°W /41.47; -82.15 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Ohio |
| Founded | April 1, 1824 |
| Named after | Lorraine inFrance[1] |
| Seat | Elyria |
| Largest city | Lorain |
| Area | |
• Total | 923 sq mi (2,390 km2) |
| • Land | 491 sq mi (1,270 km2) |
| • Water | 432 sq mi (1,120 km2) 47% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 312,964 |
• Estimate (2023) | 317,910 |
| • Density | 637/sq mi (246/km2) |
| Congressional district | 5th |
| Website | www |
Lorain County (/lɔːˈreɪn/) is acounty in the northeastern part of theU.S. state ofOhio As of the2020 census, the population was 312,964.[2] Itscounty seat isElyria, and its largest city isLorain.[3] The county was physically established in 1822, becoming judicially independent in 1824.[4] Lorain County is part of theCleveland, OH Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county is home toOberlin College.
Lorain County was established in 1822 from portions of several of its adjacent counties.[5] This county became judicially-independent in 1824. The original proposed name for the county was "Colerain".[6] The final name "Lorain" was chosen by Heman Ely, who had founded and named the city of Elyria. The county's name is based on the former German and now French province ofLorraine.[7]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the county has an area of 923 square miles (2,390 km2), of which 491 square miles (1,270 km2) is land and 432 square miles (1,120 km2) (47%) is water.[8] It is Ohio's fourth-largest county by area.
Interstate 80 (Ohio Turnpike)
Interstate 90 (Ohio Turnpike)
Interstate 480
U.S. Route 6
U.S. Route 20
State Route 2
State Route 10
State Route 18
State Route 57
State Route 58
Ohio Route 82
Ohio Route 83
State Route 113
Ohio Route 162
Ohio Route 252
Ohio Route 254
Ohio Route 301
Ohio Route 303
Ohio Route 511
Ohio Route 611| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1830 | 5,696 | — | |
| 1840 | 18,467 | 224.2% | |
| 1850 | 26,086 | 41.3% | |
| 1860 | 29,744 | 14.0% | |
| 1870 | 30,308 | 1.9% | |
| 1880 | 35,526 | 17.2% | |
| 1890 | 40,295 | 13.4% | |
| 1900 | 54,857 | 36.1% | |
| 1910 | 76,037 | 38.6% | |
| 1920 | 90,612 | 19.2% | |
| 1930 | 109,206 | 20.5% | |
| 1940 | 112,390 | 2.9% | |
| 1950 | 148,162 | 31.8% | |
| 1960 | 217,500 | 46.8% | |
| 1970 | 256,843 | 18.1% | |
| 1980 | 274,909 | 7.0% | |
| 1990 | 271,126 | −1.4% | |
| 2000 | 284,664 | 5.0% | |
| 2010 | 301,356 | 5.9% | |
| 2020 | 312,964 | 3.9% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 317,910 | [9] | 1.6% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[10] 1790-1960[11] 1900-1990[12] 1990-2000[13] 2010-2020[2] | |||
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 1980[14] | Pop 1990[15] | Pop 2000[16] | Pop 2010[17] | Pop 2020[18] | % 1980 | % 1990 | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 240,221 | 232,874 | 234,597 | 241,543 | 237,520 | 87.38% | 85.89% | 82.41% | 80.15% | 75.89% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 19,549 | 20,696 | 23,365 | 24,289 | 22,980 | 7.11% | 7.63% | 8.21% | 8.06% | 7.34% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 451 | 680 | 699 | 635 | 502 | 0.16% | 0.25% | 0.25% | 0.21% | 0.16% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 972 | 1,435 | 1,665 | 2,758 | 3,569 | 0.35% | 0.53% | 0.58% | 0.92% | 1.14% |
| Native Hawaiian orPacific Islander alone (NH) | x[19] | x[20] | 47 | 35 | 50 | x | x | 0.02% | 0.01% | 0.02% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 592 | 180 | 267 | 302 | 1,020 | 0.22% | 0.07% | 0.09% | 0.10% | 0.33% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | x[21] | x[22] | 4,348 | 6,504 | 14,406 | x | x | 1.53% | 2.16% | 4.60% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 13,124 | 15,261 | 19,676 | 25,290 | 32,917 | 4.77% | 5.63% | 6.91% | 8.39% | 10.52% |
| Total | 274,909 | 271,126 | 284,664 | 301,356 | 312,964 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the2020 census, the county had a population of 312,964. The median age was 42.6 years, with 21.6% of residents under the age of 18 and 19.5% aged 65 or older. For every 100 females there were 96.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 93.8 males age 18 and over.[23]
The racial makeup of the county was 79.0%White, 7.9%Black or African American, 0.3%American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%Asian, <0.1%Native Hawaiian andPacific Islander, 3.3% from some other race, and 8.3% fromtwo or more races.Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 10.5% of the population.[24]
85.7% of residents lived in urban areas, while 14.3% lived in rural areas.[25]
There were 125,239 households in the county, of which 28.4% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 47.1% were married-couple households, 17.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 28.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[23]
There were 134,341 housing units, of which 6.8% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 71.4% were owner-occupied and 28.6% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.4% and the rental vacancy rate was 8.7%.[23]
As of the2010 census, there were 301,356 people, 116,274 households, and 80,077 families residing in the county.[26] The population density was 613.6 inhabitants per square mile (236.9/km2). There were 127,036 housing units at an average density of 258.7 per square mile (99.9/km2).[27] The racial makeup of the county was 84.8% white, 8.6% black or African American, 0.9% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 2.5% from other races, and 3.0% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 8.4% of the population.[26] In terms of ancestry, 26.5% wereGerman, 16.7% wereIrish, 10.9% wereEnglish, 8.4% werePolish, 8.2% wereItalian, 6.2% wereAmerican, and 5.2% wereHungarian.[28]
Of the 116,274 households, 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.5% were married couples living together, 13.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 31.1% were non-families, and 26.0% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.02. The median age was 40.0 years.[26]
The median income for a household in the county was $52,066 and the median income for a family was $62,082. Males had a median income of $49,146 versus $35,334 for females. The per capita income for the county was $25,002. About 10.3% of families and 13.1% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 20.5% of those under age 18 and 8.0% of those age 65 or over.[29]
There are 20 public school districts in Lorain County. Those primarily in Lorain County are listed in bold. Each district's high school(s) and location is also listed.
The county also includes theLorain County Joint Vocational School District, which encompasses the entire county and serves students from the Amherst, Avon, Avon Lake, Clearview, Columbia, Elyria, Firelands, Keystone, Midview, North Ridgeville, Oberlin, Sheffield-Sheffield Lake and Wellington school districts from a 10-acre campus on a 100-acre site near the intersection of State Route 58 and U.S. Route 20 in Oberlin.[30]
As of 2025, the following county-wide elected officials are in office:[31]
| Position | Name | Party |
|---|---|---|
| Commissioner | David J. Moore | Republican |
| Commissioner | Marty Gallagher | Republican |
| Commissioner | Jeff Riddell | Republican |
| Prosecuting Attorney | Anthony Cillo | Republican |
| Sheriff | Jack M. Hall | Republican |
| Clerk of Courts | Tom Orlando | Democrat |
| Coroner | Dr. Frank P. Miller III | Republican |
| Auditor | J. Craig Snodgrass | Democrat |
| Recorder | Mike Doran | Republican |
| Treasurer | Daniel J. Talarek | Democrat |
| Engineer | Kenneth Carney | Democrat |
| Position | Name | Party |
|---|---|---|
| Common Pleas - General | Giovanna V. Bremke | Republican |
| Common Pleas - General | Christopher R. Rothgery | Democrat |
| Common Pleas - General | D. Christopher Cook | Democrat |
| Common Pleas - General | Raymond J. Ewers | Democrat |
| Common Pleas - General | Melissa C. Kobasher | Democrat |
| Common Pleas - General | Donna C. Freeman | Democrat |
| Domestic Relations Division | Frank J. Janik | Democrat |
| Domestic Relations Division | Sherry Glass Strohsack | Democrat |
| Domestic Relations Division | Lisa I. Swenski | Democrat |
| Probate Division | James T. Walther | Democrat |
Lorain County used to lean Democratic in more recent presidential elections, voting for the Democratic candidate for president from 1988 to 2012. In 2016, however, the county was almost swept up as part of the unexpected Republican surge in theRust Belt;Donald Trump came within 131 votes of winning the county. In 2020, Trump flipped the county Republican by a narrow majority, becoming the first Republican to capture the county sinceRonald Reagan in 1984. In 2024, Trump won the county with 52.12% of the vote, the highest percentage for a Republican since 1972. Despite this, the county also voted for DemocratSherrod Brown in the2024 Senate election, making it the only county in the state to vote for both Trump and Brown in 2024.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1856 | 3,604 | 70.97% | 1,420 | 27.96% | 54 | 1.06% |
| 1860 | 4,045 | 66.89% | 1,766 | 29.20% | 236 | 3.90% |
| 1864 | 4,600 | 73.65% | 1,646 | 26.35% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1868 | 4,443 | 69.72% | 1,930 | 30.28% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1872 | 4,432 | 67.71% | 2,097 | 32.03% | 17 | 0.26% |
| 1876 | 5,187 | 65.28% | 2,720 | 34.23% | 39 | 0.49% |
| 1880 | 5,609 | 66.25% | 2,752 | 32.51% | 105 | 1.24% |
| 1884 | 5,478 | 60.30% | 3,199 | 35.21% | 408 | 4.49% |
| 1888 | 5,235 | 57.32% | 3,311 | 36.25% | 587 | 6.43% |
| 1892 | 5,434 | 56.60% | 3,674 | 38.27% | 492 | 5.13% |
| 1896 | 7,801 | 63.28% | 4,367 | 35.43% | 159 | 1.29% |
| 1900 | 8,497 | 61.93% | 4,989 | 36.36% | 235 | 1.71% |
| 1904 | 9,001 | 70.16% | 2,700 | 21.04% | 1,129 | 8.80% |
| 1908 | 8,699 | 57.10% | 5,460 | 35.84% | 1,076 | 7.06% |
| 1912 | 2,226 | 16.34% | 4,591 | 33.71% | 6,804 | 49.95% |
| 1916 | 6,868 | 45.66% | 7,658 | 50.91% | 516 | 3.43% |
| 1920 | 18,125 | 65.84% | 8,640 | 31.39% | 764 | 2.78% |
| 1924 | 17,062 | 61.43% | 3,965 | 14.28% | 6,747 | 24.29% |
| 1928 | 24,386 | 63.83% | 13,607 | 35.62% | 212 | 0.55% |
| 1932 | 20,897 | 51.00% | 18,753 | 45.77% | 1,321 | 3.22% |
| 1936 | 15,906 | 37.29% | 24,393 | 57.19% | 2,357 | 5.53% |
| 1940 | 23,422 | 47.55% | 25,831 | 52.45% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 23,866 | 48.59% | 25,254 | 51.41% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 21,616 | 49.53% | 21,397 | 49.03% | 625 | 1.43% |
| 1952 | 33,825 | 56.36% | 26,194 | 43.64% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 40,340 | 60.11% | 26,774 | 39.89% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 39,361 | 47.51% | 43,487 | 52.49% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 26,683 | 32.37% | 55,755 | 67.63% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 34,252 | 39.95% | 42,642 | 49.74% | 8,833 | 10.30% |
| 1972 | 51,102 | 56.15% | 36,634 | 40.25% | 3,280 | 3.60% |
| 1976 | 39,459 | 41.66% | 52,387 | 55.31% | 2,865 | 3.02% |
| 1980 | 51,034 | 49.51% | 40,919 | 39.69% | 11,131 | 10.80% |
| 1984 | 57,379 | 50.77% | 52,970 | 46.87% | 2,672 | 2.36% |
| 1988 | 50,410 | 47.14% | 55,600 | 52.00% | 916 | 0.86% |
| 1992 | 36,803 | 31.03% | 50,962 | 42.97% | 30,840 | 26.00% |
| 1996 | 34,937 | 32.82% | 55,744 | 52.37% | 15,764 | 14.81% |
| 2000 | 47,957 | 42.75% | 59,809 | 53.32% | 4,414 | 3.93% |
| 2004 | 61,203 | 43.49% | 78,970 | 56.11% | 569 | 0.40% |
| 2008 | 59,068 | 40.22% | 85,276 | 58.07% | 2,515 | 1.71% |
| 2012 | 59,405 | 41.47% | 81,464 | 56.87% | 2,384 | 1.66% |
| 2016 | 66,818 | 47.54% | 66,949 | 47.63% | 6,795 | 4.83% |
| 2020 | 79,520 | 50.40% | 75,667 | 47.96% | 2,581 | 1.64% |
| 2024 | 83,297 | 52.12% | 74,207 | 46.44% | 2,303 | 1.44% |
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2024 | 71,759 | 45.95% | 79,307 | 50.78% | 5,115 | 3.28% |
Places adjacent to Lorain County, Ohio | |
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Municipalities and communities ofLorain County, Ohio,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| Villages | ||
| Townships | ||
| CDPs | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost town | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
41°28′N82°09′W / 41.47°N 82.15°W /41.47; -82.15
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