Seneca County is a county located in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 55,069.2020 census Its county seat is Tiffin. The county was created in 1820 and organized in 1824. It is named for the Seneca Indians, the westernmost nation of the Iroquois Confederacy. This people were based in present-day New York but had territory extending into Pennsylvania and Ohio. Seneca County comprises the Tiffin, OH Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Findlay–Tiffin, OH Combined Statistical Area.
History This area was long occupied by a succession of indigenous peoples. During and after the colonial period, French, British and American fur traders established relations with the historic peoples of the time.
The county was barely inhabited by European Americans until the 1830s, but this period was one of steady migration by settlers from New York and New England. The migration was stimulated by completion of the Erie Canal through New York, which connected the markets by the Great Lakes to the Hudson River and New York City. By 1860 the population of Seneca County had increased to about half the current number of residents. It was developed for agriculture, and grew slowly thereafter. In 1889 900 Luxembourgers settled in Seneca County where they built substantial churches and schools.Luxembourg America, 19th,20th and 21th century - roots and leaves foundation 2015 p. 71.
Toward the end of the 19th century, during the Great Depression, and the post–World War II baby boom, this area had periods of greater population increase. In 1980 the census recorded a population of 61,901; the total has since declined. Since about 2000, the county's population declines by about 100–300 persons annually, mainly due to a migration deficit of about 300 persons annually. This decline is projected to continue in the future.
Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.3%) is water.
Almost 80% of the county's total area is agricultural land. Some 10% is covered by forest. Most of the rest is developed, with some allocated for pastureland.
The terrain of Seneca County is nearly level, gently sloping from about 290 meters ASL in the southeast to about 210 m ASL at the edge of the Great Black Swamp in the northwest. Most of the county's area is located between 230 and 260 m ASL, however. Almost the entire county belongs to the Sandusky River drainage basin; the river bisects the county from north to south slightly west of its middle. Tiffin developed on both sides of the river, which flows north to its mouth at Lake Erie. There is some steeper terrain along the river's course, formed by the occasional ravine of its tributaries.
The Great Lakes moderate temperatures somewhat, but Seneca County has essentially a continental climate. After most of the forests were cleared for agricultural development, the microclimate was disrupted. Winters can be harsh, with plentiful snowfall due to lake-effect snow. Summers are often hot and oppressively humid, bordering on subtropical. The mostly featureless surface does not form any obstacles to the winter winds sweeping south from Canada, resulting in extreme wind chill at times. In a 1906 description, the local climate was described as "rather unhealthful".
Adjacent counties Sandusky County (north) Huron County (east) Crawford County (southeast) Wyandot County (southwest) Hancock County (west) Wood County (northwest)
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 55,069, and the median age was 40.6 years. 21.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 19.1% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 100.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 98.5 males.
The racial makeup of the county was 89.6% White, 2.5% Black or African American, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 1.6% from some other race, and 5.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 5.3% of the population.
54.4% of residents lived in urban areas, while 45.6% lived in rural areas.
There were 22,017 households in the county, of which 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 47.2% were married-couple households, 19.5% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 24.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 29.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. There were 23,934 housing units, of which 8.0% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 71.7% were owner-occupied and 28.3% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.3% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.2%.
Racial and ethnic composition +Seneca County, Ohio – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 1980Pop 1990Pop 2000Pop 2010 Pop 2020% 1980% 1990% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)59,09356,57454,82151,73948,21395.46%94.71%93.42%91.18%87.55%Black or African American alone (NH)1,1511,1431,0161,2271,3141.86%1.91%1.73%2.16%2.39%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)42787984660.07%0.13%0.13%0.15%0.12%Asian alone (NH)1372282183213590.22%0.38%0.37%0.57%0.65%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)x included in the Asian category in the 1980 Censusx included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census4636xx0.01%0.01%0.07%Other race alone (NH)753441511580.12%0.06%0.07%0.09%0.29%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)x not an option in the 1980 Censusx not an option in the 1990 Census5327932,024xx0.91%1.40%3.68%Hispanic or Latino (any race)1,4031,6761,9722,5242,8992.27%2.81%3.36%4.45%5.26%Total61,90159,73358,68356,74555,069 100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%
2010 census As of the 2010 United States census, there were 56,745 people, 21,774 households, and 14,870 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 24,122 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 93.7% white, 2.3% black or African American, 0.6% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 1.3% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 4.4% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 47.6% were German, 10.4% were Irish, 8.9% were American, and 8.2% were English.
Of the 21,774 households, 31.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.6% were married couples living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 31.7% were non-families, and 26.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.97. The median age was 38.8 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $42,573 and the median income for a family was $51,216. Males had a median income of $39,494 versus $30,286 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,976. About 8.7% of families and 11.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.9% of those under age 18 and 8.3% of those age 65 or over.
2000 census As of the census of 2000, there were 58,683 people, 22,292 households, and 15,738 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 23,692 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 95.04% White, 1.76% Black or African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.38% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.39% from other races, and 1.25% from two or more races. 3.36% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 22,292 households, out of which 33.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.10% were married couples living together, 10.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.40% were non-families. 24.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.00% under the age of 18, 10.40% from 18 to 24, 27.20% from 25 to 44, 22.40% from 45 to 64, and 14.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 98.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.70 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $38,037, and the median income for a family was $44,600. Males had a median income of $32,387 versus $22,383 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,027. About 6.10% of families and 9.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.60% of those under age 18 and 7.20% of those age 65 or over. Politics Prior to 1936, Seneca County had supported Democrats in presidential elections, supporting Republican candidates only four times from 1856 to 1932. But starting with the 1936 election, it has become a Republican stronghold in presidential elections. Its support for Democrats Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964 and Bill Clinton in 1996 were the exceptions.
Government and politics
County officials Office Name Party Commissioner Tony Paradiso Republican Commissioner William 'Bill' Frankart-President Republican Commissioner Brent Busdeker-Vice President Republican Prosecutor Derek W. DeVine Independent Sheriff Fredrick W. Stevens Republican Clerk of Courts Stephanie Hicks Republican Recorder Michael Dell Republican Treasurer Annette Everhart Republican Engineer Mark Zimmerman Republican Coroner Zachary K. West, DO Republican Auditor Julie Adkins Republican Common Pleas Court Judge Steve Shuff Republican Common Pleas Court Judge Damon Alt Republican Juvenile Court Judge Jay A. Meyer Republican
Transportation Airports The Seneca County Airport is located southwest of Tiffin's central business district.
Bandit Field Airdrome Fostoria Metropolitan Airport Weiker Airport
Major highways U.S. Route 23 U.S. Route 224
Other highways
State Route 4 State Route 12 State Route 18 State Route 19 State Route 53 State Route 67 State Route 100 State Route 101 State Route 162 State Route 228 State Route 231 State Route 587 State Route 590 State Route 635 State Route 778
Communities
Cities Bellevue (partly) Fostoria (partly) Tiffin (county seat)
Villages Attica Bettsville Bloomville Green Springs (partly) New Riegel Republic
Townships
Adams Big Spring Bloom Clinton Eden Hopewell Jackson Liberty Loudon Pleasant Reed Scipio Seneca Thompson Venice
Census-designated places Bascom Flat Rock Fort Seneca Kansas McCutchenville Melmore Old Fort
Unincorporated communities
Adrian Alvada Amsden Angus Berwick Caroline Carrothers Cooper Cromers Fireside Frenchtown Iler Lowell Maple Grove Omar Reedtown Rehoboth Rockaway Saint Stephens Siam Springville Swander Watson West Lodi
Places of interest Seneca Caverns
Natural history Before widespread settlement, the area of Seneca County was for the most part woodland. Besides the fringe of the Great Black Swamp in the northwest, there was also an extensive area of marshland in the Bloomville area as well as smaller patches of swamp terrain which were formed due to the county's essentially level terrain. Native American inhabitants and later settlers used the region mainly for hunting fur animals, with little agriculture of note until the early 19th century.