Mahoning County, Ohio

Mahoning County
County
Mahoning County Courthouse
Flag Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Ohio
Ohio's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 41°01′N80°46′W / 41.02°N 80.77°W / 41.02; -80.77
Country	United States
State	Ohio
Founded	March 1, 1846
Named for	A Native American word for salt lick
Seat	Youngstown
Largest city	Youngstown
Area
• Total	425 sq mi (1,100 km2)
• Land	412 sq mi (1,070 km2)
• Water	14 sq mi (40 km2)  3.2%
Population  (2020)
• Total	228,614
• Estimate  (2021)	226,762
• Density	540/sq mi (210/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	6th
Website	www.mahoningcountyoh.gov

Mahoning County is a county in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 228,614. ^[1] Its county seat and largest city is Youngstown. ^[2] The county is named after the Mahoning River and was formed on March 1, 1846; the 83rd county in Ohio. ^{[3] [4]}

Present-day Mahoning County was part of Trumbull and Columbiana counties until 1846, when the counties were redefined and Mahoning County was established as a new county. ^[5] Mahoning County is part of the Youngstown–Warren, OH Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

In the year 1600, Mahoning County was likely divided between two nations of Native Americans, the Erie people in the east and the Whittlesey culture in the west. ^{[6] [7]} It is unknown where the actual boundaries between these cultures lay, though the nearest confirmed Whittlesey settlement was at Cleveland and the nearest confirmed Erie settlement was just barely across the Ohio-Pennsylvania border, in Ashtabula County. The Erie were an Iroquoian people who likely arrived sometime between the years 1100-1300 AD, after chasing out an older nation of "Mound Builders." ^[8] The Whittlesey were likely Algonquian, but lived in longhouses rather than the traditional Algonquian wigwams.

Following the Beaver Wars, when the Iroquois Confederacy declared war on many of the tribes of the Great Lakes region over several decades and destroyed them, new tribes moved into this area. The tribes who shared the resources of the Mahoning Valley included the Seneca, Lenape (Delaware), Shawnee, and Wyandot. The Seneca and Wyandot were Iroquoians, and the Lenape and Shawnee were Algonquians. As northeast Ohio later came to be under control of the settlers as part of the Connecticut Western Reserve, all tribes were pushed further westward or southward, before eventually being removed from Ohio by the United States in the early-mid 1800s.

Some former known Native American sites that existed in Mahoning County include the council rock and the North Benton burial mound. ^{[9] [10]} Council Rock was where the Shawnee and Lenape were known to gather for collective holiday celebrations, religion ceremonies and political meetings and once sat in the center of Youngstown. Though the rock was moved long ago, it still rests in what is now Lincoln Park. The North Benton burial mound was once located on the outskirts of North Benton and was removed by archeologists. It was attributed to the Hopewell culture, but contained unique features, such as sculptures of constellations made of white rocks and clay laid out at ground level and a pit full of mixed human bones in one corner. It shared features with two other burial mounds found and excavated in Kent, Ohio and Warren, Pennsylvania represents a completely unique style of burial mound in Ohio.

Prior to its formation of a county in 1846, Mahoning County was a destination for a family of Huguenot refugees in the early 1800s. ^[11]

In the 1900s, Youngstown was a hub for the American steel industry and for local mob groups, who gained their power through the liquor and gambling industries during prohibition, remaining a key safety issue for the region until the 1970s. It was also the home to Warner Theatre, where the Warner Bros. film studio got its start and remained a hub for early film and television for decades. An extensive German community used to exist in the township of Berlin, until pressure to fully assimilate after the World Wars against Germany ended it. Brier Hill Pizza was invented in Youngstown's Brier Hill neighborhood and is considered a local delicacy.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has an area of 425 square miles (1,100 km²), of which 412 square miles (1,070 km²) is land and 14 square miles (36 km²) (3.2%) is water. ^[12]

Adjacent counties

• Trumbull County (north)
• Mercer County, Pennsylvania (northeast)
• Lawrence County, Pennsylvania (east)
• Columbiana County (south)
• Stark County (southwest)
• Portage County (northwest)

Major highways

• I-76
• I-76 / Ohio Turnpike
• I-80  / Ohio Turnpike
• I-80
• I-680
• US 62
• US 224
• US 422
• SR 7
• SR 11
• SR 14
• SR 45
• SR 46
• SR 164
• SR 165
• SR 170
• SR 193
• SR 289
• SR 446
• SR 534
• SR 616
• SR 617
• SR 625
• SR 626
• SR 630

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1850	23,735		—
1860	25,894		9.1%
1870	31,001		19.7%
1880	42,871		38.3%
1890	55,979		30.6%
1900	70,134		25.3%
1910	116,151		65.6%
1920	186,310		60.4%
1930	236,142		26.7%
1940	240,251		1.7%
1950	257,629		7.2%
1960	300,480		16.6%
1970	303,424		1.0%
1980	289,487		−4.6%
1990	264,806		−8.5%
2000	257,555		−2.7%
2010	238,823		−7.3%
2020	228,614		−4.3%
2021 (est.)	226,762	[13]	−0.8%
U.S. Decennial Census [14] 1790-1960 [15] 1900-1990 [16] 1990-2000 [17] 2010-2020 [1]

A pyramid showing the age distribution of the county.

2000 census

As of the census ^[18] of 2000, there were 257,555 people, 102,587 households, and 68,835 families living in the county. The population density was 620 inhabitants per square mile (240/km²). There were 111,762 housing units at an average density of 269 units per square mile (104 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 81.04% White, 15.87% Black or African American, 0.17% Native American, 0.47% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.03% from other races, and 1.38% from two or more races. 2.97% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

93.1% spoke English, 2.6% Spanish, 1.0% Italian, and 0.5% Greek as their first language. ^[19]

There were 102,587 households, out of which 28.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.00% were married couples living together, 14.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.90% were non-families. 29.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.02.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.70% under the age of 18, 8.40% from 18 to 24, 26.40% from 25 to 44, 23.70% from 45 to 64, and 17.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 91.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.00 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $35,248, and the median income for a family was $44,185. Males had a median income of $36,313 versus $23,272 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,818. About 9.60% of families and 12.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.10% of those under age 18 and 8.70% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 238,823 people, 98,712 households, and 62,676 families living in the county. ^[20] The population density was 580.2 inhabitants per square mile (224.0/km²). There were 111,833 housing units at an average density of 271.7 units per square mile (104.9 units/km²). ^[21] The racial makeup of the county was 79.9% white, 15.7% black or African American, 0.7% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 1.4% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 4.7% of the population. ^[20] In terms of ancestry, 21.4% were German, 18.4% were Italian, 16.6% were Irish, 8.9% were English, and 4.2% were American. ^[22]

Of the 98,712 households, 27.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.7% were married couples living together, 15.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 36.5% were non-families, and 31.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.94. The median age was 42.9 years. ^[20]

The median income for a household in the county was $40,123 and the median income for a family was $52,489. Males had a median income of $44,516 versus $31,969 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,824. About 12.6% of families and 16.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.9% of those under age 18 and 10.0% of those age 65 or over. ^[23]

Economy

Top Employers

According to the county's 2019 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, ^[24] the top employers in the county are:

#	Employer	# of Employees
1	Mercy Health	3,000
2	Youngstown City School District	1,791
3	Mahoning County	1,600
4	Youngstown State University	1,200
5	VXI Global Solutions	1,100
6	City of Youngstown	1,063
7	Infocision Management	1,050
8	Windsor House Assisted Living	850
9	Austintown Local School District	800
10	Akron Children's Hospital	800

Politics

2020 Presidential Election by Township and City
Biden:     60–70%     70–80%
Trump:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%

Mahoning County is historically Democratic-leaning, voting for the Democratic presidential candidate in every election from 1976 through 2016. Between 1976 and 2012 Mahoning County voted Democratic by at least a margin of 11 percentage points for every election. In 2016, Hillary Clinton won the county over Donald Trump by 3.3 percent, the smallest margin since 1972; in 2012, Barack Obama carried the county over Mitt Romney by a solid 28.3 percent. However, in 2020, Donald Trump flipped the county Republican for the first time since Richard Nixon's national landslide victory in 1972, carrying it by a margin of 1.9 percentage points. In 2024, Trump carried by the county by 9.37%, the largest margin of victory for a Republican since 1928.

At the statewide level, Mahoning County generally votes Democratic as well. Since 1970, the county has only voted Republican three times at the gubernatorial level – in the landslide elections of 1994, 2014, and 2022.

Between 2012 and 2022, Mahoning County was split between Ohio's 13th congressional district and Ohio's 6th congressional district. After the 2020 redistricting cycle, the county was moved entirely into the 6th district.

United States presidential election results for Mahoning County, Ohio ^[25]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	61,249	54.09%	50,636	44.72%	1,340	1.18%
2020	59,903	50.26%	57,641	48.36%	1,646	1.38%
2016	53,616	46.23%	57,381	49.48%	4,974	4.29%
2012	42,641	35.07%	77,059	63.38%	1,884	1.55%
2008	45,319	35.50%	79,173	62.02%	3,167	2.48%
2004	48,761	36.69%	83,194	62.60%	949	0.71%
2000	40,460	35.45%	69,212	60.65%	4,447	3.90%
1996	31,397	26.57%	72,716	61.53%	14,065	11.90%
1992	31,191	24.82%	64,731	51.52%	29,728	23.66%
1988	43,722	36.40%	75,524	62.87%	880	0.73%
1984	53,424	40.65%	76,514	58.21%	1,500	1.14%
1980	50,153	40.07%	63,677	50.88%	11,331	9.05%
1976	46,314	36.96%	75,837	60.53%	3,143	2.51%
1972	64,144	49.69%	62,428	48.36%	2,516	1.95%
1968	42,948	34.75%	68,433	55.38%	12,197	9.87%
1964	33,775	27.08%	90,934	72.92%	0	0.00%
1960	51,927	38.73%	82,143	61.27%	0	0.00%
1956	63,992	51.98%	59,126	48.02%	0	0.00%
1952	53,164	43.98%	67,722	56.02%	0	0.00%
1948	37,365	36.94%	62,468	61.76%	1,313	1.30%
1944	35,184	33.42%	70,102	66.58%	0	0.00%
1940	37,496	32.91%	76,441	67.09%	0	0.00%
1936	24,825	27.32%	64,886	71.41%	1,147	1.26%
1932	39,713	52.35%	33,139	43.68%	3,009	3.97%
1928	48,341	63.82%	26,928	35.55%	479	0.63%
1924	37,647	68.12%	9,335	16.89%	8,282	14.99%
1920	29,736	63.85%	14,941	32.08%	1,893	4.06%
1916	11,256	44.62%	13,013	51.59%	956	3.79%
1912	5,839	28.20%	6,838	33.03%	8,026	38.77%
1908	10,760	51.18%	9,312	44.29%	951	4.52%
1904	10,404	59.97%	4,436	25.57%	2,510	14.47%
1900	8,939	53.57%	7,402	44.36%	345	2.07%
1896	8,529	55.27%	6,772	43.88%	131	0.85%
1892	5,806	45.54%	6,358	49.87%	586	4.60%
1888	6,162	51.31%	5,337	44.44%	511	4.25%
1884	6,007	55.59%	4,432	41.01%	367	3.40%
1880	4,943	53.33%	4,044	43.63%	282	3.04%
1876	3,921	48.47%	3,691	45.62%	478	5.91%
1872	3,757	59.13%	2,518	39.63%	79	1.24%
1868	3,387	55.13%	2,757	44.87%	0	0.00%
1864	3,044	55.71%	2,420	44.29%	0	0.00%
1860	2,907	57.51%	1,990	39.37%	158	3.13%
1856	2,323	54.16%	1,937	45.16%	29	0.68%

Government

County officials

County officials

Party		Name	Position
	D	David Ditzler	Commissioner
	D	Carol Rimedio-Righetti	Commissioner
	D	Anthony Traficanti	Commissioner
	R	Ralph Meacham	Auditor
	D	Daniel Dascenzo	Clerk of Courts
	D	David Kennedy	Coroner
	D	Patrick Ginnetti	Engineer
	D	Gina DeGenova	Prosecuting Attorney
	D	Noralynn Palermo	Recorder
	R	Jerry Greene	Sheriff
	D	Daniel Yemma	Treasurer

Judicial representation

Judgeships

Party		Name	Position
	D	Anthony M. D'Apolito	Court of Common Pleas
	D	Anthony Donofrio	Court of Common Pleas
	D	John M. Durkin	Court of Common Pleas
	R	R. Scott Krichbaum	Court of Common Pleas
	R	Maureen A. Sweeney	Court of Common Pleas
	D	Beth A. Smith	Court of Common Pleas Domestic Relations Division
	R	Theresa F. Dellick	Court of Common Pleas Juvenile Division
	I	Robert N. Rusu, Jr.	Court of Common Pleas Probate Court
	R	Joseph M. Houser	Mahoning County Court #2 - Boardman
	D	Joseph L. Schiavoni	Mahoning County Court #3 - Sebring
	R	Scott D. Hunter	Mahoning County Court #4 - Austintown
	R	Molly K. Johnson	Mahoning County Court #5 - Canfield
	I	Mark J. Kolmacic	Campbell Municipal Court
	D	James A. Melone	Struthers Municipal Court
	D	Carla J. Baldwin	Youngstown Municipal Court
	R	Renee M. DiSalvo	Youngstown Municipal Court
	D	Cheryl L. Waite	7th District Court of Appeals
	R	Carol Ann Robb	7th District Court of Appeals
	R	Kaitlyn Dickey	7th District Court of Appeals
	R	Mark A. Hanni	7th District Court of Appeals

Legislative representation

Legislators

Party		Name	District	Body
	R	Tex Fischer	58	Ohio House of Representatives
	D	Lauren McNally	59	Ohio House of Representatives
	R	Alessandro Cutrona	33	Ohio Senate
	R	Michael Rulli	6	U.S. House of Representatives
	D	Sherrod Brown	Statewide	U.S. Senate
	R	J. D. Vance	Statewide	U.S. Senate

Education

Colleges and universities

• Avalon University School of Medicine
• Youngstown State University

Community, junior, and technical colleges

• Choffin Career and Technical Center
• Eastern Gateway Community College
• Mahoning County Career and Technical Center

Public school districts

School districts include: ^[26]

• Alliance City School District
• Austintown Local School District
• Boardman Local School District
• Campbell City School District
• Canfield Local School District
• Columbiana Exempted Village School District
• Girard City School District
• Hubbard Exempted Village School District
• Jackson-Milton Local School District
• Leetonia Exempted Village School District
• Lowellville Local School District
• Poland Local School District
• Sebring Local School District
• South Range Local School District
• Springfield Local School District
• Struthers City School District
• Weathersfield Local School District
• West Branch Local School District
• Western Reserve Local School District
• Youngstown City School District

High schools

• Austintown Fitch High School
• Boardman High School
• Campbell Memorial High School
• Canfield High School
• Cardinal Mooney High School
• Chaney High School
• East High School
• Jackson-Milton High School
• Lowellville High School
• Mahoning County High School
• McKinley High School
• Poland Seminary High School
• South Range High School
• Springfield High School
• Struthers High School
• Ursuline High School
• Valley Christian School
• Valley STEM + ME2 Academy
• West Branch High School
• Western Reserve High School

Communities

Map of Mahoning County, Ohio with municipal and township labels

Cities

• Alliance (part)
• Campbell
• Canfield
• Columbiana (part)
• Salem (part)
• Struthers
• Youngstown (part) (county seat)

Villages

• Beloit
• Craig Beach
• Lowellville
• New Middletown
• Poland
• Sebring
• Washingtonville (part)

Townships

• Austintown
• Beaver
• Berlin
• Boardman
• Canfield
• Coitsville
• Ellsworth
• Goshen
• Green
• Jackson
• Milton
• Poland
• Smith
• Springfield ^[27]

Census-designated places

• Austintown
• Damascus (part)
• East Alliance
• Lake Milton
• Maple Ridge
• Mineral Ridge (part)
• New Springfield
• North Lima
• Petersburg
• Woodworth

Unincorporated communities

• Berlin Center
• Blanco
• Calla
• Coitsville Center
• East Lewistown
• Ellsworth
• Fredericksburg
• Garfield
• Greenford
• Hickory Corners
• Knaufville
• Locust Grove
• New Albany
• New Buffalo
• North Benton
• North Jackson
• Ohltown
• Paradise
• Patmos
• Poland Center
• Rosemont
• Snodes
• West Austintown

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Mahoning County. ^[1]

*minority of municipality located in Mahoning County
†county seat

Rank	City/Town/etc.	Population (2010 Census)	Municipal type
1	† Youngstown	60,068	City
2	Austintown	29,594	CDP
3	Alliance*	21,672	City
4	Salem*	11,915	City
5	Struthers	10,063	City
6	Campbell	7,852	City
7	Canfield	7,699	City
8	Columbiana*	6,559	City
9	Sebring	4,191	Village
10	Mineral Ridge*	3,951	CDP
11	Poland	2,463	Village
12	Woodworth	1,784	CDP
13	New Middletown	1,507	Village
14	North Lima	1,369	CDP
15	Craig Beach	1,076	Village
16	Lowellville	996	Village
17	Beloit	903	Village
18	Washingtonville*	712	Village
19	Maple Ridge	667	CDP
20	Lake Milton	637	CDP
21	New Springfield	579	CDP
22	Damascus	418	CDP
23	Petersburg	405	CDP
24	East Alliance	268	CDP

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Mahoning County, Ohio

References

1. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. "Ohio County Profiles: Mahoning County" (PDF). Ohio Department of Development. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 21, 2007. Retrieved April 28, 2007.
4. "Mahoning County - Ohio History Central". ohiohistorycentral.org. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
5. History of Mahoning County Archived February 22, 2015, at the Wayback Machine , Official county website.
6. Alvin M. Josephy, Jr., ed. (1961). The American Heritage Book of Indians. American Heritage Publishing Co., Inc. p. 197. LCCN 61-14871. [while the Iroquois were mopping up the Huron] ...the Erie... struck first in 1653. The next year [a counter-offensive] ...a victory which should have won the war on the spot, but ...two more years of fighting were required before the Erie, too, had been vanquished.
7. "Whittlesey Culture - Ohio History Central". ohiohistorycentral.org. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
8. Iroquois Book of Rites; Hale, Horatio; 1883
9. "The Legend of Council Rock". Riverside Cemetery Journal.
10. The North Benton Mound: A Hopewell Site in Ohio; Magrath, Willis H.; American Antiquity, Vol. 1 pgs 40-46; 1945
11. Calvin, Claude (1945). The Calvin Families. University of Wisconsin. pp. 69–71.
12. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on May 4, 2014. Retrieved February 9, 2015.
13. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2021". Census.gov . Retrieved June 29, 2022.
14. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 9, 2015.
15. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved February 9, 2015.
16. Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 9, 2015.
17. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved February 9, 2015.
18. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
19. "Data Center Results". Archived from the original on June 19, 2006. Retrieved August 10, 2013.
20. "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
21. "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
22. "DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
23. "DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
24. "Mahoning County, Ohio Comprehensive Annual Financial Report For Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2019" . Retrieved June 27, 2021.
25. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
26. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Mahoning County, OH" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 23, 2022. Retrieved July 23, 2022. - Text list
27. "TOWNSHIP WEBSITES | Ohio Township Association". Archived from the original on July 15, 2016.

External links

• County website

41°01′N80°46′W / 41.02°N 80.77°W / 41.02; -80.77