Hardin County, Ohio Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Hardin County is located in Ohio with a total population of 30,527. It is the 72nd most populous county out of 88 in Ohio. The county encompasses 9 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Hardin County is 35.3 years. This is 11% lower than the state median of 39.6 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Hardin County is $58,001. This is 17% lower than the state median of $69,680. It is also 26% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 18.2%. This is 37% higher than the state poverty rate of 13.2%. The unemployment rate is 4.1%. This is 16% lower than the state rate of 4.9%. The median home value is $134,800. Housing costs are 32% lower than the state median of $199,200. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.3x, Hardin County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 73.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 9% higher than the state average of 67.0%.

Race & Ethnicity

Hardin County has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 93.0% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 2.3%. The Black or African American population (1.1%) is well below the state average of 12.1%. The Asian population (0.8%) is well below the state average of 2.4%.

Education

18.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 39% lower than the state rate of 30.9%. Nationally, 35.0% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 91.7%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Hardin County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023), with comparisons drawn against Ohio and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.