Fairfield County is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

located in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 158,921.2020 census
/ref> Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

is Lancaster. Its name is a reference to the Fairfield area of the original Lancaster. Fairfield County is part of the Columbus, OH Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Fairfield County originally encompassed all or parts of Knox, Hocking, Licking, Perry, and Pickaway Counties. Fairfield is a descriptive name referring to the beauty of their fields.

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.8%) is water. Fairfield County sits just on the edge of Ohio's Appalachian region. While the once-glaciated northern portion of the county is fairly flat, as one travels south along U.S. 33 one can easily recognize the foothills of a mountainous region beginning around the village of Carroll. Although not officially part of the state or federal definition of Appalachia, certain areas of Fairfield County—particularly south of U.S. 22—bear a distinctly Appalachian feel in both physical geography and demographics. The scenic

Hocking Hills The Hocking Hills is a deeply dissected area of the Allegheny Plateau in Ohio, primarily in Hocking County, that features cliffs, gorges, rock shelters, and waterfalls. The relatively extreme topography in this area is due to the Blackhand Sand ...

region lies immediately to the south, mostly in neighboring Hocking County. A large portion of Buckeye Lake is located in northeastern Fairfield County. Mudhouse Mansion, an alleged

haunted house A haunted house, spook house or ghost house in ghostlore is a house or other building often perceived as being inhabited by disembodied spirits of the deceased who may have been former residents or were otherwise connected with the prope ...

, was located in the county.

Adjacent counties

* Licking County (north) * Perry County (east) * Hocking County (south) *

Pickaway County Pickaway County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 58,539. Its county seat is Circleville, Ohio, Circleville. Its name derives from the Pekowi band o ...

(southwest) * Franklin County (northwest)

Demographics

2000 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of 2010, there were 146,156 people, 54,310 households, and 39,846 families living in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

was 289 people per square mile (111/km²). There were 58,678 housing units at an average density of 116 per square mile (44/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 90.02%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 6.00%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.20% Native American, 1.10%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.00%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 0.23% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.90% from two or more races. 1.70% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race. There were 54,310 households, out of which 34.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.30% were married couples living together, 11.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.60% were non-families. 21.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.07. In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.30% under the age of 18, 8.00% from 18 to 24, 30.20% from 25 to 44, 23.90% from 45 to 64, and 12.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.30 males. The median income for a household in the county was $47,962, and the median income for a family was $55,539. Males had a median income of $39,566 versus $27,353 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the county was $21,671. About 4.50% of families and 5.90% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 7.40% of those under age 18 and 6.20% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the

2010 United States Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servi ...

, there were 146,156 people, 54,310 households, and 39,846 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 58,687 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 90.2% white, 6.0% black or African American, 1.1% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.6% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.7% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 31.2% were

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

, 16.2% were

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

, 11.7% were

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

, 8.6% were American, and 5.2% were

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

. Of the 54,310 households, 37.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.3% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 26.6% were non-families, and 21.9% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.07. The median age was 38.2 years. The median income for a household in the county was $56,796 and the median income for a family was $65,835. Males had a median income of $49,314 versus $37,209 for females. The per capita income for the county was $26,130. About 7.5% of families and 10.4% of the population were below the

, including 14.7% of those under age 18 and 6.7% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Prior to 1944, Fairfield County was Democratic in presidential elections, only voting for Republicans twice from 1856 to 1940. Starting with the 1944 election, the county has become a Republican stronghold in presidential elections, with

Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He had previously served as the 37th vice ...

being the only Democrat to win since then, but

Harry S. Truman Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. A leader of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 34th vice president from January to April 1945 under Franklin ...

came within 96 votes of winning it in 1948.

Government

Roster of County Officials (as of Feb. 2019): * Commissioners: David L. Levacy (R), Steve Davis (R), Jeffrey Fix (R) * Prosecutor: Kyle Witt (R) * Sheriff: Alex Lape (R) * Auditor: Jon A. Slater Jr. (R) * Treasurer: James Bahnsen, CPA (R) * Recorder: Lisa R. McKenzie (R) * Clerk of Courts: Branden Meyer (R) * Engineer: Jeremiah Upp (R) * Coroner: Dr. L. Brian Varney, M.D. (R) * Judge, Common Pleas Court: David A. Trimmer (R) * Judge, Common Pleas Court: Richard Berens (R) * Judge, Common Pleas Court (General/Domestic Relations): Laura B. Smith (R) * Judge, Common Pleas Court (Juvenile/Probate): Terre L. Vandervoort (R)

Education

School districts and state schools

School districts include: * Amanda-Clearcreek Local School District * Berne Union Local School District * Bloom-Carroll Local School District * Canal Winchester Local School District (Franklin & Fairfield) * Fairfield Union Local School District * Lancaster City School District * Liberty Union-Thurston Local School District * Northern Local School District *

Pickerington Local School District Pickerington Local School District, formerly Violet Township Schools (1905–1939), is a public school district in Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest b ...

* Reynoldsburg City School District * Southwest Licking Local School District *

Teays Valley Local School District Teays Valley Local School District is a school district in Pickaway County, Ohio, United States. It services the communities of South Bloomfield, Ashville, Commercial Point, and Amanda; in addition, students from Circleville and Grove City ...

(Almost entirely Pickaway) * Walnut Township Local School District

Elementary schools

* St. Mary's School * St. Bernadette School * Mount Pleasant Elementary * Medill Elementary (housed at former East Elementary location during reconstruction) * Sanderson Elementary (to be closed upon completion of Medill Elementary reconstruction) * Tallmadge Elementary (housed at former West Elementary location during reconstruction) * Tarhe Trails Elementary * Gorsuch West Elementary * Pleasantville Elementary * Bremen Elementary

High schools

* Amanda-Clearcreek Digital Academy *

Amanda-Clearcreek High School Amanda-Clearcreek High School is a public high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower se ...

Liberty Union High School Liberty Union High School is a public high school in Baltimore, Ohio. It is the only high school in the Liberty Union-Thurston Local Schools district. Their teams' name is the Lions. The school colors are red and black. The current high school ...

* Bloom-Carroll High School * Fairfield Career Center *

Fairfield Christian Academy Fairfield Christian Academy is a private Christian school in Lancaster, Ohio. Established in 1998, the school serves students from preschool to twelfth grade. History Fairfield Christian Academy was founded in 1998 as a ministry of Fairfield Chr ...

Fairfield Union High School Fairfield Union High School is a public high school in Richland Township, Fairfield County, Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a populat ...

* Lancaster Fairfield Alternative School * Lancaster High School * Millersport Jr/Sr High School * Walnut Township Academy * Pickerington Alternative School *

Pickerington High School Central Pickerington High School Central is a public high school in Pickerington, Ohio, United States. It is one of two high schools in the Pickerington Local School District. In the city of Pickerington, it is referred to simply as Central and their mas ...

Pickerington High School North Pickerington High School North is a public high school in Pickerington, Ohio. It is one of two high schools in the Pickerington Local School District. In the city of Pickerington, it is referred to simply as "North" and their mascot is the Panther ...

Berne Union High School Berne Union High School is a public high school in Sugar Grove, Ohio. It is the only high school in the Berne Union Local Schools district. Their nickname is The Grove. Ohio High School Athletic Association State Championships * Boys Baseball ...

William V. Fisher Catholic High School William V. Fisher Catholic High School is a private, Catholic high school in Lancaster, Ohio, USA. History St. Mary High School was founded in 1891 in Lancaster, Ohio. It was renamed Bishop Fenwick High School in 1961. Fisher Catholic was built i ...

Communities

Cities

Columbus Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to: * Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the Italian explorer * Columbus, Ohio, capital of the U.S. state of Ohio Columbus may also refer to: Places ...

(mostly in Franklin County and partly in Delaware County) * Lancaster (county seat) * Pickerington * Reynoldsburg * Canal Winchester

Villages

* Amanda *

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

* Bremen * Buckeye Lake * Carroll *

Lithopolis Lithopolis is a village in Fairfield and Franklin counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 2,134 at the 2020 census. History Lithopolis was originally called Centerville, and under the latter name was laid out in 1815. The city ...

* Millersport * Pleasantville * Rushville * Stoutsville * Sugar Grove * Tarlton * Thurston * West Rushville

Townships

* Amanda *

Berne Bern () or Berne; in other Swiss languages, gsw, Bärn ; frp, Bèrna ; it, Berna ; rm, Berna is the ''de facto'' Capital city, capital of Switzerland, referred to as the "federal city" (in german: Bundesstadt, link=no, french: ville fédérale ...

* Bloom * Clearcreek * Greenfield * Hocking *

Liberty Liberty is the ability to do as one pleases, or a right or immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant (i.e. privilege). It is a synonym for the word freedom. In modern politics, liberty is understood as the state of being free within society fr ...

Madison Madison may refer to: People * Madison (name), a given name and a surname * James Madison (1751–1836), fourth president of the United States Place names * Madison, Wisconsin, the state capital of Wisconsin and the largest city known by this ...

* Pleasant * Richland * Rush Creek *

Violet Violet may refer to: Common meanings * Violet (color), a spectral color with wavelengths shorter than blue * One of a list of plants known as violet, particularly: ** ''Viola'' (plant), a genus of flowering plants Places United States * Viol ...

Walnut A walnut is the edible seed of a drupe of any tree of the genus ''Juglans'' (family Juglandaceae), particularly the Persian or English walnut, '' Juglans regia''. Although culinarily considered a "nut" and used as such, it is not a true ...

Census-designated places

* Fairfield Beach * Hide-A-Way Hills

Unincorporated communities

* Cedar Hill * Clearport * Colfax * Delmont * Drinkle * Dumontsville * Geneva * Greencastle * Hamburg * Havensport * Hooker * Horns Mill * Jefferson * Lockville * Marcy * New Salem * North Berne * Oakland * Oakthorpe * Revenge * Royalton * Waterloo Source:

References

External links

Fairfield County Government's website

Fairfield County Visitors & Convention Bureau

Lancaster-Fairfield County Annual July 4 Celebration
{{Coord, 39.75, -82.63, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-OH_source:UScensus1990