| County: | Lawrence County |
| State: | Ohio |
| Flag: | Flag of Lawrence County, Ohio.png |
| Seal: | Seal of Lawrence County Ohio.svg |
| Founded: | March 1, 1817 |
| Seat Wl: | Ironton |
| Largest City Wl: | Ironton |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 457 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 453 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 3.9 |
| Area Percentage: | 0.9% |
| Census Yr: | 2020 |
| Pop: | 58240 |
| Pop Est As Of: | 2021 |
| Density Sq Mi: | 130 |
| Web: | http://www.lawrencecountyohio.org |
| Ex Image: | Lawrence County, Ohio Courthouse.jpg |
| Ex Image Size: | 200 |
| Time Zone: | Eastern |
| District: | 2nd |
Lawrence County is the southernmost county of the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 58,240.[1] Its county seat is Ironton.[2] The county was created in 1815 and later organized in 1817.[3] It is named for James Lawrence, the naval officer famous for the line "do not give up the ship".[4] Lawrence County is part of the Huntington–Ashland metropolitan area.
The earliest European-American settlers, Luke Kelly and his family, and May Keyser, settled at Hanging Rock along the Ohio River in 1796, having migrated from the east.[5] Lawrence County was formed on December 20, 1816, from parts of Gallia and Scioto counties, with the county seat named as Burlington.[6] In 1851, the county seat was moved from Burlington to Ironton. A new courthouse was built at that time. It burned in 1857. The present Lawrence County Courthouse was built in 1908.
Men from Lawrence County served in the Mexican–American War, with at least one having died during that conflict. By 1862, about 3,200 of Lawrence County's men were soldiers in the Union Army in the American Civil War.[7] During World War I, 2,200 of Lawrence County's men served in the armed forces, and 99 died.[8]
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and (0.9%) is water.[9] It is the southernmost county in the state of Ohio and part of Appalachian Ohio.
As of the census[10] of 2000, there were 62,319 people, 24,732 households, and 17,807 families living in the county. The population density was 137sp=usNaNsp=us. There were 27,189 housing units at an average density of 60adj=preNaNadj=pre. The racial makeup of the county was 96.55% White, 2.09% Black or African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.19% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.11% from other races, and 0.88% from two or more races. 0.57% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 24,732 households, out of which 32.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.00% were married couples living together, 11.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.00% were non-families. 24.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.50% under the age of 18, 8.60% from 18 to 24, 28.00% from 25 to 44, 24.50% from 45 to 64, and 14.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 92.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.40 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $29,127, and the median income for a family was $35,308. Males had a median income of $30,622 versus $20,961 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,678. About 15.10% of families and 18.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.30% of those under age 18 and 12.90% of those age 65 or over.
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 62,450 people, 24,974 households, and 17,405 families living in the county.[11] The population density was . There were 27,603 housing units at an average density of .[12] The racial makeup of the county was 95.9% white, 2.0% black or African American, 0.4% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.2% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.7% of the population.[11] In terms of ancestry, 18.0% were American, 15.4% were German, 12.9% were Irish, and 10.8% were English.[13] In Lawrence County, less than 1% of people who self-identify as "Irish" are Catholic. Scholars believe this is part of a trend in which people are vaguely aware that at least some of their ancestors come from Ireland, but that population is primarily of "Scots-Irish" or "Ulster Scots" ancestry, and those identifying as "Irish" are simply unaware of the distinction.[14] Those citing "American" ancestry in Lawrence County are of overwhelmingly English extraction, most English Americans identify simply as American because their ancestors have been in North America for centuriesin some cases since the 1600s.[15] [16] [17] [18] [19]
Of the 24,974 households, 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.0% were married couples living together, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 30.3% were non-families, and 26.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.95. The median age was 40.1 years.[11]
The median income for a household in the county was $36,461 and the median income for a family was $46,732. Males had a median income of $38,170 versus $28,251 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,452. About 15.2% of families and 19.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.0% of those under age 18 and 11.9% of those age 65 or over.[20]
Lawrence County tends to support the Republican Party in presidential elections. Bill Clinton was the last Democrat to win the county, in 1996 - a distinction shared with 16 other Ohio counties, mostly in this region. Despite this fact, Democrats continued to crack 40% in election years. This changed in 2016, as with much of Appalachia, when Hillary Clinton's 26.03% was the lowest in nearly 90 nears. Four years later, Joe Biden barely did better.
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Lawrence County Elected Officials:[21]
Commissioner: Dr. Colton Copley (R-South Point)
Commissioner: DeAnna Holliday (R-Ironton)
Commissioner: Mike Finley (R-Ironton)
Auditor - Paul David Knipp (R-Ironton)
Treasurer - Tresa Baker (R-Proctorville)
Clerk of Courts - Mike Patterson (D-Kitts Hill)
Sheriff - Jeff Lawless (R-Ironton)
Recorder - Sharon Gossett-Hager (R-Coal Grove)
Coroner - Ben Mack (R-Crown City)
Prosecutor - Brigham Anderson (R-Ironton)
Engineer - Patrick Leighty (R-South Point)
Primary Political Parties: