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Ross County, OH: population growth, jobs and income

Ross County gained 431 residents between 2024 and 2025 (+0.6%).

Ross County had an estimated 76,429 residents in 2025, down 0.8% (638 fewer people) since 2020. That is slower than Ohio as a whole (+0.9%), and the 59th fastest growth of 88 counties in Ohio.

Data as of 2025 · updated

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In the Ross County report

One-time $99 PDF: everything on this page for Ross County, ranked against Ohio and the U.S., plus these figures that are not on the free page:

  • Median gross rent$906/mo2020–24
  • Vacant homes, incl. seasonal and second homes7.1%2020–24
  • New homes permitted, last 12 months392025-10/2026-09
  • Rent growth, 5 yearsIn the report
  • Permits in 5+ unit buildingsIn the report
  • IRS income moving in (net AGI)In the report
  • Neighbouring-county comparison tableIn the report

What's inside: 5 pages

  1. 1 Summary, headline numbers and ranks (free preview)
  2. 2 Ranks and the neighbouring-county table
  3. 3 Migration, with IRS mover and income flows
  4. 4 Rent, vacant homes, permits and employers
  5. 5 Every source and the methods
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Headline numbers

New homes permitted

59

2025

0.8 per 1,000 residents

Small base: the change swings on a few homes or people, so we don't show it.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2025. Housing units authorized by building permits in the year.

What the numbers say

Net domestic migration added 654 people in 2025: more people moved in from other U.S. counties than moved out.

Private employers had 24,319 paid employees in mid-March 2023, +3.4% since 2018 (County Business Patterns).

Unemployment averaged 5.7% in 2025, 1.1 points higher than in 2019 (before the pandemic).

Builders were authorized to start 59 new homes in 2025, or 0.8 per 1,000 residents.

Median household income was $61,303 in the 2020–24 American Community Survey, +19.0% since 2016–20.

Across the 3,107 U.S. counties with a comparable estimate, its population growth ranks 2,142nd.

Part of the Chillicothe, OH micro area.

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Ross County population by year

Resident population, July 1 estimate (Census Bureau)
YearPopulationChange
202576,429+431
202475,998−278
202376,276−89
202276,365−128
202176,493−574
202077,067–

Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year.

What drove the change in Ross County

Ross County lost 638 people since 2020 even though 971 more people moved in from other U.S. counties than left: deaths outnumbered births by 1,616, and net international migration added 12.

Components of population change, people (Census Bureau)
Component20252020–25Share
Natural changebirths minus deaths−218−1,616
International migrationfrom and to other countries−1+12
Domestic migrationfrom and to other U.S. counties+654+971
Census adjustmentbalancing residual−4−5
Total change+431−638

Census Bureau population estimates, components of change, each year July 1 to June 30. The components add up to the change in the estimate; the Census adjustment is the small balancing figure the Bureau publishes.

How it ranks

MeasureIn OhioAmong U.S. counties
Population growth59th of 882,142nd of 3,107
Net domestic migration per 1,000 residents12th of 88671st of 3,108
Private-sector job growth34th of 881,412th of 3,092
Median household income62nd of 881,928th of 3,107
Lowest unemployment rate74th of 882,820th of 3,108
New homes permitted per 1,000 residents64th of 882,236th of 3,005

1st = highest (lowest for unemployment). Counties are ranked only against others with a figure for the same period.

Get the county report — $99

The County Growth and Demographics Report for Ross County, OH as a PDF, from federal data: population and migration, housing and rents, permits, private employers and jobs, unemployment, ranks in the state and the country, and neighbouring counties, with a source next to every number. Pay once, no subscription.

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Neighbouring counties

Over 2020–25, Ross County's population change (−0.8%) was ahead of 3 of its 7 neighbouring counties and behind 4.

4 of its 7 neighbouring counties had a higher median household income than Ross County's $61,303 (2020–24).

Ross County, OH and its 7 neighbouring counties: public federal figures
CountyPopulation2025Population change2020–25Net domestic migration per 1,000 residents2025Homes permitted per 1,000 residents2025Median household income2020–24
Ross County, OH This county76,429−0.8%8.60.8$61,303
Pike County, OH27,061−0.0%1.12.3$52,736
Pickaway County, OH62,978+7.4%12.56.4$74,040
Fayette County, OH28,552−1.4%−1.92.8$63,275
Jackson County, OH32,817+0.4%2.30.9$57,106
Highland County, OH43,823+1.1%3.20.3$65,785
Vinton County, OH12,645−1.2%8.80.6$55,336
Hocking County, OH27,512−1.9%4.90.6$62,960

Census Bureau population estimates and building permits, American Community Survey 5-year income. Rates per 1,000 residents. – means no figure, or a base too small for a change or rate (it would swing on a few people). A figure from another period shows its year and is left out of the comparison.

All 88 Ohio counties · Every state

Questions

Is Ross County growing?

No. Its population fell 0.8% between 2020 and 2025, about 638 fewer people (Census Bureau population estimates). Ohio as a whole changed +0.9% over the same years. That ranks 59th of 88 counties in Ohio for population growth.

How many people moved to Ross County?

On net, about 654 people in 2025: that many more moved in from other U.S. counties than moved out (Census Bureau net domestic migration estimate).

What is the unemployment rate in Ross County?

It averaged 5.7% in 2025 (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual average).

What is the population of Ross County?

About 76,429 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's population estimate for July 1, 2025.

How many jobs are in Ross County?

Private employers there had 24,319 paid employees in mid-March 2023, +3.4% since 2018 (Census Bureau County Business Patterns; government jobs and the self-employed are not counted).

What Beacon CRE covers in Ohio

Map, parcel and listing layers cover North and South Carolina only for now. This page and the other Ohio county pages carry the public federal growth figures.

Ross County data alerts

Email me when Ross County gets new Census numbers: population, building permits, jobs and income. About 4 emails a year, one click to stop.

We use your address only to email you when new data for Ross County is out: what changed, with a link to that county's report. No newsletter, no other sales emails. Delete it any time with the link in every email. We'll email you a link to confirm first; nothing starts until you click it. Privacy notice.

Sources and method

Each number shows its own period. Changes compare the latest period with five years earlier (or the earliest period available). Beacon CRE last refreshed these figures on 2026-11-05. Figures come from public federal statistics and are informational only, not investment advice. Check the source before relying on a number. Methodology: how we compute every number. More on every layer: data sources and licences.

Jobs outside North and South Carolina use County Business Patterns (paid private-sector employees in mid-March); wages and government jobs are not included.