City profile · Ohio · Census ACS 2023

Athens, OH

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Athens - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

23,211
Residents
$37,059
Median income
$242,200
Median home
$1,092
Median rent (state)

Athens - the verdict

Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Athens places in the 6th percentile for household income and the 61st percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

6th
percentile, household income
54th
percentile, home value
28th
percentile, median rent
61st
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Athens, OH

Census ACS 2023 estimates count 23,211 residents in Athens, a small city within Ohio. Median household income here is $37,059 per year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 10.8%. Home values in Athens run a median of $242,200, and the median resident age is 21.8 years. About 67.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 54.7% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 3 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Construction Slowdown), down 70% from five years earlier. Athens reports a comparatively low crime rate: FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 1059.6 incidents per 100,000 residents, below the national average (voluntary agency reporting, reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).

Living costs in Ohio run below the national norm: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Ohio at 92.8 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Below Average). Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,092 monthly. Monthly utility costs average around $228 across Ohio, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. Natural-hazard exposure scores 68.7 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Moderate).

Population

23,211 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Ohio

Median Household Income

$37,059 /yr

Poverty 10.8%

Cost of Living Index (state)

92.8 (US=100)

Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Ohio average

How does Athens compare to other US cities?

Athens measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 6% higher than other cities
Home value 54% pricier than other cities
Median rent 28% pricier than other cities
Safety 61% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

Zoom in to just Ohio and the picture shifts: Athens ranks #124 of 281 Ohio cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Athens's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Ohio, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

6thIncome percentile
61stSafety percentile

6th percentile nationally for median household income · 61st percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Athens's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Athens's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 42 Avg. percentile National median
Athens's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Athens's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$242,200 46th percentile more affordable than 46% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). This entry sits in this band. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Athens $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Athens, OH Athens, OH's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Athens, OH-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Athens, OH median $37,059/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Athens, OH's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Athens, OH. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 67.1%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 10.8%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 54.7%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
23,211
Median Income
$37,059
Median Home Value
$242,200
Median Age
21.8
Poverty Rate
10.8%
Labor force participation
54.7%
Bachelor's Degree+
67.1%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
1059.6
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
95.6
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
964.0
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Schools

Total Schools
3
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
20,000 residents22,000 residents24,000 residents26,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 23,804 residents 25,313 residents ▲ +6.3%
Athens's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
3
housing units authorized
Single-Family
3
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
0.1
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 10
2020 11
2021 110
2022 85
2023 3
2024 3

Permit volume decreased 70% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
46.7%
Carpool
4.9%
Public Transit
1.9%
Walk
26.3%
Work from Home
18.0%
Other
2.2%

Based on 11,349 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Ohio - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$105
avg/month
Natural Gas
$78
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$45
avg/month
Total Utilities
$228
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Ohio state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Ohio state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Athens sits in

Cost of Living Index
92.8
Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,092/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
68.7 / 100
Moderate
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Ohio

Maple Heights
23,350 people
Trotwood
23,041 people
Hudson
23,007 people
Pickerington
23,828 people
Willoughby
23,934 people
Solon
23,970 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Athens's 23,211 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Linda, CA
23,215 people
Wilmington, MA
23,195 people
Rock Springs, WY
23,229 people
Loves Park, IL
23,185 people
North Salt Lake, UT
23,239 people
Maywood, IL
23,173 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Athens's $37,059 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Potosi, MO
$37,055 median income
Sheldon, WI
$37,054 median income
Quitman, AR
$37,067 median income
Maringouin, LA
$37,067 median income
Jackson, SC
$37,067 median income
Brave, PA
$37,050 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Athens, OH Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Athens, OH - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 83.7% 7.1% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 3.5% White 83.7% Black or African American 4.3% Asian 4.4% American Indian 0.1% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 0.4% Two or more races 7.1% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Athens compares to nearby Ohio cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Athens (this city) 23,211 $37,059
Maple Heights 23,350 $52,823
Trotwood 23,041 $49,082
Hudson 23,007 $180,931
Census ACS 5-year FIPS OH FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Athens, OH?

What is the population of Athens, OH? +

Athens, OH counts 23,211 residents according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Athens, OH? +

Athens households earn a median of $37,059 annually, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Athens? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Athens; the closest available measure is the Ohio state average, a cost of living index of 92.8 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Ohio vary by metro area.

Is Athens, OH safe? +

Athens has a total crime rate of 1059.6 per 100,000 residents, which is below the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Athens, OH? +

Athens's median home value sits at $242,200, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.