Census-designated place · Ohio
The Plains, Ohio
The Plains, census-designated place, in Athens County, Ohio. The Plains had 3,140 residents in the 2020 Census, a full count; the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 2,748 (±481). GEOID 3976568.
Residents, 2020 Census
3,140
Census count or controlled total
ACS 2020-2024 estimate: 2,748 ±481
Median household income
$59,688
±$13,694 (90% margin)
Ohio: $71,389
Median home value
$233,500
±$27,921 (90% margin)
Ohio: $214,800
Median gross rent
$971
±$55 (90% margin)
Ohio: $1,034
Where is The Plains and what county is it in?
The Plains is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for counting, with no city government of its own, in Athens County, Ohio. It covers 2.3 square miles of land, 1,377 residents per square mile in 2020.
The Plains is in the Athens, OH micropolitan statistical area (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
The Plains lies mostly within Athens Township (Athens County) and reaches into Dover Township (Athens County), towns or townships with their own local government (2020 census blocks).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in The Plains, and is it growing?
The 2020 Census counted 3,140 residents in The Plains, a full count rather than a sample. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a sample, estimates 2,748 (±481).
The Census Bureau publishes yearly population estimates for incorporated places only; The Plains is a census-designated place, so its figures come from the ACS and the 2020 Census.
| Measure | The Plains | Athens County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 2,748 ±481 | 61,737 | no clear change |
| Households | 1,555 ±339 | 23,014 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 1.68 ±0.20 | 2.35 | −0.38 |
| Housing units | 1,625 ±355 | 26,471 | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in The Plains?
The median resident of The Plains is 59.4 years old; 7.4% are under 18 and 36.8% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 86.6%, then non-Hispanic Asian residents at 7.5%.
| Measure | The Plains | Athens County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 59.4 ±4.7 | 33.2 | +9.4 |
| Under 18 years | 7.4% ±3.7 pts | 14.8% | – |
| 65 years and over | 36.8% ±8.6 pts | 15.1% | – |
| Male | 42.3% ±6.2 pts | 49.8% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.6% ±0.9 pts | 2.3% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 86.6% ±9.1 pts | 88.6% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.3% ±0.5 pts | 2.2% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 7.5% ±8.2 pts | 2.0% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.4 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.4 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 4.9% ±4.7 pts | 4.6% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.4 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 7.8% ±8.0 pts | 3.7% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 10.2% ±8.0 pts | 5.8% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 8.6% ±5.9 pts | 5.9% | – |
| With a disability | 40.4% ±11.9 pts | 17.9% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 5.2% ±3.8 pts | 5.7% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 89.9% ±6.5 pts | 91.7% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 32.8% ±10.2 pts | 34.9% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 19.2% ±9.6 pts | 18.6% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 91.1% ±6.1 pts | 74.2% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 2.4% ±2.8 pts | 2.6% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in The Plains earn?
Half of The Plains's 1,555 households earn less than $59,688 a year (±$13,694), against $56,001 in Athens County and $71,389 in Ohio. In 2015-2019 it was $44,613 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 19.0% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | The Plains | Athens County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $59,688 ±$13,694 | $56,001 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $66,846 ±$10,579 | $77,790 | – |
| Per capita income | $38,575 ±$7,043 | $30,645 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 19.0% ±9.1 pts | 21.5% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 38.1% ±31.6 pts | 13.0% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 20.2% ±7.6 pts | 14.4% | – |
| Households with a computer | 95.0% ±4.8 pts | 93.2% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 87.0% ±9.5 pts | 86.9% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in The Plains?
Owners occupy 54.2% of The Plains's occupied homes and renters 45.8%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $233,500 by its owner (±$27,921). The median renter pays $971 a month including utilities, and 35.4% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | The Plains | Athens County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $233,500 ±$27,921 | $185,000 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $971 ±$55 | $939 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 35.4% ±19.3 pts | 46.4% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,329 ±$329 | $1,396 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 54.2% ±13.4 pts | 60.4% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 45.8% ±13.4 pts | 39.6% | – |
| Housing units | 1,625 ±355 | 26,471 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±4.3 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 9.0% ±9.4 pts | 7.2% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 53.1% ±13.6 pts | 60.4% | – |
| Mobile homes | 6.4% ±4.5 pts | 12.4% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±2.3 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 10.6% ±9.2 pts | 7.4% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 15.4% ±10.4 pts | 22.5% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 9.1% ±5.0 pts | 6.8% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in The Plains work and get to work?
64.0% of The Plains's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 26.3 minutes.
| Measure | The Plains | Athens County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 43.3% ±7.9 pts | 57.4% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% ±4.3 pts | 6.5% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 64.0% ±15.1 pts | 65.2% | – |
| Carpooled | 25.5% ±12.5 pts | 9.7% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±3.6 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Walked | 1.7% ±3.7 pts | 9.9% | – |
| Worked from home | 8.8% ±8.2 pts | 13.1% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 26.3 min ±11.9 | 24.1 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in The Plains?
No census tract lies mostly in The Plains; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9729Athens County | 6,185 | $61,644 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in The Plains) · Census block assignment files
How does The Plains compare with other places in Ohio?
The Plains ranks 1,292nd of 1,699 places in Ohio with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population (ACS 2020-2024) | 941st | 1,734 |
| Residents per square mile | 423rd | 1,734 |
| Median household income | 1,292nd | 1,699 |
| Per capita income | 715th | 1,729 |
| Median home value | 546th | 1,707 |
| Median gross rent | 563rd | 1,453 |
| Poverty rate | 208th | 1,116 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 382nd | 1,613 |
| Median age | 18th | 1,727 |
| Owner-occupied share | 1,640th | 1,732 |
| Travel time to work | 633rd | 1,731 |
The Plains's figures with every place in Ohio (CSV)
Every place in Ohio, sortable · Compare The Plains with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for The Plains?
23 of the 57 figures for The Plains on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for The Plains are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' school search.