Trumbull County

History

No Native American settlements have ever formally been identified in Trumbull County. Early settlers did believe they noted an ancient village site in Kinsman Township, a more contemporary site in Hartford Township, and several strange stone constructions were noted in the Black Ash Swamp by early Bristol residents, now known as the Grand River Preserve. Many presumably different groups of Native Americans were still frequenting camps in the vicinity of Newton Falls and near the Champion Township–Warren Township border when U.S. settlers first began to settle there. Several of the names of specific Native persons are echoed across most of these early residents' histories, namely Cadashaway, Paqua and Kiogg. A memorial stone piles believed to have been Native in origin was situated on the west bank of the Mahoning River, but was later removed for construction purposes.

Before 1600, the area was ambiguously between the territories of the Erie people to the east and the Whittlesey culture to the west. It is unknown precisely where one tribe's territory ended and the other began. After the Beaver Wars, the area was frequented by traveling Lenape, Wyandot, Ottawa, Shawnee and Seneca, who all had settlements nearby for a time and shared the valley's animal, food and medicinal resources. They also regularly panned for salt in the marshes. The Natives collectively used this area as a shared hunting ground, but had to give up ownership of the region for settlement as punishment for participating in the Northwest Indian War.

In the early years of the European discovery and exploration of the New World, the land that became Trumbull County was originally claimed by French explorers as part of colonial New France. Their settlements had some fur traders who interacted with Native American tribes in this area. After losing the Seven Years' War to Great Britain, France ceded the territory in 1763, which became the Province of Quebec.

Following the United States' victory in the American Revolutionary War, the British ceded the land including modern Trumbull County. It was part of the Connecticut Western Reserve, a region claimed by the Connecticut Colony and later state of Connecticut. As first organized, Trumbull County consisted of the entire area of the Connecticut Western Reserve before population increased, and it was divided into smaller counties. The county's largest city, Warren, was originally founded as the capitol of the Western Reserve territory. Connecticut relinquished its claim to some of the lands in 1786, but retained ownership of the eastern portion south of Lake Erie. It sold much of the Western Reserve in 1795 to a group of speculators who operated as the Connecticut Land Company; they sold it in portions for development by new settlers.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 637 square miles (1,650 km2), of which 618 square miles (1,600 km2) is land and 18 square miles (47 km2) (2.9%) is water. It is approximately a square with sides of 25.24 miles; it is the only square county in Ohio.

Adjacent counties

Ashtabula County (north)

Crawford County, Pennsylvania (northeast)

Mercer County, Pennsylvania (east)

Mahoning County (south)

Portage County (southwest)

Geauga County (northwest)

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 201,977. The median age was 44.9 years. 19.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 22.3% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 96.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 94.3 males.

The racial makeup of the county was 84.7% White, 8.5% Black or African American, 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.7% from some other race, and 5.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 2.1% of the population.

72.8% of residents lived in urban areas, while 27.2% lived in rural areas.

There were 86,071 households in the county, of which 24.7% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 42.4% were married-couple households, 20.3% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 29.8% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 32.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 94,394 housing units, of which 8.8% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 70.1% were owner-occupied and 29.9% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.8% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.5%.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 210,312 people, 86,011 households, and 56,874 families living in the county. The population density was 340.1 inhabitants per square mile (131.3/km2). There were 96,163 housing units at an average density of 155.5 units per square mile (60.0 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 89.0% white, 8.3% black or African American, 0.5% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.3% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.3% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 21.6% were German, 16.5% were American, 14.3% were Irish, 13.7% were Italian, and 10.6% were English.

Of the 86,011 households, 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.4% were married couples living together, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 33.9% were non-families, and 29.2% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.95. The median age was 42.8 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $42,296 and the median income for a family was $52,731. Males had a median income of $43,382 versus $30,859 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,854. About 11.5% of families and 15.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.9% of those under age 18 and 8.1% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 225,116 people, 89,020 households, and 61,690 families living in the county. The population density was 365 inhabitants per square mile (141/km2). There were 95,117 housing units at an average density of 154 units per square mile (59 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 90.21% White, 7.90% Black or African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.45% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.21% from other races, and 1.07% from two or more races. 0.80% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 94.6% spoke English and 1.0% German as their first language.

There were 89,020 households, out of which 29.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.90% were married couples living together, 12.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.70% were non-families. 26.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.02.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.40% under the age of 18, 7.70% from 18 to 24, 27.30% from 25 to 44, 24.80% from 45 to 64, and 15.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 93.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $38,298, and the median income for a family was $46,203. Males had a median income of $36,823 versus $24,443 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,188. About 7.90% of families and 10.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.40% of those under age 18 and 7.60% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics

Ohio law defines a structure for county government. Trumbull County has three-member board of county commissioners, a sheriff, coroner, auditor, treasurer, clerk of the court of common pleas prosecutor, engineer, and recorder. Trumbull County is represented as part of Ohio's 64th and 65th state house districts, and Ohio's 32nd senatorial district. It is also included in the Ohio Eleventh District Court of Appeals. Federally, it is part of Ohio's 14th congressional district.

Trumbull County was historically a Democratic stronghold; in 2016, however, Donald Trump won the county by a reasonably comfortable margin of 6.22%, being the first Republican to win the county since Richard Nixon in 1972. Trump expanded his margin in the county to 10.6 points in 2020 and to 16.8 in 2024. Trump's 2024 performance was the highest of any Republican presidential candidate since 1928.

Education

Kent State University Trumbull is a regional campus of Kent State University, offering several associate degrees and a few bachelor's degrees.

Trumbull Career and Technical Center is a vocational school, offering different learning and career advancement opportunities for both high school and adult learners.

School districts include:

Communities

Villages

Lordstown

McDonald

Newton Falls

Orangeville

West Farmington

Yankee Lake

Defunct township

Lordstown Township

Ghost towns

The Camp Ravenna Joint Military Training Center, formally known as the Ravenna Training and Logistics Site and commonly known as the Ravenna Arsenal, occupies a small part of Braceville Township.