Holmes County

Holmes County is located in northeastern Ohio, in the state’s Appalachian foothills region between the larger centers of Akron and Canton to the north and the Muskingum River valley to the south. Established in 1824 and named for Major Andrew Holmes, the county developed around small market towns, farming, and later woodworking and light manufacturing tied to regional trade routes. It is small in population by Ohio standards, with roughly 44,000 residents, and remains predominantly rural, characterized by rolling hills, pastureland, forested ridges, and river valleys. Agriculture, particularly dairy and livestock, is a longstanding economic base, complemented by furniture making, construction trades, and other small-scale manufacturing. Holmes County is widely associated with Amish and Mennonite communities, which contribute to local cultural patterns, land use, and settlement geography. The county seat is Millersburg.

Holmes County is located in northeastern Ohio, within the state’s Amish Country region. The county seat is Millersburg, and local government information is available via the Holmes County official website.

Population Size

According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s QuickFacts for Holmes County, Ohio, the county’s population was 44,223 (2020).

Age & Gender

County-level age distribution and gender composition are published by the U.S. Census Bureau in the ACS Demographic and Housing Estimates table (DP05). The most direct county table is available via data.census.gov (search: “Holmes County, Ohio DP05”).

The U.S. Census Bureau also provides a county-level profile entry point through QuickFacts, which summarizes key age and sex measures drawn from the American Community Survey (ACS).

Note: This response does not reproduce specific age brackets or a numeric male-to-female ratio because those figures must be pulled directly from DP05 (ACS) for a stated 1-year or 5-year period; the Census Bureau’s published table is the authoritative source.

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Holmes County’s race and Hispanic/Latino ethnicity statistics are published by the U.S. Census Bureau in ACS table DP05 and summarized in QuickFacts for Holmes County. The underlying county table is accessible on data.census.gov (search: “Holmes County, Ohio DP05”) for the selected ACS period.

Note: Exact percentages and counts vary by the ACS release used (1-year vs. 5-year), and the Census Bureau table is the definitive reference.

Household & Housing Data

County-level household and housing indicators (including households, average household size, owner-occupied vs. renter-occupied housing, housing unit counts, and related measures) are published in the U.S. Census Bureau’s ACS tables and summarized on QuickFacts. The primary ACS summary table for these topics is DP04 (Selected Housing Characteristics) on data.census.gov (search: “Holmes County, Ohio DP04”).

For additional county planning and administrative context, refer to the Holmes County government website.

Holmes County, Ohio is largely rural, with low population density and significant Amish settlement patterns that shape telecommunications investment and household technology adoption, influencing how widely email is used.

Direct county-level email usage statistics are not regularly published; broadband, device access, and demographics are used as proxies for likely email adoption, drawing on U.S. Census Bureau (data.census.gov) and FCC Broadband Data.

Digital access indicators

American Community Survey measures such as household computer ownership and broadband subscriptions indicate baseline capacity for email access, but do not confirm active email use or frequency. County-level totals and trends are available via ACS “Computer and Internet Use” tables.

Age distribution and email adoption

Age structure affects email uptake because older populations tend to have lower overall internet use than prime working-age groups. Holmes County’s age profile is available in ACS age tables and is a key proxy where email-use data are absent.

Gender distribution

Gender composition is generally near-balanced and is not a primary constraint on access; it is documented in ACS sex-by-age tables.

Connectivity and infrastructure limitations

Rural last-mile buildout, terrain, and dispersed housing increase costs and can limit speed/availability, reflected in FCC availability and provider reports.

Holmes County is located in east-central Ohio, centered on the Millersburg area and characterized by predominantly rural land use, rolling hill terrain typical of the unglaciated Appalachian Plateau fringe, and low population density relative to Ohio’s metropolitan counties. These physical and settlement characteristics can reduce mobile coverage consistency compared with flatter, denser areas because fewer towers serve larger areas and terrain can obstruct radio propagation.

Data scope and county-level limitations

County-specific measures of mobile subscription penetration, smartphone ownership, and mobile-only households are generally not published at the county level in standard federal surveys. The most consistently available county-level sources relate to network availability (coverage) rather than household adoption or usage. Where only state- or national-level adoption metrics exist, they are noted as such and not imputed to Holmes County.

Key reference sources used for county-relevant coverage and contextual demographics include:

• Census.gov QuickFacts (Holmes County, Ohio) (population, density, housing, income context)
• FCC National Broadband Map (provider-reported fixed and mobile broadband availability)
• FCC Broadband Data Collection (BDC) program information (methodology and limitations)

County context affecting mobile connectivity (geographic and demographic)

Geography and settlement pattern (network-relevant):

• Holmes County’s rural settlement pattern means cell sites are spaced farther apart than in urban Ohio, which tends to reduce signal strength at the edges of coverage and increases the chance of “coverage gaps” along valleys or behind ridgelines.
• Rolling terrain and wooded areas can attenuate signal, especially at higher frequencies used for some 5G deployments.

Demographic and cultural factors (adoption-relevant):

• Holmes County is widely known for a large Amish/Mennonite presence. Many Amish communities limit or avoid personal smartphone ownership and may rely on shared or business-associated phones, landlines, or community phone shanties, affecting device adoption independent of coverage. This is a qualitative factor; comprehensive countywide smartphone adoption statistics are not routinely published in official datasets.
• Household income, age structure, and commuting patterns also influence device purchasing and mobile data usage, but standardized county-level smartphone and mobile-data use indicators are limited. For baseline county demographics, see Census.gov QuickFacts.

Network availability (coverage) vs household adoption (use)

Mobile connectivity in Holmes County should be understood through two separate lenses:

Network availability (what networks report they can serve)

Primary county-level source: FCC National Broadband Map

• The FCC map provides location- and area-based views of mobile broadband availability as reported by carriers through the Broadband Data Collection. It distinguishes technologies that may include 4G LTE and 5G (including variants) depending on carrier filings and map layers.
• Coverage is shown as service availability, not measured performance at every point. Reported availability can differ from real-world user experience due to indoor attenuation, congestion, terrain shadowing, and device differences. The FCC describes these methodological considerations through the BDC program documentation.

4G LTE availability (general pattern in rural Ohio):

• In rural counties like Holmes, LTE is typically the baseline wide-area mobile technology. The FCC map is the authoritative public tool for verifying where LTE is reported as available within the county.

5G availability (general pattern and constraints):

• 5G availability in rural areas often appears in the FCC map in a more limited footprint than LTE. Rural 5G may be delivered via lower-band deployments that travel farther than high-band, but actual speeds vary substantially with backhaul capacity and congestion.
• The FCC map can be used to identify where carriers report 5G coverage within Holmes County, but it does not directly provide a countywide adoption rate of 5G-capable devices.

Household adoption and actual usage (who subscribes and how they use it)

County-level adoption indicators are limited. Common adoption metrics—such as the share of residents owning smartphones, the share with a mobile broadband subscription, or the share of households that are mobile-only—are typically available at the state level or for large metropolitan areas, not reliably for Holmes County specifically in public, regularly updated releases.

Available adoption-related indicators that may be partially informative at the county level include:

• Households with a computer and internet subscription type (ACS tables can indicate whether households report cellular data plans as their internet service). This can be researched via data.census.gov, but results depend on table selection, margins of error, and may not cleanly separate “mobile-only” use in a way comparable across counties without careful methodology.
• Fixed broadband vs mobile substitution: In rural settings, some households rely on mobile data where fixed options are limited, but the countywide magnitude cannot be stated definitively without a county-specific analysis of ACS table outputs and uncertainty ranges.

Mobile penetration or access indicators (where available)

Direct mobile penetration (subscriptions per person) at the county level:

• Not routinely published for Holmes County in standard public datasets.

Proxy indicators available at county level (indirect):

• Population and housing characteristics (context for potential subscription patterns): Census.gov QuickFacts.
• Internet subscription by type (including cellular data plan) may be derived from ACS through data.census.gov. This indicates reported household internet subscription types, not network availability, and is subject to sampling variability in smaller counties.

Important distinction:

• A carrier can report coverage over an area (availability) while residents in that area may not subscribe, may use limited prepaid plans, or may rely on non-personal devices. Conversely, households may subscribe but experience variable performance not captured by availability polygons.

Mobile internet usage patterns (4G vs 5G) and performance considerations

Usage patterns (county-specific):

• County-level statistics on the share of residents using mobile internet as their primary connection, the distribution of data consumption, or typical app usage are not generally published for Holmes County by federal statistical agencies.

What can be stated with available public evidence:

• 4G LTE functions as the most broadly available mobile broadband layer in many rural counties; the FCC map can be used to confirm reported LTE coverage in Holmes County.
• 5G availability, where reported, may not imply uniformly high throughput. Real-world performance is influenced by:
  • Tower density (lower in rural areas)
  • Spectrum band and channel width
  • Backhaul capacity
  • Terrain and indoor penetration
  • Network congestion during peak periods

For reported availability by provider and technology within Holmes County, the definitive public reference is the FCC National Broadband Map.

Common device types (smartphones vs other devices)

County-level device-type breakdowns are not routinely published. The following can be stated without projecting unsupported county-specific percentages:

• Smartphones are the dominant consumer mobile device nationally and statewide, and they are the primary means of accessing 4G/5G networks for most users.
• Feature phones and limited-function devices may be more prevalent in communities with cultural or practical constraints on smartphone use, which is relevant in Holmes County due to its large Amish population; however, a quantified countywide share is not available in standard public datasets.
• Mobile hotspots and fixed wireless substitution: In rural areas, mobile hotspots and router-based cellular connections are sometimes used to provide home internet where fixed options are constrained. The prevalence in Holmes County cannot be definitively stated without a targeted dataset or survey release specific to the county.

Demographic or geographic factors influencing mobile usage in Holmes County

Factors more likely to affect availability (supply side):

• Low population density reduces the economic incentive for dense cell-site deployment.
• Rolling topography creates localized coverage variability, especially away from ridge lines and near heavily wooded areas.
• Distance from major highways and towns can correspond to fewer nearby macro sites.

Factors more likely to affect adoption and device choice (demand side):

• Religious/cultural norms within Amish communities can reduce personal smartphone ownership and mobile internet use, independent of whether coverage exists.
• Income and age distribution influence affordability and technology preferences. County-level demographic context is available from Census.gov QuickFacts, but linking those directly to mobile adoption requires non-public or nonstandard cross-tabulations not generally released for the county.

Practical interpretation of “coverage in Holmes County”

• Network availability is best treated as “where service is reported as offered,” using the FCC National Broadband Map.
• Household adoption requires survey-based subscription measures; these are not consistently published at the county level for mobile service, and ACS-based internet-subscription tables require careful use due to sampling uncertainty and definitional differences.
• User experience (speed/reliability) can differ materially from availability, particularly in rural, hilly terrain.

Summary

• Availability: Reported 4G LTE coverage is generally the foundational mobile layer; 5G is present to varying degrees depending on provider-reported coverage. The county-specific authoritative public view is the FCC National Broadband Map.
• Adoption: County-level mobile penetration, smartphone ownership, and mobile-only household rates are not routinely published in a definitive form for Holmes County. ACS tables on internet subscription types via data.census.gov can provide partial indicators but are not a direct substitute for mobile subscription penetration statistics.
• Influencing factors: Rural terrain and low density shape network deployment and signal consistency; cultural and demographic characteristics likely shape device choices and adoption, but quantified countywide estimates are not available in standard public releases.

Holmes County is a rural county in east‑central Ohio anchored by Millersburg and characterized by a large Amish population and tourism tied to Amish Country. These cultural and economic features tend to reduce adoption of some digital services among groups that limit technology use, while leaving strong usage among non‑Amish residents, commuters, and tourism‑facing businesses.

User statistics (penetration / active usage)

• County-specific social media penetration: No reputable, publicly available dataset reports platform penetration for Holmes County specifically at the county level in a way that is consistently comparable across platforms.
• Best available benchmark (national): Among U.S. adults, 69% report using at least one social media site, according to Pew Research Center’s Social Media Fact Sheet. This serves as the most commonly cited baseline for local context when county data are not published.
• Local context likely affecting penetration: Holmes County’s unusually high Amish share (a population with documented technology restrictions) can lower overall adoption relative to statewide/national averages in a way not captured by national surveys. A commonly cited reference for Amish settlement size is the Elizabethtown College Amish Studies population statistics (not a social media measure, but relevant to interpreting local digital adoption).

Age group trends

Nationally, adult social media use declines with age, with the highest levels among younger adults:

• 18–29: 84% use social media
• 30–49: 81%
• 50–64: 73%
• 65+: 45%
  Source: Pew Research Center (U.S. adults).

Holmes County implication: A rural age structure and the presence of religious communities that restrict technology can further concentrate usage among younger and prime working-age non‑Amish residents, especially those connected to regional employment centers and visitor-serving industries.

Gender breakdown

Pew reports only modest overall gender differences in U.S. adult social media use in recent waves, with platform choice varying more than total participation. For the most defensible public figures by platform and gender, see the platform tables in Pew Research Center’s social media fact sheet (e.g., women higher on Pinterest; men somewhat higher on platforms like YouTube/Reddit in some years).

Holmes County implication: Gender gaps are expected to be driven primarily by platform mix (e.g., visual discovery and community groups vs. discussion-heavy sites) rather than stark differences in overall participation.

Most-used platforms (percentages where available)

U.S. adult usage rates from Pew (platform penetration among adults):

• YouTube: 83%
• Facebook: 68%
• Instagram: 47%
• Pinterest: 35%
• TikTok: 33%
• LinkedIn: 30%
• X (Twitter): 22%
• WhatsApp: 29%
• Reddit: 22%
  Source: Pew Research Center.

Holmes County implication: In rural Ohio counties, Facebook and YouTube typically serve as the broadest-reach platforms (community updates, local commerce, and video entertainment), with Instagram and TikTok skewing younger. Pinterest often over-indexes among users engaged with home, crafts, food, and wedding-related content—categories relevant to tourism and small retail.

Behavioral trends (engagement patterns and platform preferences)

• Community information utility: Rural counties commonly rely on Facebook pages/groups for event promotion, local news circulation, classifieds, and community notices; this aligns with Facebook’s broad adult reach in Pew’s data (Pew).
• Video-first consumption: YouTube’s high penetration (83% of U.S. adults) supports strong demand for how‑to, entertainment, and local storytelling formats; this is particularly compatible with tourism-driven content and small business demonstrations (Pew).
• Age-skewed engagement: TikTok and Instagram usage is substantially higher among younger adults than older adults, concentrating short-form video and creator-style engagement in younger segments; platform age skews are summarized in Pew’s platform detail tables (Pew).
• Messaging and coordination: Private and small-group messaging (not fully captured by public posting metrics) commonly complements public platforms for coordinating church, school, and community activities; WhatsApp’s adult reach (29% nationally) indicates meaningful adoption in some communities, though U.S. usage remains below some other countries (Pew).
• Local cultural constraints: A sizeable Amish population can reduce visible platform adoption and content creation within that community; social media activity in the county is therefore more concentrated among non‑Amish residents and organizations serving visitors and regional commerce (context reference: Elizabethtown College Amish Studies).

Holmes County, Ohio family and associate-related public records primarily include vital records and court records. Birth and death records are maintained by the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) – Vital Statistics, with certified copies typically issued through the Holmes County General Health District (local registrar services) or the state. Marriage records are filed with the Holmes County Probate Court; divorce records are generally held by the Holmes County Clerk of Courts and the relevant court division. Adoption and other juvenile-related case records are commonly treated as confidential court records and are not publicly searchable in full detail.

Public access to associate-related records also includes property and probate filings that can connect family members, heirs, and fiduciaries. Recorded deeds, mortgages, and liens are maintained by the Holmes County Recorder. Estate, guardianship, and marriage filings are accessed through the Probate Court.

Online availability varies by office; many records require in-person requests, mail requests, or office-provided search terminals, with fees and identification requirements for certified copies. Privacy restrictions commonly apply to recent birth records, adoption files, and records involving minors, with access governed by state law and court rules.

Types of records available

• Marriage license and marriage certificate/return
  • Ohio marriages are recorded through a marriage license issued by a county probate court and a marriage return/certificate completed after the ceremony and filed with the probate court.
• Divorce decree (and related case filings)
  • Divorces are recorded as court case records ending in a final judgment/decree of divorce issued by the court with jurisdiction over domestic relations matters.
• Annulment decree (and related case filings)
  • Annulments are recorded as court case records ending in an annulment judgment/decree issued by the court.

Where records are filed and how they can be accessed

Marriage records

• Office of record: Holmes County Probate Court maintains marriage license records for marriages licensed in Holmes County.
• Access methods (typical):
  • In-person requests at the probate court for certified or informational copies, subject to the court’s copy policies and identity requirements for certified copies.
  • Mail requests are commonly accepted by Ohio probate courts for copies; requirements typically include written request details and payment.
  • Online access: Some county courts provide online case/record lookup portals or indexes; availability and searchable date ranges vary by office.

Divorce and annulment records

• Office of record: Holmes County Court of Common Pleas maintains divorce and annulment case files and final judgments. Domestic relations matters may be handled through the Common Pleas Court’s domestic relations function (organization varies by county).
• Access methods (typical):
  • In-person access through the clerk of courts or the domestic relations division/court records office for file review and copies, subject to court rules.
  • Mail requests for copies of the final decree and other filings are commonly available; fees and requirements are set by the clerk/court.
  • Online access: Docket summaries and selected document images may be available through an online case search system when provided by the county clerk/court; access to full documents varies.

State-level indexes (context)

• Ohio maintains statewide vital statistics systems primarily for births and deaths; marriage and divorce are generally maintained at the county court level. State-level resources may exist as indexes or statistical reports rather than complete court files.

Typical information included in these records

Marriage license / certificate (Probate Court)

• Full names of the parties
• Date and place of marriage (as returned/recorded)
• Date license issued and license number
• Officiant name/title and signature on the return
• Ages or dates of birth, residence addresses, places of birth, and parents’ names are commonly collected on the application and may appear on the record depending on the form version and what is released as a copy
• Prior marital status (e.g., divorced/widowed) is commonly part of the application

Divorce decree (Court of Common Pleas)

• Case caption and case number
• Names of the parties and date of filing
• Date of final hearing/judgment and judge/magistrate
• Grounds/basis as stated under Ohio law (terminology varies by filing)
• Orders and findings commonly addressing:
  • Termination of marriage
  • Division of property and debts
  • Spousal support determinations (when applicable)
  • Parental rights and responsibilities/custody, companionship/parenting time, and child support (when applicable)
  • Name restoration (when granted)

Annulment decree (Court of Common Pleas)

• Case caption and case number
• Names of the parties
• Date of judgment and court findings
• Legal basis for annulment and resulting orders
• Related orders may address property, support, and parenting issues when relevant under Ohio law and the facts of the case

Privacy or legal restrictions

• Public access framework: Ohio court records are generally subject to public access, governed by Ohio Rules of Superintendence for the Courts of Ohio (public access and confidentiality provisions) and applicable statutes.
• Sealed or restricted content: Certain information may be confidential, redacted, or filed under seal, including:
  • Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, and other protected identifiers
  • Juvenile-related information and certain sensitive family-law materials
  • Adoption-related records (not part of divorce but sometimes adjacent in domestic relations contexts)
  • Addresses and personal identifying information protected by court rule or specific protective orders
• Domestic relations protections: Divorce/annulment files can include protected financial affidavits, health information, and information about minor children. Courts commonly restrict or redact these elements consistent with court rules.
• Certified copies and identification: Courts often require specific request details and may require identification or compliance with court policy for certified copies.
• Record corrections: Amendments and corrections to court records are handled through court procedures; vital record offices do not control divorce decrees or court annulments.

Holmes County is a rural county in east‑central Ohio anchored by Millersburg (the county seat) and a network of small villages and townships. The county is widely known for a large Amish and Mennonite presence, a strong small‑business and agriculture base, and generally low population density compared with Ohio metropolitan counties. Population and socioeconomic profiles are most consistently reported through the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey and federal labor statistics.

Education Indicators

Public school districts and schools

Holmes County is served primarily by three public school districts:

• West Holmes Local School District (Millersburg area)
• East Holmes Local School District (Walnut Creek area)
• Southwestern City School District (Berlin area; commonly referenced locally as “Berlin‑area schools”)

A consolidated, authoritative list of school buildings and names is maintained through district directories and the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. School counts and building names can vary due to grade reconfigurations and periodic consolidations; the most reliable current references are the district sites and the state education directory (see the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce and each district’s official directory pages).

Student–teacher ratios and graduation rates

• Student–teacher ratios: District student–teacher ratios are typically reported in state report cards and federal school staffing datasets. Holmes County public districts generally fall in a mid‑teens to around 20:1 range, consistent with many rural Ohio districts. A single countywide ratio is not published as a standard metric; ratios are district- and building-specific.
• Graduation rates: The state’s official measure is the four‑year graduation rate reported in Ohio school report cards. Holmes County districts’ rates are usually in the high‑80% to mid‑90% range, varying by cohort and district year-to-year. The definitive current values are in the district report cards published by the state (see Ohio School Report Cards).

Proxy note: Countywide “public school” graduation rate is not published as a single county statistic; the state publishes graduation rates by district and building.

Adult educational attainment (ages 25+)

Adult attainment is most consistently measured through the American Community Survey (ACS).

• High school diploma or higher: Holmes County is lower than the Ohio average, reflecting the county’s distinctive demographic and educational pathways (including private/community schooling and early entry to work in some communities).
• Bachelor’s degree or higher: Holmes County is well below the Ohio average, consistent with rural and small‑business/agricultural labor markets.

The most current standardized county profile (including HS+ and BA+ shares) is available from the Census Bureau’s data.census.gov tables for educational attainment (ACS 5‑year estimates).

Notable K–12 programs (STEM, vocational, AP/College Credit)

• Career and technical education (CTE): Holmes County students commonly access vocational/CTE pathways through regional career‑technical programming (often delivered via partnered career centers and district CTE offerings). Program rosters are published through district course catalogs and Ohio CTE reporting.
• College Credit Plus / advanced coursework: Ohio districts typically participate in College Credit Plus (CCP) as the statewide dual‑enrollment program; availability and participation vary by district and student course-taking patterns. AP course availability is district-specific and not consistently high across rural districts.
• Agriculture/industrial trades: Given the local economy, districts frequently emphasize agriculture, skilled trades, and business/entrepreneurship aligned coursework, though program names and credentials vary.

Proxy note: A countywide inventory of STEM/CTE/AP offerings is not maintained as a single public dataset; the most reliable sources are district program-of-study documents and Ohio’s CCP/CTE program reporting.

School safety measures and counseling resources

Ohio public schools operate under statewide requirements and local policies that commonly include:

• School safety plans (building-level emergency operations plans, drills, coordination with law enforcement)
• Visitor management procedures and controlled entry practices (varies by building)
• Student support services such as school counselors, intervention specialists, and referrals to county mental-health and social-service partners

Specific staffing ratios for counselors and detailed safety implementations are reported locally (district board policies, staffing plans, and state report card narratives) rather than as a countywide metric. Statewide guidance and requirements are summarized by the Ohio school safety resources pages.

Employment and Economic Conditions

Unemployment rate (most recent year available)

The most consistent official series is from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Local Area Unemployment Statistics.

• Holmes County unemployment tends to be near or slightly above/below Ohio’s rate depending on year, with noticeable seasonality tied to construction, manufacturing, and tourism-related activity.

Current monthly and annual figures are provided via the BLS and Ohio labor market dashboards (see BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics and Ohio Labor Market Information).
Data note: A single “most recent year” value depends on whether the reference is the latest annual average or the latest monthly estimate; the BLS publishes both.

Major industries and employment sectors

Holmes County’s employment base is dominated by industries common to rural Ohio, with a distinctive local mix:

• Manufacturing (including wood products, furniture/cabinetry, metal fabrication, and small-scale manufacturing)
• Construction and skilled trades (including residential construction and specialty contracting)
• Agriculture (dairy and mixed agriculture; also agricultural services)
• Retail trade and tourism-related services (especially tied to regional visitor traffic)
• Health care and social assistance and educational services (public sector and major local employers)

Industry shares and employment counts are reported through the Census Bureau (County Business Patterns) and Ohio labor market tools (see County Business Patterns and OhioLMI).

Common occupations and workforce breakdown

Occupational patterns in Holmes County align with the industry mix:

• Production occupations (manufacturing)
• Construction and extraction (trades)
• Transportation and material moving
• Sales and office (retail and small business)
• Management/business owners (elevated small-business presence relative to large metro labor markets)
• Service occupations (hospitality, health support roles)

The most comparable occupational distribution is available through ACS occupation tables and state workforce analytics (via data.census.gov and OhioLMI).

Commuting patterns and mean commute time

• Commute mode: The county is primarily car-dependent, with the vast majority commuting by driving alone, limited public transit, and low rates of walking/biking for commuting outside village centers.
• Mean travel time to work: Holmes County’s mean commute time is typically below major metro averages and generally in the low‑20‑minute range (ACS measure varies by 5‑year estimate period).

These are reported in ACS commuting tables (travel time to work, means of transportation) on data.census.gov.

Local employment vs. out‑of‑county work

Holmes County includes many local employers (manufacturing shops, construction firms, agricultural operations, retail/tourism), but commuting out of county is common for:

• Higher-wage manufacturing and logistics jobs in adjacent counties
• Specialized healthcare, education, and professional services roles in regional hubs

A direct “share working outside the county” is not always presented as a headline statistic in standard county profiles; it can be approximated using Census “county-to-county commuting flows” (LEHD/OnTheMap) and ACS place-of-work patterns (see Census OnTheMap).

Housing and Real Estate

Homeownership rate and rental share

Holmes County is characterized by high owner-occupancy relative to urban Ohio:

• Owner-occupied housing: commonly well above 70%
• Renter-occupied housing: typically below 30%

The official owner/renter shares are published in ACS tenure tables (see ACS housing tenure tables).

Median property values and recent trends

• Median owner-occupied home value: Holmes County is generally below the Ohio median, reflecting rural housing stock and a larger share of modest single-family homes.
• Trend: Like most U.S. counties, Holmes County experienced notable appreciation from 2020–2022, followed by slower growth thereafter; the pace varies by submarket and property type.

The ACS median value offers the most consistent countywide measure; transaction-based indices are available from private vendors but are not uniform public statistics. Countywide ACS value estimates are accessible via data.census.gov.

Typical rent prices

• Median gross rent: Generally below Ohio’s metro counties, with rents influenced by limited apartment inventory and higher prevalence of single-family rentals and accessory units in some areas.

The standardized “median gross rent” is available in ACS rent tables on data.census.gov.

Types of housing

Holmes County’s housing stock is predominantly:

• Single-family detached homes on village lots and rural parcels
• Farmhouses and rural properties with acreage
• Manufactured homes in some townships
• Limited multifamily/apartment stock, concentrated in and near village centers (e.g., Millersburg and other incorporated places)

Housing-type distributions (single-family, multifamily, mobile/manufactured) are reported in ACS “units in structure” tables.

Neighborhood characteristics and proximity to schools/amenities

• Village centers (e.g., Millersburg and other incorporated areas): Higher proximity to schools, local government services, groceries, clinics, and employers; more small-lot single-family housing and limited multifamily.
• Townships/rural areas: Larger lots and agricultural land, longer drive times to schools and services, and a stronger reliance on personal vehicles. School campus locations and bus routes shape daily access more than walkability.

Because Holmes County has dispersed settlement patterns, “proximity” is more effectively described by travel-time access than by dense neighborhood adjacency.

Property tax overview (rates and typical costs)

Ohio property taxes are administered locally (county auditor/treasurer) and vary by taxing district (school district, township/municipality, and voted levies).

• Effective tax rate: Holmes County effective rates are typically moderate within Ohio’s range, but can vary materially by school district and levy history.
• Typical homeowner cost: Best represented by the median real estate taxes paid reported in the ACS, which provides a comparable countywide figure (while individual bills depend on assessed value and tax district).

Official county billing and levy details are maintained by the county fiscal offices; countywide median tax-paid figures are available in ACS housing cost tables on data.census.gov.