Licking County, Ohio

Licking County
County
Licking County Courthouse
Flag Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Ohio
Ohio's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 40°05′N 82°29′W
Country	United States
State	Ohio
Founded	March 1, 1808
Seat	Newark
Largest city	Newark
Area
• Total	687 sq mi (1,780 km2)
• Land	683 sq mi (1,770 km2)
• Water	5.0 sq mi (13 km2)  0.7%
Population  (2020)
• Total	178,519
• Estimate  (2021)	180,401
• Density	260/sq mi (100/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	12th
Website	www.lcounty.com

Licking County is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Ohio. At the 2020 census, the population was 178,519. Its county seat is Newark. The county was formed on January 30, 1808, from portions of Fairfield County.

It is named after the Licking River, which is thought to be named for the salt licks that were in the area. However, one account explains it as an English pronunciation of the river's indigenous Delaware name W'li/'ik'/nk, which means "where the flood waters recede".

Licking County is part of the Columbus, OH Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 687 square miles (1,780 km²), of which 683 square miles (1,770 km²) is land and 5.0 square miles (13 km²) (0.7%) is water. It is the third-largest county in Ohio by land area.

Adjacent counties

• Knox County (north)
• Coshocton County (northeast)
• Muskingum County (east)
• Perry County (southeast)
• Fairfield County (southwest)
• Franklin County (west)
• Delaware County (northwest)

Major highways

• I-70
• US 40
• US 62
• SR 13
• SR 16
• SR 37
• SR 79
• SR 146
• SR 161
• SR 586
• SR 657
• SR 661

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1810	3,852		—
1820	11,861		207.9%
1830	20,869		75.9%
1840	35,096		68.2%
1850	38,846		10.7%
1860	37,011		−4.7%
1870	35,756		−3.4%
1880	40,450		13.1%
1890	43,279		7.0%
1900	47,070		8.8%
1910	55,590		18.1%
1920	56,426		1.5%
1930	59,962		6.3%
1940	62,279		3.9%
1950	70,645		13.4%
1960	90,242		27.7%
1970	107,799		19.5%
1980	120,981		12.2%
1990	128,300		6.0%
2000	145,491		13.4%
2010	166,492		14.4%
2020	178,519		7.2%
2021 (est.)	180,401		1.1%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2020

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 146,491 people, 55,609 households, and 40,149 families living in the county. The population density was 212 inhabitants per square mile (82/km²). There were 58,760 housing units at an average density of 86 units per square mile (33 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 95.64% White, 2.06% Black or African American, 0.30% Native American, 0.58% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.30% from other races, and 1.10% from two or more races. 0.76% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of the 55,609 households 34.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.50% were married couples living together, 10.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.80% were non-families. 23.10% of households were one person and 9.10% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.01.

The age distribution was 26.00% under the age of 18, 8.80% from 18 to 24, 29.40% from 25 to 44, 23.90% from 45 to 64, and 11.90% 65 or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 94.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.00 males.

The median household income was $44,124 and the median family income was $51,969. Males had a median income of $37,957 versus $26,884 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,581. About 5.50% of families and 7.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.10% of those under age 18 and 7.50% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 166,492 people, 63,989 households, and 45,162 families living in the county. The population density was 243.9 inhabitants per square mile (94.2/km²). There were 69,291 housing units at an average density of 101.5 units per square mile (39.2 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 93.2% white, 3.4% black or African American, 0.7% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.4% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.4% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 29.5% were German, 16.0% were Irish, 13.0% were English, 10.8% were American, and 5.5% were Italian.

Of the 63,989 households, 34.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.5% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.4% were non-families, and 23.8% of households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.00. The median age was 39.1 years.

The median household income was $53,291 and the median family income was $64,386. Males had a median income of $47,391 versus $37,054 for females. The per capita income for the county was $25,534. About 8.2% of families and 11.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.7% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Prior to 1944, Licking County primarily supported Democratic Party candidates in presidential elections, only voting for Republican candidates five times from 1856 to 1940 in five national landslides for the party. From 1944 onward, the county has become a Republican stronghold presidentially, with the only Democratic presidential candidate to win the county since then being Lyndon B. Johnson in the midst of his 1964 national landslide.

United States presidential election results for Licking County, Ohio

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	60,112	64.11%	32,287	34.44%	1,361	1.45%
2020	59,514	63.05%	33,055	35.02%	1,827	1.94%
2016	51,241	61.28%	27,376	32.74%	5,007	5.99%
2012	45,503	55.80%	34,201	41.94%	1,846	2.26%
2008	46,918	56.82%	33,932	41.09%	1,720	2.08%
2004	49,016	61.72%	30,053	37.84%	351	0.44%
2000	37,180	59.52%	23,196	37.13%	2,090	3.35%
1996	28,276	48.78%	22,624	39.03%	7,067	12.19%
1992	26,918	44.54%	18,898	31.27%	14,618	24.19%
1988	34,540	66.72%	16,793	32.44%	434	0.84%
1984	37,560	72.26%	13,995	26.93%	421	0.81%
1980	28,425	58.28%	17,208	35.28%	3,136	6.43%
1976	23,518	53.78%	19,247	44.01%	968	2.21%
1972	28,070	66.47%	12,460	29.50%	1,702	4.03%
1968	19,542	48.89%	15,021	37.58%	5,407	13.53%
1964	15,096	39.25%	23,364	60.75%	0	0.00%
1960	23,653	63.95%	13,335	36.05%	0	0.00%
1956	21,912	67.44%	10,581	32.56%	0	0.00%
1952	20,385	63.50%	11,718	36.50%	0	0.00%
1948	15,164	54.62%	12,511	45.07%	87	0.31%
1944	16,815	56.74%	12,819	43.26%	0	0.00%
1940	16,288	49.86%	16,379	50.14%	0	0.00%
1936	11,958	39.37%	17,785	58.56%	629	2.07%
1932	13,355	48.01%	13,904	49.99%	556	2.00%
1928	19,130	72.14%	7,244	27.32%	143	0.54%
1924	13,914	58.49%	7,428	31.23%	2,446	10.28%
1920	11,924	51.89%	10,679	46.47%	378	1.64%
1916	5,935	40.93%	8,183	56.43%	382	2.63%
1912	4,487	33.73%	6,120	46.01%	2,694	20.25%
1908	6,756	44.55%	7,685	50.67%	725	4.78%
1904	6,798	51.04%	6,019	45.19%	503	3.78%
1900	5,854	46.09%	6,716	52.88%	130	1.02%
1896	5,560	45.32%	6,611	53.89%	96	0.78%
1892	4,619	41.97%	6,038	54.87%	348	3.16%
1888	4,867	43.04%	6,199	54.82%	241	2.13%
1884	4,599	42.97%	5,958	55.67%	145	1.35%
1880	4,210	42.62%	5,575	56.44%	93	0.94%
1876	3,962	41.84%	5,473	57.79%	35	0.37%
1872	3,493	43.01%	4,562	56.17%	67	0.82%
1868	3,487	44.03%	4,432	55.97%	0	0.00%
1864	3,312	46.22%	3,853	53.78%	0	0.00%
1860	3,502	47.06%	3,154	42.38%	786	10.56%
1856	3,027	44.42%	3,371	49.46%	417	6.12%

Industry and Business

An Industrial History of Licking County

For more than two hundred years, businesses and industries in Licking County have served as a source of employment, generating income and experiencing economic growth. Famous businesses and industries include manufacturing, retail and wholesale trade, health care and social assistance, accommodation and food services. Manufacturing, agriculture, and services prove to be the major sectors of Licking County's industry.

Manufacturing

Manufacturing is one of the largest industry sectors in Licking County. Major establishments and advancements have been made by manufacturing facilities in the county by renowned companies or corporations, namely Invenergy, Armstrong World Industries, Intel, and Atkore. These investments have provided Licking County residents with a diverse range of employment opportunties and facilitated its economic growth. However, in the past many other successful manufacturing companies have come to a close, such as Longaberger, Fyrepel, Meritor plant in Heath, and E.T. Rugg. This shows the competitiveness of economic activity in the county. The glass-making industry, which has been established since the late 19th century from Newark with natural gas supplies, sand quarry, and cheap labor, is also a significant manufacturing sector in Licking County.

Agriculture

Agriculture is regarded as a traditional cornerstone of Licking County. It secures the earnings and living of the residents by offering a variety of crops and livestock, such as corn, wheat, cattle, and goats. Charles Metz and Brothers Meat Market, a local agricultural company located in Newark, is a well known meat provider for regional butchers and markets. Weiant Greenhouses was another local company that grew lettuce. It covered five acres of glass structures, becoming one of the largest greenhouses in Ohio and providing vegetables to three nearby states during its time. Unfortunately, it came to a close after a destructive storm in 1978. While modern farmers have multiple advantages such as better agricultural equipment, pesticides and fertilizers, many have encountered challenges due to an increase in the cost of producing crops and raising livestock, and a declining payout as well.

Services

The service industry, as a whole, has provided jobs for more than 30% of the employed population in Licking County. From housing and dining services to entertainment services, a variety of services have been available in Licking County. Among these, Education Services and Accommodations & Food Services are considered the major forms of services. Educational institutions in Licking County include Denison University, Newark City Schools, and Columbus State Community College. Meanwhile, Elliot's Wood Fired Kitchen & Tap, Shipp Brothers Brewing Restaurant & Taproom, and Three Tigers Brewing Co. are popular dining-service establishments in the county.

Contemporary Business and Industry in Licking County

Licking County continues to see substantial growth in industries across multiple fields, especially traditional companies with major distribution. Manufacturing, Retail Trade, Health Care and Social Assistance are the top three industries in Licking County's employment for recent years.

From 2017 to 2022, the number of jobs increased by 22.6% in Licking County, compared to the national growth rate of 3.8%. The number of jobs is projected to grow an additional 7,455 over the next 5 years. Licking County's manufacturing economy continued to grow with a 12% increase in manufacturing jobs between 2017 and 2022.

AEP headquarters building in Columbus, Ohio

In January 2022 Intel announced their intention to build a $20 billion semiconductor plant in Licking County that would employ up to 3,000 workers. The facility will be built on a 3,190 acre site that has been annexed from the Jersey Township to New Albany. In March 2023, Invenergy invested $600 million in Illuminate USA, with the goal of manufacturing high-quality domestic solar panels and creating 850 new, high-paying jobs.

Top 10 employers in Licking County (2018):

1. Amazon
2. Licking Memorial
3. Ascena Retail
4. Kroger
5. Licking County Government
6. Owens Corning
7. AEP Ohio
8. L Brands
9. Anomatic
10. Denison University

Places of interest

View from a section of the Great Circle Earthworks, part of the Newark Earthworks.

• Newark Earthworks
• Blackhand Gorge State Nature Preserve
• Flint Ridge State Memorial
• Dawes Arboretum
• Ye Olde Mill in Utica, where Velvet ice cream is produced.
• Heisey Glass Museum
• Longaberger former basket facility (Main office building was a 7-story replica basket, the largest in the world)
• National Trail Raceway - NHRA Dragstrip
• Denison University
• Home Building Association Bank

Sports

Longaberger former headquarters in Newark, Ohio, a giant Longaberger medium market basket.

Licking County high school athletic programs include Granville High School, Heath High School, Johnstown-Monroe High School, Lakewood High School, Licking Valley High School, Licking Heights High School, Newark Catholic High School, Newark High School, Northridge High School, Utica High School, and Watkins Memorial High School. In baseball, a state title has been won by a Licking County high school team every year since to 2002, when three Licking County teams won state titles. Newark Catholic High School and Heath High School have combined for nine state titles in a six-year span.

Licking County schools won at least one state title in four straight sport seasons: Heath in both baseball and boys track and field (2007), Newark Catholic in football (2007), Newark in boys basketball (2008) and Lakewood in softball (2008).

Opioid and overdose crisis

In Licking County, following national trends, opioid misuse has led to increased rates of overdose and fatalities. Opioids, which encompass a variety of drugs, are often used for pain relief. However, when Opioids are taken in large doses, it can be fatal to humans. Synthetic varieties of opioids, such as fentanyl, have been listed as one of the main contributors to the ongoing crisis. In Licking County, there are 34.6 deaths due to overdoses per 100,000 citizens. From 2013 to 2022, overdose-related deaths grew larger than doubled from 23 to 58. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, health director, Dr. William Highberger attributed isolation as one of the leading causes for the rise in overdose deaths across Licking County. In contrast, author and professor Jack Shuler attributes the rise in overdose deaths to a rise in fentanyl and its analogues in the drug supply. Local, state, and federal responses to the crisis, increased unemployment, and economic inequalities are affecting this matter in the region.

Statistics

Over the years, overdose deaths have gradually increased. The risk of death from addiction has grown over the recent years. Licking Memorial Health Systems collects data every year which includes unintentional overdose deaths. Their statistics pointed to 41 deaths in 2018 and 47 in 2021. This marks a sharp increase of deaths due to overdose of over double from 2014 to 2020. Licking County Memorial found out that when focusing on fentanyl related deaths, the number has increased by over 1000% from 2 deaths in 2014 to 21 in 2018.

Demographics

In 2021, of the 47 opioid related death, the primary group affected was white males between the ages 25-44. Annual data from the Licking County overdose fatality review illustrates 72% of overdoses in 2021 were male, while the remaining 28% were female. The most affected age range was 35-44 years old, with 15 deaths, followed closely by those aged 25-34, with 14 deaths. Additionally, 94% of deaths in 2021 were White/Caucasian and 6% were Black/African American. Regarding the level of education of those affected, 59.6% were high school graduates or had a GED, while 17% did not graduate high school. Additionally, 12.8% had a college education without a degree, and 8.5% held a college undergraduate degree. Fentanyl was involved in 72.3% of cases, making it the leading substance in these overdoses.

Licking County's Response

In 2020, the Licking County Health Department introduced a new overdose mapping system, which tracked fatal and nonfatal overdose cases in the region of Licking County. Logan Legg, the coordinator of the overdose mapping program in Licking County, hopes that through expediting the process of data collection on fatal and nonfatal overdose cases, county alerts or distribution of naloxone can be made a lot more efficient. Coinciding with the creation of overdose mapping, LCHD spokesperson Katie Beaver stated that the increase of overdoses throughout Licking County may just be a result of more overdoses being reported across the county as a result of overdose mapping.

In 2019, the Licking County Health Department unanimously voted against implementing a syringe exchange program in the county. When approached about their decision to not pursue a syringe exchange program once again in 2024, the Health Department said the following, “This remains the case in 2024 and there are no plans to revisit this decision at this time.” Various organizations have taken issue with the LCHDs decision such as Licking County's branch of Ohio CAN. The organization has noted that the unsanitary syringe use has been a cause for the rise in Hepatitis-C.

Resources Available

In the wake of the crisis, Licking County has also established various other programs to combat the opioid crisis:

One method of stopping an overdose is applying narcan to the person's nose.

The Licking County Linkages Program helps individuals recovering from substance addiction by providing health care. In addition, their goals also revolve around reducing stigmas surrounding substance abuse as well as informing the general public of the dangers of drug consumption.

Other services throughout Licking County include disposal of unwanted pills which can be done at several police stations within the county.

Communities

Map of Licking County, Ohio with Municipal and Township Labels

Cities

• Heath
• Johnstown
• New Albany
• Newark (county seat)
• Pataskala
• Reynoldsburg

Villages

• Alexandria
• Buckeye Lake
• Granville
• Gratiot
• Hanover
• Hartford
• Hebron
• Kirkersville
• St. Louisville
• Utica

Townships

• Bennington
• Bowling Green
• Burlington
• Eden
• Etna
• Fallsbury
• Franklin
• Granville
• Hanover
• Harrison
• Hartford
• Hopewell
• Jersey
• Liberty
• Licking
• Madison
• Mary Ann
• McKean
• Monroe
• Newark
• Newton
• Perry
• St. Albans
• Union
• Washington

Census-designated places

• Beechwood Trails
• Brownsville
• Etna
• Granville South
• Harbor Hills
• Marne

Unincorporated communities

• Amsterdam
• Appleton
• Ben
• Boston
• Chatham
• Columbia Center
• Fleatown
• Fredonia
• Homer
• Jacksontown
• Jersey
• Linnville
• Lloyd Corners
• Locust Grove
• Luray
• New Way
• Outville
• Perryton
• Rain Rock
• Toboso
• Union Station
• Wagram
• Welsh Hills
• Wilkins Run

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Licking County, Ohio

References

https://www.littleriverpublishing.com/home

Further reading

• Thomas William Lewis, History of Southeastern Ohio and the Muskingum Valley, 1788-1928. In Three Volumes. Chicago: S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1928.

External links

• Licking County Government's website
• Flint Ridge State Memorial