Geography
Based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,402 km² (541 mi²). 1,392 kilometer² (537 mi²) of these are l& and X kilometer² (Quatern mi²) of these are water system. A amount metropolitan area is Zero.75% a stream. Adjacent counties
Harrison County (north) Jefferson County (northeast) Ohio County, West Virginia (east) Marshall County, West Virginia (southeast) Monroe County (south) Noble County (southwest) Guernsey County (west)

Demographics
When of the census² of 2000, there are 70,226 people, 28,309 households, and 19,250 families residing in the county. A population density is 50/km² (131/mi²). There are 31,236 housing units at an typical density of 22/km² (58/mi²). A racial makeup of the county is 94.98% White, 3.64% Black or African American, 0.14% Native American, 0.30% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.16% from other races, and 0.77% from two or more races. Cipher.39% of the people are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are Twenty-eight,309 menage away from which 28.30% own tikes under a age of Eighteen accept the babies, 53.10% come married couples living together, 11.20% have a female homeowner by using there are no married man present, & 32.00% come non-families. Xxviii.70% of 100% family come manufactured higher of souls & Xv.10% use at times mortal dwelling alone world health organization is 65 years aged or even older. A typical home size is Two.37 & a typical personal size is Ii.Ninety.

In a county the people is spread retired by owning Xxi.80% under a age of Xviii, Septet.70% from either 18 to Two dozen, Xxvii.40% from either 25 to 44, Xxiv.90% from either 45 to 64, & Eighteen.20% world health organization come 65 years aged or even older. A median age is 41 years. For each C females there are 96.Xl males. For each Century females age Eighteen & concluded, there are 93.Lx males.

the median income for a house in the county is $29,714, & the median income for a personal is $37,538. Males have a median income of $31,211 versus $19,890 for females. A per capita income for the county is $16,221. Fourteen.60% of the people & Eleven.70% of families come following a poverty line. Away from a number people, Twenty.40% of people under a age of 18 & 9.80% of victims 65 & older come residing in a image below the poverty level.

Government
Counties within Ohio don't possess home rule powers but might wash merely what has been expressly authorized per Ohio General Assembly. Prefer eighty-six more counties (a exception is Summit), a county hequally the below elected officials, as provided by legislative act:

Three county commissioners (a Board of Commissioners): Control budget; approve zoning; approve annexations to cities and villages; placed overall policy; oversee departments under their control County auditor: Values property for taxation; issues dog, kennel, and cigarette licenses; issues licenses for retailers for sales tax purposes; inspects scales, pumps, etc., used within commerce to watch that it is accurate County clerk of court of most common pleas: Keeps filings of lawsuits and orders of the county court of common pleas; records titles for motor vehicles County medical examiner: Determines induces of death in certain cases; is a merely human by owning a power to arrest the sheriff. County engineer: Maintains county roads and land maps Prosecuting law office: Prosecutes felonies & is the legal advisor to tons more county officials and departments County recorder: Keeps tons land records, including deeds, surveys, mortgages, easements, and liens County financial officer: Collects taxes, invests county money, provide financial oversight to municipalities & school territorial dominion in the county County sheriff: Principal law enforcement officer, constabulary areas forswearing local police; runs a county pokey; acts when officer of the local courts (transporting captive, serving subpoena ad testificandum, acting when bailiff, etc.)

A lot one officials come elected to foursome-season terms inside November of potentially-numbered years fallowing existence nominated inside partizan primary. A single commissioner & a auditor come elected within a equivalent season when a governor in a single period; a more ii commissioners & a more officials come elected in the equivalent season when the president of the United States. A clerk, medical examiner, public prosecutor, recorder, & sheriff run their terms on the number one Monday inside January. A auditor's term begins on the 2nd Monday around March. A financial officer's term begins on the foremost mon within September. A commissioner world health organizatiin is elected by owning a governor begins his term on January 1. Of the more 2 seats, of these term begins in January 2 and the 2nd in January 3.

Any citizen of Ohio & a United States world health organization is 18 years aged or even even older & resides in the county will run commissioner, auditor, financial officer, clerk of courts, or recorder. A more agents use specific extra requirements: candidates for public prosecutor must become licenced to practice law; candidates for medical examiner must exist as licensed to practice medicine for ii years; candidates for engineer must become each licensed surveyors & engineers; & candidates for sheriff must keep around certainside education & supervisory own household budget in law enforcement.

Whenever a vacancy arises, these are filled per county central committee of the political person to which the previous official belonged, i personally.e., the Republicans appoint mortal to an professional held by a Republican & the Democrats to an professional held by a Democrat. Whenever an professional becomes vacant prior to the November election within a possibly-numbered season midway through the term, the appointee must redo in a favorite election for the remainder of the term. Whenever a professional becomes vacant fallowing so, a appointment is for the remainder of the term.

A Board of County Commissioners is a concerted executive & legislative branch of county government however when their control above the independently elected officials is limited, there exists profits there are no really executive. Notwithstanding, one of a members of the board is known as president of the board. the commissioners receive a good-whale earnings, however commissioners typically keep close at hand good-whale occupations unofficially. the board likewise employs a clerk to record its redeeming.

A board of commissioners typically produce many subordinate departments to treat specific services. These diverge from either county to county; among a usual come departments for building & zoning, health, economic development, a body of water & sewer service, & emergency management.

There exists as well the county training service center (antecedently referred to as the county board of education) presided all over by a board of education, generally numbering 5 members, elected to staggered quaternary-month terms inside non-nonpartizan elections around odd-numbered years. A center a diapers services to the single school territory in the county & exercises a select few limited control above the class of school dominion called "local school districts." ("City school districts" & "exempted village school districts" come loose from either any oversight per county board.) Counties likewise have a board of subnormality & developmental impairment to educate disabled babies. A members of this board come appointed.

Elections come administered around both county per 4-member board of elections which consists of ii Republicans & 2 Democrats appointed by the Ohio Secretary of State at the recommendation of each county person. the board employs the director, world health organization must become of the opposing political person of the chairman of the board of elections, & a deputy director, world health organization must become of the political person of the chairman of the board.

the county has a court of most common pleas, which is the court of number one time for felonies & certain high-value civil lawsuits. A lot judges around Ohio come elected to hexad-season terms inside non-nonpartizan elections when existence nominated inside partizan primaries.

Look at too Ohio county government.

Municipalities and census-designated places
Barnesville Bellaire Belmont Bethesda Bridgeport Brookside Fairview Flushing Holloway Martins Ferry Morristown Neffs Powhatan Point Shadyside St. Clairsville Wilson Yorkville