1st Advantage MortgageThe median Defiance County household earns $73,064, and 10% of residents live below the poverty line. Those figures describe the county, not you: compare at least three written offers by APR and total cost, and confirm the lender's license before you apply.
On this page
- Getting oriented in Defiance County
- What it costs to live in Defiance County
- Paychecks and income spread in Defiance County
- Work, industries and travel time in Defiance County
- Regional comparison for Defiance County
- Towns and communities in Defiance County
- Budget math at the Defiance County median
- People and households in Defiance County
- Before borrowing in Defiance County
- A Defiance County borrower's checklist
- Lender oversight for Defiance County
- Nearby and statewide guides
- Frequently asked questions
Getting oriented in Defiance County
Defiance County is home to about 38,343 people, according to the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey, which makes it the 64th most populous of 88 county-level areas in Ohio. It covers 411 square miles of land, or about 93 people per square mile. It sits outside every metropolitan statistical area in the July 2023 OMB delineation. Defiance is the biggest of its 5 Census places, at roughly 17,276 people (45% of the county total).
What it costs to live in Defiance County
A typical Defiance County rental runs $846 a month including utilities, which is 18% below Ohio. By the Census definition, 31% of Defiance County renters are cost-burdened. Home values center on $163,200, or 2.2 years of median income. Owners occupy 79% of homes. Half the housing stock was built before 1968.
| Home costs | Defiance County | Ohio | U.S. middle county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent | $846/mo | $1,034/mo | $877/mo |
| Median home value | $163,200 | $214,800 | $185,300 |
| Owners | 79% | 67% | 75% |
| Rent-burdened renters | 31% | 46% | 45% |
| Burdened owners | 16% | 21% | n/a |
| Vacant units | 7% | 8% | n/a |
In an owner-heavy county like Defiance County, many borrowers can also choose a home equity loan or line of credit. Those can price lower but put the house on the line, so compare the two in writing; our personal loan vs. HELOC guide walks through it.
Paychecks and income spread in Defiance County
At $73,064, the typical Defiance County household income is 11% above the median U.S. county ($65,681). That places it 31st among Ohio's 88 county-level areas.
| Households earning | Defiance County | +/- vs Ohio |
|---|---|---|
| Under $35,000 | 20.0% | -3.8 pts |
| $35,000 to $99,999 | 47.0% | +5.4 pts |
| $100,000 to $199,999 | 29.1% | +3.7 pts |
| $200,000 or more | 3.8% | -5.3 pts |
Some 20% of households here live on less than $35,000 a year; 33% have six-figure incomes. The poverty rate is 10.5%, 3 points lower than the state's 13.3%. If your income is irregular, as it often is with tips, gig work or seasonal jobs, plan around your leaner months rather than the Defiance County median.
Work, industries and travel time in Defiance County
By the Census industry count, 24% of employed Defiance County residents work in manufacturing and 18% in education and health care. Manufacturing stands out: 24% of workers here, versus 15% statewide. Averaged over the five survey years, 5.2% of the labor force was out of work and looking. Long commutes are the exception here: 8% of workers spend 45 minutes or longer getting to work. 5.0% of households have no vehicle.
| Where residents work | Defiance County | Difference from Ohio |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 24.4% | +9.7 pts |
| Education and health care | 18.4% | -5.9 pts |
| Retail trade | 13.7% | +2.5 pts |
| Construction | 6.7% | +0.7 pts |
| Professional and administrative services | 6.4% | -3.9 pts |
| Transportation, warehousing and utilities | 5.9% | 0.0 pts |
Industry shapes paperwork. Salaried and public jobs are easy to verify, while hourly, tipped, commission or contract earners in Defiance County should have bank statements and tax returns ready.
Regional comparison for Defiance County
Six nearby counties, 15 to 28 miles away by the straight-line distance between their centers. Putnam County leads the group on income ($84,928), Williams County trails ($61,048), and Defiance County out-earns 3 of the six. Some neighbors are in Indiana. Lender licensing is state by state, so a loan for a Defiance County resident follows Ohio rules.
| County | Miles | Median household income | Median rent | Homeownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Defiance County | - | $73,064 | $846/mo | 79% |
| Paulding County, OH | 15 mi | $67,731 | $812/mo | 80% |
| Williams County, OH | 18 mi | $61,048 | $791/mo | 76% |
| Henry County, OH | 22 mi | $80,099 | $849/mo | 83% |
| Fulton County, OH | 27 mi | $72,864 | $863/mo | 80% |
| DeKalb County, IN | 27 mi | $74,331 | $861/mo | 82% |
| Putnam County, OH | 28 mi | $84,928 | $855/mo | 87% |
Towns and communities in Defiance County
5 Census places fall mainly inside Defiance County; the 5 biggest are below. They account for 21,898 residents, leaving about 43% of the county in unincorporated, unnamed areas. Among places of 500 or more people, median income runs from $61,439 in Defiance to $84,167 in Sherwood. None of the 5 has its own city guide, so this page covers all of them.
| Town or CDP | Type | People | Median household income | Median gross rent | Miles from center |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Defiance | city | 17,276 | $61,439 | $853 | 7 mi |
| Hicksville | village | 3,174 | $63,088 | $775 | 15 mi |
| Sherwood | village | 762 | $84,167 | $950 | 4 mi |
| Ney | village | 363 | $74,821 | $875 | 4 mi |
| Brunersburg | CDP | 323 | $110,893 | n/a | 5 mi |
Budget math at the Defiance County median
The debt-to-income ratio is the main affordability test lenders use. Applied to Defiance County's medians:
- Median income divided by twelve: $6,089 before taxes
- Median rent: $846, or 14 cents of every gross dollar
- Under a 43% cap, $2,618 total minus rent leaves $1,772
If your rent is above $846, the room shrinks dollar for dollar.
People and households in Defiance County
College graduates make up 19% of the adult population. 8.4% of residents have no health coverage.
| Indicator | Defiance County | All of Ohio | U.S. county median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 41.1 | 39.7 | 41.5 |
| Bachelor's or higher | 19.0% | 31.5% | 22.2% |
| No high school diploma | 7.2% | 8.2% | n/a |
| No health insurance | 8.4% | 6.4% | 7.8% |
| No vehicle | 5.0% | 7.5% | 5.4% |
| Work from home | 6.0% | 13.0% | 8.7% |
| Poverty rate | 10.5% | 13.3% | 13.2% |
| Unemployment (ACS) | 5.2% | 4.8% | 4.4% |
| Trip time | Share |
|---|---|
| Under 15 min | 41.0% |
| 15 to 29 min | 34.8% |
| 30 to 44 min | 16.3% |
| 45 to 59 min | 4.3% |
| 60+ min | 3.6% |
Before borrowing in Defiance County
A few patterns in the Defiance County data, and the practical point behind each:
- Combining balances. It helps when total cost falls and the cards stay paid down (consolidation).
- Getting ready. Gather pay stubs or benefit letters before you apply (checklist).
- Advance-fee offers. No legitimate lender asks a Defiance County borrower to pay first (scam signs).
A Defiance County borrower's checklist
Steps that save money for Defiance County residents:
- Get a written quote for whatever you are paying for in Defiance County.
- Collect three written offers and compare APR and total repaid.
- Look the lender up with the state regulator first.
- Ask about early-payoff penalties.
Lender oversight for Defiance County
Before sharing details with a lender, a Defiance County resident can confirm its license with the Ohio Division of Financial Institutions. Banks and credit unions have their own regulators, and the CFPB takes complaints about any lender. The Ohio guide covers state rules in more detail.
Nearby and statewide guides
The Ohio guide covers the whole state.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median household income in Defiance County?
$73,064 a year in the 2020 to 2024 Census survey, versus $71,389 for Ohio. It ranks 31st of 88 in the state.
How does Defiance County rent compare with Ohio?
$846 locally versus $1,034 for the state, 18% below.
Which towns does the Defiance County guide cover?
Every community in the county, unincorporated areas included. The largest of its 5 Census places: Defiance, Hicksville, Sherwood, Ney, Brunersburg.
Are Defiance County applicants treated differently?
No. Everyone answers the same questions and is screened on the same objective points; lending partners set their own criteria under fair-lending laws.
Who regulates personal lenders for Defiance County residents?
The Ohio Division of Financial Institutions licenses consumer lenders in Ohio; the CFPB takes complaints about any lender, and the FTC wants to hear about fee-first offers.