1st Advantage MortgageAbout 80% of Fulton County homes are owner-occupied, and the median household income is $72,864. 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
- Fulton County at a glance
- What it costs to live in Fulton County
- Paychecks and income spread in Fulton County
- Jobs and commutes in Fulton County
- Towns and communities in Fulton County
- Regional comparison for Fulton County
- What a median Fulton County budget can carry
- Reading the Fulton County data as a borrower
- Fulton County households compared
- Before you sign
- Checking a lender's license in Ohio
- Related local guides
- Frequently asked questions
Fulton County at a glance
Roughly 42,240 residents live in Fulton County, Ohio, 58th by population among the state's 88 counties and county equivalents. Land area is 405 square miles (2024 Gazetteer), so density runs near 104 per square mile. For statistical purposes it belongs to the Toledo, OH metro area, as delineated by the Office of Management and Budget in July 2023. Wauseon is the biggest of its 10 Census places, at roughly 7,505 people (18% of the county total).
What it costs to live in Fulton County
A typical Fulton County rental runs $863 a month including utilities, which is 17% below Ohio. Rent takes 30% or more of income for 31% of renter households here. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $191,000, about 2.6 times the median household income. 80% of Fulton County households own their home and 20% rent. Half the housing stock was built before 1971.
| Housing | Fulton County | Ohio statewide | Typical U.S. county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent | $863/mo | $1,034/mo | $877/mo |
| Median home value | $191,000 | $214,800 | $185,300 |
| Owners | 80% | 67% | 75% |
| Rent-burdened renters | 31% | 46% | 45% |
| Burdened owners | 19% | 21% | n/a |
| Mobile homes | 6.2% | 3.4% | n/a |
Owners with equity have a second option. Weigh a secured line against an unsecured loan by risk as well as cost before you choose (how they compare).
Paychecks and income spread in Fulton County
The median household income in Fulton County is $72,864; statewide it is $71,389, so Fulton County runs 2% above Ohio as a whole. That places it 32nd among Ohio's 88 county-level areas.
| Band | Fulton County | Compared with Ohio |
|---|---|---|
| Under $35,000 | 19.8% | -4.0 pts |
| $35,000 to $99,999 | 45.1% | +3.4 pts |
| $100,000 to $199,999 | 27.6% | +2.2 pts |
| $200,000 or more | 7.5% | -1.6 pts |
About 20% of households earn under $35,000, while 35% clear $100,000. The poverty rate is 9.4%, 4 points lower than the state's 13.3%. Income inequality, measured by the Gini index, comes to 0.416 here. A household earning below the $72,864 median should test any payment carefully; one earning above it should still pick the shortest term it can manage.
Jobs and commutes in Fulton County
By the Census industry count, 22% of employed Fulton County residents work in education and health care and 21% in manufacturing. The sharpest difference from the state is in manufacturing, at 21% locally and 15% for Ohio. Averaged over the five survey years, 3.9% of the labor force was out of work and looking. Long commutes are the exception here: 14% of workers spend 45 minutes or longer getting to work. Households without a car make up 2.8% of the total (7.5% statewide).
| Industry | Share of Fulton County workers | vs Ohio |
|---|---|---|
| Education and health care | 21.7% | -2.6 pts |
| Manufacturing | 21.3% | +6.6 pts |
| Retail trade | 10.5% | -0.7 pts |
| Construction | 7.7% | +1.7 pts |
| Arts, lodging and food service | 7.0% | -1.3 pts |
| Professional and administrative services | 6.7% | -3.5 pts |
A lender verifies what your own job pays. The county's industry mix tells you about the local economy, not about your application.
Towns and communities in Fulton County
The table lists the 10 largest of 10 Census places in Fulton County, by population. Together all 10 hold about 22,772 people, so roughly 46% of residents live outside any named place. Among places of 500 or more people, median income runs from $49,539 in Fayette to $86,537 in Ai. Median rent ranges from $755 in Archbold to $1,369 in Ai. None of the 10 has its own city guide, so this page covers all of them.
| Name | Kind | Pop. | Income | Rent | Miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wauseon | city | 7,505 | $64,477 | $821 | 3 mi |
| Archbold | village | 4,397 | $72,631 | $755 | 11 mi |
| Swanton | village | 4,098 | $68,299 | $906 | 12 mi |
| Delta | village | 3,137 | $63,293 | $947 | 5 mi |
| Fayette | village | 969 | $49,539 | $806 | 12 mi |
| Lyons | village | 884 | $50,625 | $823 | 8 mi |
| Ai | CDP | 618 | $86,537 | $1,369 | 10 mi |
| Metamora | village | 597 | $84,219 | $959 | 14 mi |
| Pettisville | CDP | 447 | $98,594 | $918 | 7 mi |
| Tedrow | CDP | 120 | $40,313 | n/a | 4 mi |
CDPs are unincorporated communities the Census Bureau defines for counting.
Regional comparison for Fulton County
Six nearby counties, 19 to 34 miles away by the straight-line distance between their centers. 3 of the six report a higher median household income than Fulton County; Henry County is highest at $80,099 and Williams County lowest at $61,048. The list crosses into Michigan, where different lending rules and regulators apply.
| Nearby county | Center to center | Household income | Gross rent | Owner-occupied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fulton County | - | $72,864 | $863/mo | 80% |
| Henry County, OH | 19 mi | $80,099 | $849/mo | 83% |
| Lenawee County, MI | 21 mi | $70,518 | $987/mo | 80% |
| Williams County, OH | 24 mi | $61,048 | $791/mo | 76% |
| Defiance County, OH | 27 mi | $73,064 | $846/mo | 79% |
| Wood County, OH | 31 mi | $74,216 | $972/mo | 64% |
| Lucas County, OH | 34 mi | $62,224 | $934/mo | 62% |
What a median Fulton County budget can carry
Lenders compare monthly debt payments with gross monthly income, the debt-to-income ratio. For a Fulton County household at the medians it works out like this; treat it as an illustration only.
- Start: $6,072 gross per month ($72,864 / 12)
- Less median rent of $863, which is 14% of it
- $1,323: what a 36% ratio leaves once rent is paid
- Under a 43% cap, $2,611 total minus rent leaves $1,748
Lenders set their own limits and look beyond the ratio. The DTI calculator uses your figures instead of Fulton County's.
Reading the Fulton County data as a borrower
A few patterns in the Fulton County data, and the practical point behind each:
- Fraud. Gift cards, wire transfers or fees to unlock a loan mean walk away (report it).
- Know your credit. Review all three bureau reports for free (AnnualCreditReport.com).
- Consolidating cards in Fulton County. Compare the total repaid, not the monthly figure (how).
Fulton County households compared
Degree holders: 20% of adults over 25. About 5% go without health insurance.
| Residents | Fulton County | Ohio | Middle U.S. county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 41.5 | 39.7 | 41.5 |
| Bachelor's or higher | 20.2% | 31.5% | 22.2% |
| No high school diploma | 5.5% | 8.2% | n/a |
| No health insurance | 5.1% | 6.4% | 7.8% |
| No vehicle | 2.8% | 7.5% | 5.4% |
| Work from home | 5.3% | 13.0% | 8.7% |
| Poverty rate | 9.4% | 13.3% | 13.2% |
| Unemployment (ACS) | 3.9% | 4.8% | 4.4% |
| Travel time to work | Workers |
|---|---|
| Under 15 min | 36.7% |
| 15 to 29 min | 29.3% |
| 30 to 44 min | 19.8% |
| 45 to 59 min | 8.4% |
| 60+ min | 5.9% |
Before you sign
Four checks before you sign anything:
- Get a written quote for whatever you are paying for in Fulton County.
- Line up offers side by side: APR, fees in dollars, total cost.
- Check the license, then the reviews, then the offer.
- Keep a small cushion so one surprise bill does not mean another loan.
Checking a lender's license in Ohio
Before sharing details with a lender, a Fulton County resident can confirm its license with the Ohio Division of Financial Institutions. Federal complaints: consumerfinance.gov. See the Ohio state guide for the statewide picture.
Related local guides
The Ohio guide covers the whole state.
Frequently asked questions
Is Fulton County a high-income county?
Its $72,864 median ranks 32nd of 88 Ohio counties and compares with $65,681 for the median U.S. county.
How does Fulton County rent compare with Ohio?
$863 locally versus $1,034 for the state, 17% below.
I live in a small Fulton County town. Is this my guide?
Yes. If your town has no city guide, this county page is the local one; it covers Wauseon, Archbold, Swanton, Delta, Fayette and 5 more.
Are Fulton 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 do I complain to about a lender in Fulton County?
Start with the Ohio Division of Financial Institutions, then the CFPB complaint portal. Keep copies of every message.