“I’m going through changes, I’m going through changes,” Black Sabbath’s Ozzy Osbourne sings in “Changes.”
MOUNT VERNON — Knox County is going through some changes just like the late singer Ozzy Osbourne was back in 1972. At least the United States Census Bureau says so.
The federal agency released its 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates in January and the document is filled with changing data through the years.
The Center for Community Solutions’ Alex Dorman said it perfectly in the nonpartisan research center’s number-crunching census breakdown of the state of Ohio and its 88 counties.
“Do you remember what you were doing in 2019?”
While 2019 may feel like a lifetime ago for some, or just yesterday for others, CCS found that from 2019 to 2024 more Ohioans worked full-time, earned more income and were less impoverished.
“But housing had gotten more expensive for homeowners and renters alike. The proportion of older adults in Ohio continued to grow, while the proportion of children under the age of 18 shrunk,” Dorman wrote.
So, how did these trends and many more translate to Knox County? Here’s a full report.
How many folks are under the age of 18?
This one is shockingly simple.
In 2019, 22.8 percent of Knox County’s population was under the age of 18.
Moving ahead to 2024, the percentage did not change even a percentage point.
Just for comparing and contrasting sake, below are Richland, Ashland and Delaware Counties’ percentages.
- Richland: 2019 — 21.7 percent; 2024 — 21.8 percent. CCS listed this as a significant change over time.
- Ashland: 2019 — 22.7 percent; 2024 — 22.5 percent. CCS also listed this as a significant change over time.
- Delaware: 2019 — 26.7 percent; 2024 — 24.8 percent. Unsurprisingly, CCS marked this metric as a significant change as well.
How many folks are 60 and older?
Knox County got older in the last five years — which makes sense from a human-nature perspective. But what is interesting is that all 88 counties saw an increase in this age group.
Well folks, we’re living longer.
Here are the specific numbers for Knox County:
- 2019: 25 percent of the population age 60 or older.
- 2024: 27.2 percent of the population age 60 or older.
- This is a 2.2 percent “significant change” increase according to CCS.
What is the median income per household these days?
This is yet another metric where Knox County saw a significant change increase.
Knox County had a $16,129 increase in median household income from 2019 to 2024.
Check out the graph below for the specifics.
Where is the poverty line?
“The percentage of Ohioans living in poverty significantly decreased statewide from 14.0 percent in 2019 to 13.3 percent in 2024,” according to CCS.
This downward trend also occurred in Knox County, but not significantly.
- Knox County poverty rate in 2019: 13.1 percent
- Knox County poverty rate in 2024: 11.6 percent
This is a 1.5 percent decrease, but CCS did not consider it a significant change.
How have employment rates looked these past few years?
More Ohioans went to (and are going to) work according to CCS’s numbers.
“The percentage of Ohioans between the ages of 16 to 64 who worked full-time for the full year significantly grew from 65.2 to 66.6 percent,” the research center found.
Check out the graph below for Knox County’s specifics.
While the 2.6-percent increase is a step in the right direction, CCS did not classify it as a significant change increase.
How many folks have a job and work from home?
Working from home or half time at home and half in an office has become a new norm ever since the 2019-20 COVID-19 pandemic.
“In 2019, only 4.2 percent of workers over the age of 16 worked full time from home. In 2024, this rate essentially tripled to 13.0 percent statewide,” CCS reports.
So, what are Knox County’s metrics?
Knox County once again followed the statewide (and quite frankly nationwide) trend.
There were 5.4 percent of Knox County workers toiling from home in 2019. This increased 8.3 percent to 13.7 percent in 2024.
While hybrid or at-home working has its benefits and drawbacks, this percentage likely will increase as many industries continue to navigate a post-pandemic world.
Median monthly mortgage and rent costs
The cost of owning a home in Ohio has dramatically increased and so has the cost to rent.
All 88 counties saw increases in mortgage and rent costs, but two counties, Noble and Monroe, saw a minimal increase in rent cost.
Only Noble County saw a minimal increase in mortgage costs.
The statistics for both mortgage and rent costs as they pertain to the state of Ohio and Knox County are in the graph below.
Who is pursuing higher education?
“The percent of Ohioans 25 and older with a bachelor’s degree or higher has risen significantly from 28.3 percent in 2019 to 31.5 percent in 2024,” CCS details.
“While a handful of counties experienced a slight decrease in the percentage of the population with bachelor’s degrees, none of these decreases were significant.”
Here’s how Knox County stacks up.
- Knox County residents with a bachelor’s degree or higher (2019): 23.0 percent.
- Knox County residents with a bachelor’s degree or higher (2024): 24.7 percent.
As the calendar flips closer to graduation season, celebrate those graduates but don’t give up on those personal dreams and aspirations.
“Any fool can know. The point is to understand,” college graduate and famed scientist Albert Einstein once said.
Hey, look at that; the internet isn’t slow anymore!
According to CCS, the number of households across Ohio with access to broadband internet has largely increased.
“The increase at the county level was significant for every county, with some counties in the southern and southeastern parts experiencing increases of over 15 percent,” the center reported.
Take a look at the graph below to see how much better internet access got in Knox County compared to the entire state.
