Defiance County, Ohio: commercial real estate data.
Defiance County, Ohio has a population of 38,343 across 411 square miles, up 0.9 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $2.16 bn in 2024, 813 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 67 7(a) approvals worth $28.2 m.
124 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Defiance County
How many people live in Defiance County
- Population38,343
- Households15,327
- Average household size2.50
- Median household income$73,064
- Median age41.1
- Median gross rent$846 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$163,200
- Home value to household income2.2 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income13.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher19.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over26,401
- Population under 188,626
- Share under 1822.5 percent
- Population 65 and over7,741
- Share 65 and over20.2 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6421,976
- Civilian labor force19,435
- Unemployment rate5.2 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over65.4 percent
- Rank by population among Ohio counties64th of 88
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1238th
Defiance County is the 64th largest of 88 Ohio counties by population. A median home costs 2.2 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 22.5 percent against 20.2 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Defiance County
Is Defiance County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.95 percent
- Census 2020 base population38,281
- Births, 2024411
- Deaths, 2024416
- Natural change, 2024-5
- Net domestic migration, 202411
- Net international migration, 2024204
- Total net migration, 2024215
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024119
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1497th
The county has grown 0.95 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Defiance County
Where people moving to Defiance County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving911
- People arriving, from those returns1,578
- Adjusted gross income arriving$41.0 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$44,956
- Largest single originDefiance County Non-migrants (15,388 households)
- Largest single destination (15,388 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Defiance County Non-migrants | 15,388 | 30,831 | $1.06 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 249 | 440 | $11.9 m |
| Williams County | 152 | 273 | $6.4 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 131 | 199 | $5.7 m |
| Paulding County | 109 | 186 | $4.9 m |
| Henry County | 108 | 208 | $4.5 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 105 | 182 | $4.9 m |
| Other flows - South | 104 | 188 | $4.5 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Defiance County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Defiance County
What the Defiance County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$2.16 bn
- County GDP, 2023$2.15 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20240.7 percent
- GDP change over five years30.4 percent
- Rank by GDP among Ohio counties63rd
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1213th
- GDP per resident$56,399
Output grew 0.7 percent in the latest year and 30.4 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Defiance County
Who employs people in Defiance County
- Covered employment, annual average15,518
- Establishments reporting942
- Average annual pay$52,758
- Average weekly wage$1,015
- Sector 31-33, employment3,069
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$79,500
- Sector 44-45, employment2,256
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$34,743
- Sector 72, employment1,664
- Sector 72, average annual pay$18,071
- Sector 48-49, employment975
- Sector 48-49, average annual pay$61,600
- Sector 81, employment614
- Sector 52, employment555
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 3,069 | 50 | $79,500 |
| Sector 44-45 | 2,256 | 131 | $34,743 |
| Sector 72 | 1,664 | 88 | $18,071 |
| Sector 48-49 | 975 | 46 | $61,600 |
| Sector 81 | 614 | 81 | $24,956 |
| Sector 52 | 555 | 62 | $64,446 |
| Sector 23 | 493 | 68 | $55,715 |
| Sector 42 | 483 | 54 | $66,785 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 3,069 jobs, 19.8 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Defiance County
What businesses operate in Defiance County
- Establishments, all industries813
- Employment at those establishments13,708
- Annual payroll$664.7 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents21.2
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Defiance County
What is being built in Defiance County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202446
- Declared construction value permitted$13.3 m
- Single family units authorised37
- Multifamily units authorised9
- Multifamily share of units19.6 percent
- Average declared value per unit$289,833
- Units authorised per 1,000 households3.0
Multifamily is 19.6 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Defiance County
How much SBA lending happens in Defiance County
- 7(a) approvals recorded67
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$28.2 m
- Average 7(a) approval$421,190
- Median 7(a) approval$60,000
- 10th percentile approval$10,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,310,000
- Largest single approval$3,667,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)772
- Jobs per approval11.5
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active14
- Distinct industries receiving approvals34
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer3.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms2
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter59
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countGeneral Freight Trucking, Long-Distance, Truckload (6)
- Most active lenderThe Huntington National Bank (37)
- 504 approvals recorded3
- 504 gross approval dollars$1.8 m
- Average 504 approval$583,667
- Median 504 approval$356,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval1.7
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved2.9
- Most active CDCWest Central Partnership, Inc. (1)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals95.7 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$30.0 m
The average approval of $421,190 sits well above the median of $60,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 3.0 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Defiance County
Do SBA loans in Defiance County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded8
- Paid in full7
- Charged off1
- Status: Paid in full7
- Status: Exempt from disclosure48
- Status: Cancelled10
- Status: Charged off1
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 8 resolved loans, too few to publish a rate. A rate computed on a handful of loans is noise, so none is shown.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Defiance County
Which parts of Defiance County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending3
- Defiance, approvals54
- Hicksville, approvals11
- Sherwood, approvals2
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Defiance | 54 | $27,294,800 |
| Hicksville | 11 | $900,900 |
| Sherwood | 2 | $24,000 |
Defiance accounts for 54 approvals against 11 in Hicksville. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Defiance County
How big is Defiance County
- Land area411 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Ohio counties62nd of 88
- Width, east to west29.9 mi
- Height, north to south18.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land93
- Establishments per square mile1.98
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Defiance County
What hazards affect Defiance County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book5
- Of those, participating in the NFIP5
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
The EPA places the county in radon zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L.
US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001. FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book, Community Status Book, as retrieved.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Defiance County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Defiance County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population38,343
- Households15,327
- Average household size2.50
- Median household income$73,064
- Median age41.1
Common questions
Defiance County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Defiance County, Ohio?
38,343, in 15,327 households, ranking 64th of 88 Ohio counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Defiance County growing?
The population has grown 0.95 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 411 births against 416 deaths, with net migration of 215. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Defiance County?
$73,064. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $163,200, which is 2.2 times income, and median gross rent is $846 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Defiance County?
813 establishments, employing 13,708 people with an annual payroll of $664.7 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Defiance County?
Average annual pay is $52,758, or $1,015 a week, across 15,518 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Defiance County?
67 7(a) approvals totalling $28.2 m since FY2020, across 14 lenders, with a median approval of $60,000, plus 3 504 approvals worth $1.8 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Defiance County?
46 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $13.3 m. Multifamily was 19.6 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Defiance County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Defiance County come from?
The largest single origin is Defiance County Non-migrants, with 15,388 households. Arriving households report an average income of $44,956 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Defiance County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Defiance County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.