Ottawa County, Ohio: commercial real estate data.
Ottawa County, Ohio had an estimated 39,692 residents on July 1, 2024, down 1.7 percent since the 2020 census base of 40,361, across 255 square miles. County output reached $2.60 bn in 2024, 1,026 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 75 7(a) approvals worth $19.6 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Ottawa County
How many people live in Ottawa County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202439,994
- Households18,504
- Average household size2.16
- Median household income$76,101
- Median age50.6
- Median gross rent$930 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$219,900
- Home value to household income2.9 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income14.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher29.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree11.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over30,466
- Population under 187,015
- Share under 1817.5 percent
- Population 65 and over11,070
- Share 65 and over27.7 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6421,909
- Civilian labor force19,454
- Unemployment rate3.1 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over59.0 percent
- Rank by population among Ohio counties62nd of 88
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included1204th of 3,222
Ottawa County is the 62nd largest of 88 Ohio counties by population. A median home costs 2.9 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 27.7 percent against 17.5 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single story product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Ottawa County
Is Ottawa County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202439,692
- Census 2020 base population40,361
- Population change since the 2020 census base-1.66 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-127
- Births, 2024275
- Deaths, 2024580
- Natural change, 2024-305
- Net domestic migration, 2024149
- Net international migration, 202430
- Total net migration, 2024179
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024587
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2407th of 3,144
The county has lost 1.66 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 by more than net migration added, so the population fell even though more people moved in than left.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Ottawa County
Where are people moving to Ottawa County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,215
- People arriving, from those returns2,016
- Tax returns filed by households leaving1,109
- Net household movement106
- Adjusted gross income arriving$103.0 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$19.7 m
- Average income of an arriving household$84,765
- Average income of a leaving household$75,128
- Largest single originLucas County (190 households)
- Largest single destinationLucas County (185 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lucas County | 190 | 318 | $9.3 m |
| Wood County | 136 | 207 | $8.6 m |
| Sandusky County | 125 | 186 | $5.4 m |
| Cuyahoga County | 92 | 148 | $15.9 m |
| Erie County | 82 | 138 | $4.3 m |
| Franklin County | 43 | 71 | $3.4 m |
| Huron County | 41 | 58 | $1.9 m |
| Lorain County | 36 | 68 | $4.7 m |
Households arriving report $9,637 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around. The largest single source of arrivals is Lucas County, 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.
Ottawa County
What is the Ottawa County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$2.60 bn
- County GDP, 2023$2.65 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-2.1 percent
- GDP change over five years24.4 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Ohio areas BEA publishes56th of 88
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes1084th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$64,946
Output grew -2.1 percent in the latest year and 24.4 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.
Ottawa County
Employment by industry in Ottawa County
- Covered employment, annual average14,146
- Establishments reporting1,226
- Average annual pay$53,467
- Average weekly wage$1,028
- Accommodation and food services, employment2,348
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$25,850
- Manufacturing, employment2,028
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$74,198
- Retail trade, employment1,537
- Retail trade, average annual pay$35,586
- Construction, employment751
- Construction, average annual pay$68,861
- Arts, entertainment and recreation, employment663
- Other services, except public administration, employment426
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation and food services | 2,348 | 198 | $25,850 |
| Manufacturing | 2,028 | 48 | $74,198 |
| Retail trade | 1,537 | 136 | $35,586 |
| Construction | 751 | 98 | $68,861 |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 663 | 65 | $34,780 |
| Other services, except public administration | 426 | 107 | $35,867 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 361 | 43 | $49,009 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 303 | 61 | $43,717 |
Accommodation and food services is the largest private sector at 2,348 jobs, 16.6 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Ottawa County
How many businesses are in Ottawa County?
- Establishments, all industries1,026
- Employment at those establishments10,686
- Annual payroll$571.0 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents25.7
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Ottawa County
Building permits in Ottawa County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 2024126
- Declared construction value permitted$67.2 m
- Single family units authorized122
- Multifamily units authorized4
- Multifamily share of units3.2 percent
- Average declared value per unit$533,078
- Units authorized per 1,000 households6.8
Single-family homes are 96.8 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Ottawa County
SBA loans in Ottawa County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded75
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$19.6 m
- Average 7(a) approval$260,804
- Median 7(a) approval$55,000
- 10th percentile approval$18,080
- 90th percentile approval$536,960
- Largest single approval$3,169,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)688
- Jobs per approval9.2
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active14
- Distinct industries receiving approvals41
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer10.7 percent
- Loans on real estate terms8
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter64
- Franchise loans5
- Franchise share of approvals6.7 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (15)
- Most active lenderThe Huntington National Bank (54)
- 504 approvals recorded20
- 504 gross approval dollars$9.0 m
- Average 504 approval$452,450
- Median 504 approval$361,000
- Distinct CDCs active5
- 504 jobs per approval5.4
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved11.9
- Most active CDCGrowth Capital Corp. (10)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$28.6 m
The average approval of $260,804 sits well above the median of $55,000, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 10.7 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.
Ottawa County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Ottawa County
Do SBA loans in Ottawa County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded13
- Paid in full13
- Charged off0
- Status: Cancelled7
- Status: Exempt from disclosure48
- Status: Paid in full13
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed7
Only 13 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Ottawa County
SBA lending by place in Ottawa County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending11
- Port Clinton, approvals32
- Oak Harbor, approvals8
- Lakeside Marblehead, approvals8
- Elmore, approvals7
- Marblehead, approvals6
- Graytown, approvals4
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Port Clinton | 32 | $10,297,700 |
| Oak Harbor | 8 | $935,000 |
| Lakeside Marblehead | 8 | $762,000 |
| Elmore | 7 | $3,778,000 |
| Marblehead | 6 | $1,305,400 |
| Graytown | 4 | $220,000 |
| Put-in-Bay | 3 | $145,300 |
| Genoa | 2 | $104,000 |
| 3 other borrower cities | 5 | $2,012,900 |
Port Clinton accounts for 32 approvals against 8 in Oak Harbor. 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.
Ottawa County
How large is Ottawa County?
- Land area255 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Ohio counties86th of 88
- Width, east to west37.3 mi
- Height, north to south18.4 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land157
- Establishments per square mile4.02
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.
Ottawa County
Flood risk in Ottawa County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Ottawa County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 390432
- Community Rating System class of the county's own communityClass 9
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book9
- Of those, participating in the NFIP8
- NFIP participation rate88.9 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 9
- Communities carrying a CRS class1
- Radon levels in Ottawa County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Ottawa County (community 390432), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries Community Rating System class 9, a flood insurance premium discount for policies written there. The EPA places Ottawa County in radon zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. The best Community Rating System class among the county's communities is 9, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for policies written in that community. 88.9 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Ottawa 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 Ottawa County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202439,994
- Households18,504
- Average household size2.16
- Median household income$76,101
- Median age50.6
Common questions
Ottawa County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Ottawa County, Ohio?
The Census Bureau estimates 39,692 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 39,994, in 18,504 households, ranking 62nd of 88 Ohio counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Ottawa County's population growing?
The population has fallen 1.66 percent since the 2020 census base of 40,361, to 39,692 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 275 births against 580 deaths, with net migration of 179. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Ottawa County?
$76,101. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $219,900, which is 2.9 times income, and median gross rent is $930 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Ottawa County?
1,026 establishments, employing 10,686 people with an annual payroll of $571.0 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Ottawa County?
Accommodation and food services is the largest private sector at 2,348 jobs, 16.6 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 14,146 jobs at an average annual pay of $53,467, or $1,028 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Ottawa County?
75 7(a) approvals totaling $19.6 m since FY2020, across 14 lenders, with a median approval of $55,000, plus 20 504 approvals worth $9.0 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Ottawa County?
126 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $67.2 m. Multifamily was 3.2 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Ottawa 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 Ottawa County come from?
The largest single origin is Lucas County, with 190 households. Arriving households report an average income of $84,765 against $75,128 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Ottawa 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 Ottawa County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Ottawa County
Cities and places in Ottawa.
11 Census places lie wholly or partly in Ottawa County. All 11 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Port Clinton | city | 5,970 | 32 | Wholly in this county |
| Oak Harbor | village | 2,314 | 8 | Wholly in this county |
| Genoa | village | 1,872 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Elmore | village | 1,643 | 7 | Wholly in this county |
| Curtice | CDP | 1,535 | None recorded | 73.3 percent here, 26.7 percent Lucas County |
| Marblehead | village | 876 | 6 | Wholly in this county |
| Lakeside | CDP | 508 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Clay Center | village | 388 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Williston | CDP | 287 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Rocky Ridge | village | 282 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Put-in-Bay | village | 126 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
A further 17 of the county's 75 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Ottawa County, the largest being Lakeside Marblehead (8), Graytown (4), Martin (2). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.
Nearby