Editing Holmes County, Ohio

{{short description|County in Ohio, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox U.S. county
 | county               = Holmes County
 | state                = Ohio
 | flag                 = Flag of Holmes County, Ohio.png
 | seal                 = Holmes County oh seal.jpg
 | founded              = January 4, 1825
 | seat wl              = Millersburg
 | city type            = village
 | largest city wl      = Millersburg
 | area_total_sq_mi     = 424
 | area_land_sq_mi      = 423
 | area_water_sq_mi     = 1.4
 | area percentage      = 0.3%
 | census yr            = 2020
 | pop                  = 44223
 | pop_est_as_of        = 2024
 | pop_est_footnotes    = <ref name=qf>{{Cite web |title=QuickFacts : Holmes County, Ohio |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/holmescountyohio/PST045221 |access-date=July 7, 2023 |website=[[Census.gov]]}}</ref>
 | population_est       = 44668 {{increase}}
 | density_sq_mi        = 105.6
 | time zone            = Eastern
 | web                  = http://www.co.holmes.oh.us/
 | ex image             = Cfiles56380.jpg
 | ex image size        = 250px
 | ex image cap         = [[Holmes County Courthouse (Ohio)|Holmes County Courthouse]], with the [[Ulysses S. Grant|Grant]] Memorial Statue
 | named for            = [[Andrew Holmes (army officer)|Andrew Holmes]]
 | district             = 7th
 | district2            = 12th
}}

'''Holmes County''' is a [[County (United States)|county]] in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Ohio]]. As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 Census]], the population was 44,223.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web |title=2020 Population and Housing State Data |url=https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/interactive/2020-population-and-housing-state-data.html |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref> Its [[county seat]] is [[Millersburg, Ohio|Millersburg]].<ref name="GR6">{{Cite web |title=Find a County |url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110531210815/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |archive-date=May 31, 2011 |access-date=June 7, 2011 |publisher=[[National Association of Counties]]}}</ref> The county was formed in 1824 from portions of Coshocton, Tuscarawas and Wayne counties and organized the following year.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2007 |title=Ohio: Individual County Chronologies |url=http://publications.newberry.org/ahcbp/documents/OH_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160406154847/http://publications.newberry.org/ahcbp/documents/OH_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm |archive-date=April 6, 2016 |access-date=February 14, 2015 |website=Ohio Atlas of Historical County Boundaries |publisher=The Newberry Library}}</ref> It was [[List of Ohio county name etymologies|named]] after [[Andrew Holmes (army officer)|Andrew Holmes]], an officer killed in the [[War of 1812]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Gannett, Henry |url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ |title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States |publisher=Govt. Print. Off. |year=1905 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ/page/n158 159]}}</ref>

Holmes County, which was about 42% [[Amish]] in 2010,<ref>[http://www.thearda.com/ql2010/QL_C_2010_2_979p.asp Amish Groups, undifferentiated Counties (2010)] at The Association of Religion Data Archives.</ref> and 48% in 2020,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=0500000US39075 |access-date=April 8, 2022 |website=Data.census.gov}}</ref> has the highest concentration of Amish in the world,<ref>[http://groups.etown.edu/amishstudies/statistics/twelve-largest-settlements-2018/ Twelve Largest Settlements] at Amish Studies</ref> which draws many visitors to the county. The [[Ohio Amish Country|Holmes Amish settlement]], which also includes Amish from neighboring counties, is the second-largest in the world after [[Lancaster County, Pennsylvania]], and numbered 37,770 people in 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Amish Population in the United States by State and County, 2021 |url=http://groups.etown.edu/amishstudies/files/2021/08/Amish-Pop-2021_by-state-and-county.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210918101746/http://groups.etown.edu/amishstudies/files/2021/08/Amish-Pop-2021_by-state-and-county.pdf |archive-date=September 18, 2021 |access-date=April 8, 2022 |website=Groups.etown.edu}}</ref>

==History==
[[Image:DSCN4624 holmescountyamishbuggy e.jpg|left|thumb|[[Amish]] couple in a horse-drawn buggy in rural Holmes County]]
Holmes County was formed on January 20, 1824, from portions of Coshocton, Tuscarawas and Wayne counties. It was named after Major Andrew Holmes, who was killed in action at the [[Battle of Mackinac Island (1814)|Battle of Mackinac Island]].

In 1863, during the [[American Civil War|Civil War]], numerous small anti-draft riots took place, mainly in the German-speaking areas. Holmes County at the time was a Democratic stronghold, dominated by its [[Pennsylvania Dutch]] settlers, along with many recent German immigrants. With the passage of the Conscription Act in March 1863, Holmes County politicians denounced both Congress and President [[Presidency of Abraham Lincoln|Lincoln]] as despotic, saying that forced military service was little different from slavery. Conscription had been common in their former German homelands, and it was one of the reasons they had moved to America. Violent protests broke out in June, and they continued until the Union Army marched into the county and declared [[martial law]].<ref>Kenneth H. Wheeler, "Local autonomy and civil war draft resistance: Holmes County, Ohio," ''Civil War History,'' June 1999, Vol. 45 Issue 2, pp 147-58</ref>  Stephen E. Towne in 2019 using archival records argues that many of the resisters belonged to secret organizations that opposed Union tactics to defeat the Confederacy.<ref>Stephen E. Towne, "A Lesson for All Rebels at Home: The Holmes County, Ohio, Rebellion of 1863 Revisited" ''Ohio History'' (Fall 2019) 126#2 pp 5-37.</ref>

In the spring of 1892, a Black man from Mt. Vernon or Wooster, Ohio, whose name remains unknown, was walking through the county. After he had been in town for a few days, a group of white people decided to lynch him because he “lingered about people’s doorsteps and angered them in various ways.” On April 1, 1892, a mob gathered after nightfall, abducted the man, and hanged him from a tree in the public square in front of the county courthouse.<ref name="EJI">{{cite web |title=Lynching in America: Outside the South |url=https://eji.org/issues/lynching-in-america-outside-the-south/ |website=Equal Justice Initiative |access-date=24 February 2025}}</ref>

==Geography==
According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|424|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|423|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|1.4|sqmi}} (0.3%) is water.<ref name="GR1">{{Cite web |date=August 22, 2012 |title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files |url=https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_39.txt |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140504223453/http://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_39.txt |archive-date=May 4, 2014 |access-date=February 8, 2015 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref>

===Adjacent counties===
* [[Wayne County, Ohio|Wayne County]] (north)
* [[Stark County, Ohio|Stark County]] (northeast)
* [[Tuscarawas County, Ohio|Tuscarawas County]] (southeast)
* [[Coshocton County, Ohio|Coshocton County]] (south)
* [[Knox County, Ohio|Knox County]] (southwest)
* [[Ashland County, Ohio|Ashland County]] (northwest)

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1830= 9135
|1840= 18088
|1850= 20452
|1860= 20589
|1870= 18177
|1880= 20776
|1890= 21139
|1900= 19511
|1910= 17909
|1920= 16965
|1930= 16726
|1940= 17876
|1950= 18760
|1960= 21591
|1970= 23024
|1980= 29416
|1990= 32849
|2000= 38943
|2010= 42366
|2020= 44223
|estyear=2024
|estimate=44668
|estref=
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{Cite web |title=U.S. Decennial Census |url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html |access-date=February 8, 2015 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref><br />1790-1960<ref>{{Cite web |title=Historical Census Browser |url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu |access-date=February 8, 2015 |publisher=University of Virginia Library}}</ref> 1900-1990<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 27, 1995 |editor-last=Forstall |editor-first=Richard L. |title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990 |url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/oh190090.txt |access-date=February 8, 2015 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref><br />1990-2000<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 2, 2001 |title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000 |url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100327165705/http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-date=March 27, 2010 |access-date=February 8, 2015 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref> 2020 <ref name="auto" /> 2024<ref name=qf/>
}}

===2020 census===
As of the [[2020 United States census]], the population of Holmes County was 44,223 with 14,580 households. Its racial makeup was 97.43% White, 0.278% Black, 0.145% Asian, 0.081% American Indian and Alaska Native, and 0.308% others alone (including Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander), and 1.755% belonged to two or more races.

===2010 census===
As of the [[2010 United States Census]], there were 42,366&nbsp;people, 12,554&nbsp;households, and 10,035&nbsp;families living in the county.<ref name="census-dp1">{{Cite web |title=DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0500000US39075 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213031305/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0500000US39075 |archive-date=February 13, 2020 |access-date=December 27, 2015 |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref> The population density was {{convert|100.3|PD/sqmi}}. There were 13,666 housing units at an average density of {{convert|32.3|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}.<ref name="census-density">{{Cite web |title=Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTPH1.CY07/0500000US39075 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213234323/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTPH1.CY07/0500000US39075 |archive-date=February 13, 2020 |access-date=December 27, 2015 |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref> The racial makeup of the county was 98.7% white, 0.3% black or African American, 0.1% Asian, 0.1% American Indian, 0.2% from other races, and 0.5% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.8% of the population.<ref name="census-dp1" /> In terms of ancestry, 37.8% were [[Germans|German]], 10.8% were [[Americans|American]], 6.6% were [[Irish people|Irish]], and 6.3% were [[English people|English]].<ref name="census-dp2">{{Cite web |title=DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0500000US39075 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213021258/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0500000US39075 |archive-date=February 13, 2020 |access-date=December 27, 2015 |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>

Of the 12,554&nbsp;households, 42.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.7% were married couples living together, 6.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 20.1% were non-families, and 17.2% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 3.31 and the average family size was 3.80. The median age was 29.7 years.<ref name="census-dp1" />

The median income for a household in the county was $43,533 and the median income for a family was $49,133. Males had a median income of $36,644 versus $24,317 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,009. About 10.5% of families and 13.3% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 18.9% of those under age 18 and 6.9% of those age 65 or over.<ref name="census-dp3">{{Cite web |title=DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0500000US39075 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213024119/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0500000US39075 |archive-date=February 13, 2020 |access-date=December 27, 2015 |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>

===2000 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{Cite web |title=U.S. Census website |url=https://www.census.gov |access-date=January 31, 2008 |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref> of 2000, there were 38,943 people, 11,337 households, and 9,194 families living in the county. The [[population density]] was {{convert|92|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people&nbsp;|people|}}. There were 12,280 housing units at an average density of {{convert|29|/mi2|/km2|adj=pre|units&nbsp;}}. The racial makeup of the county was 99.03% [[Race (United States Census)|White]], 0.33% [[Race (United States Census)|Black]] or [[Race (United States Census)|African American]], 0.06% [[Race (United States Census)|Native American]], 0.06% [[Race (United States Census)|Asian]], 0.01% [[Race (United States Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.13% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.40% from two or more races. [[Race (United States Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Race (United States Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.75% of the population. 56.1% spoke English, 20.1% [[Pennsylvania Dutch language|Pennsylvania German]], 15.8% German and 7.1% "Dutch, i.e. Pennsylvania Dutch."<ref name="PADutch">It is likely that those reporting such [[Pennsylvania Dutch#Etymology|confused]] Pennsylvania Dutch, a German dialect, with Dutch.</ref> as their first language.

There were 11,337 households, out of which 44.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.50% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 6.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.90% were non-families. 16.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.35 and the average family size was 3.82.
Religious breakdown for those who gave a religion (68.33 of the total population) was 89.79% Evangelical Protestant, 8.04% Mainline Protestant and 2.16% Catholic. There were 140 Amish congregations with 17,654 adherents. There were several other unrelated Amish congregations and Mennonite congregations. There was one Catholic congregation.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Association of Religion Data Archives &#124; Maps & Reports |url=https://www.thearda.com/rcms2010/r/c/39/rcms2010_39075_county_name_2010.asp |website=Thearda.com}}</ref>

In the county, the population was spread out, with 35.60% under the age of 18, 10.40% from 18 to 24, 25.70% from 25 to 44, 17.80% from 45 to 64, and 10.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females there were 99.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $36,944, and the median income for a family was $40,230. Males had a median income of $28,490 versus $20,602 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the county was $14,197. About 10.50% of families and 12.90% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 17.40% of those under age 18 and 13.30% of those age 65 or over.

Holmes County has a relatively high number of residents who do not speak English at home. According to the [[United States Census, 2000|2000 census]], almost 36% of the population speak either [[Pennsylvania Dutch language|Pennsylvania German]] or [[German language|German]] at home, and a further 7% speak "Dutch", i.e. Pennsylvania Dutch.<ref name="PADutch" /> 42.92% of the total population and 50.28% of the children in 5-17 age range uses German/Pennsylvania German or "Dutch"<ref name="PADutch" /> at home.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Language Map Data Center |url=https://apps.mla.org/map_data_results&state_id=39&county_id=75&mode=geographic&zip=&place_id=&cty_id=&ll=&a=&ea=&order=r |website=Apps.mla.org}}</ref>

===Amish community===
The [[Amish in Ohio|Amish community in Holmes County]] established in 1808, had a 17,654 adherents in 2010,<ref name="update">[http://amishamerica.com/12-largest-amish-communities-2017/ The 12 Largest Amish Communities (2017).] at Amish America</ref> or 41.7% of the county's population.

==Religion==
{{Pie chart
|thumb = right
|caption = Religion in Holmes County, according to ARDA (2020) <ref name="arda2020">{{Cite web |title=Holmes County , Ohio - County Membership Report (2020) |url=https://www.thearda.com/us-religion/census/congregational-membership?y=2020&y2=0&t=0&c=39075 |publisher=The Association of Religion Data Archives}}</ref>{{failed verification|date=August 2023|reason=These numbers are not apparent in the reference given}}
|label1 = Anabaptist Churches (Amish and Mennonite)
|value1 = 54.7
|color1 = DodgerBlue 
|label2 = Others Evangelical Churches
|value2 = 17.4
|color2 = Blue
|label3 = Mainline Protestant Churches
|value3 = 3.8
|color3 = Red
|label4 = Catholic Church 
|value4 = 0.7
|color4 = Purple
|label5 = None
|value5 = 23.4
|color5 = White
}}
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+Religion in Holmes County, according to ARDA (2020) <ref>{{Cite web |title=Holmes County, Ohio - County Membership Report (2000) |url=https://www.thearda.com/us-religion/census/congregational-membership?y=2000&t=0&c=39075 |publisher=The Association of Religion Data Archives}}</ref><ref name="arda2020" />
|-
! rowspan="2"|Religion
! colspan="2" |2000
! colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" |2010
! colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" |2020
|-
!Number
!%
! Number
! %
! Number
! %
|-
|style="background:#E0F0FF;" | [[Christianity]] 
|17,946
|46.1|| 28,945|| 68.4|| 33,780||76.6
|-
|style="background:#E0F0FF;"| <small>— Anabaptist Churches</small> 
|11,198 (7,420 Amish)
|28.7|| 21,766 (17,654 Amish)|| 51.4|| 24,094 (19,793 Amish)||54.7
|-
|style="background:#E0F0FF;"| <small>— Others Evangelical Churches</small> 
|3,683
|9.5|| 4,228|| 10.0|| 7,692||17.4
|-
|style="background:#E0F0FF;"| <small>— Catholic Church</small> 
|524
|1.4|| 625|| 1.5|| 303||0.7
|-
|style="background:#E0F0FF;"| <small>— Mainline Protestant Churches</small> 
|2,541
|6.5|| 2,327|| 5.5|| 1,691||3.8
|-
| style="background:#F0E0FF;" | Other religions
|0
|0.0|| 3|| 0.0|| 0||0.0
|-
| style="background:#F5F5F5;" | None* 
|21,049
|53.9|| 14,866|| 31.6|| 10,443||23.4
|-
! Total population 
! colspan="2" |38,943|| colspan="2" | 42,366|| colspan="2" |44,223
|-
| colspan="7" |* "Nones" is an unclear category.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Wuthnow |first=Robert |title=Inventing American Religion : Polls, Surveys, and the Tenuous Quest for a Nation's Faith |date=2015 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=9780190258900 |pages=151–155}}</ref><ref name="Johnson 2022" /> It is a heterogenous group of the not religious and intermittently religious.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Blankholm |first=Joseph |title=The Secular Paradox : On the Religiosity of the Not Religious |date=2022 |publisher=New York University Press |isbn=9781479809509 |location=New York |page=7}}</ref> Researchers argue that most of the "Nones" should be considered "unchurched", rather than objectively nonreligious;<ref name="Johnson 2022">{{Cite journal |last=Johnson |first=Byron |last2=Stark |first2=Rodney |last3=Bradshaw |first3=Matt |last4=Levin |first4=Jeff |date=2022 |title=Are Religious "Nones" Really Not Religious?: Revisiting Glenn, Three Decades Later |journal=Interdisciplinary Journal of Research on Religion |volume=18 |issue=7}}</ref><ref name="Unaff Yet Rel" /><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Hout |first=Michael |last2=Fischer |first2=Claude S. |date=October 13, 2014 |title=Explaining Why More Americans Have No Religious Preference: Political Backlash and Generational Succession, 1987-2012 |journal=Sociological Science |volume=1 |pages=423–447 |doi=10.15195/v1.a24 |doi-access=free}}</ref><ref name="Hout 2017">{{Cite journal |last=Hout |first=Michael |date=November 2017 |title=American Religion, All or Nothing at All |journal=Contexts |volume=16 |issue=4 |pages=78–80 |doi=10.1177/1536504217742401 |s2cid=67327797 |doi-access=free}}</ref> especially since most "Nones" do hold some religious-spiritual beliefs and a notable amount participate in behaviors.<ref name="Johnson 2022" /><ref name="Unaff Yet Rel">{{Cite book |last=Johnson |first=Todd |title=Annual Review of the Sociology of Religion: Volume 7: Sociology of Atheism |last2=Zurlo |first2=Gina |date=2016 |publisher=Brill |isbn=9789004317536 |editor-last=Cipriani |editor-first=Roberto |location=Leiden |pages=58–60 |chapter=Unaffiliated, Yet Religious: A Methodological and Demographic Analysis |editor-last2=Garelli |editor-first2=Franco}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Drescher |first=Elizabeth |title=Choosing our Religion: The Spiritual Lives of America's Nones |date=2016 |isbn=9780199341221 |location=New York |pages=21–26}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Cox |first=Kiana |date=March 17, 2021 |title=Nine-in-ten Black 'nones' believe in God, but fewer pray or attend services |url=https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/03/17/nine-in-ten-black-nones-believe-in-god-but-fewer-pray-or-attend-services/ |website=Pew Research Center}}</ref> For example, 72% of American "Nones" believe in God or a Higher Power.<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 25, 2018 |title=Key findings about Americans' belief in God |url=https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/04/25/key-findings-about-americans-belief-in-god/ |website=Pew Research Center}}</ref>
|}

==Economy==
[[Image:Amish farmer in Mount Hope, Ohio.jpg|thumb|Amish farmer plowing fields with horses]]
Tourism is an important part of the economy. In 2017, Holmes County was the second most popular tourist destination in Ohio.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Lynch |first=Kevin |date=November 27, 2017 |title=Holmes County tourism, hotels keep growing |url=https://www.the-daily-record.com/news/20171127/holmes-county-tourism-hotels-keep-growing |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210818131446/https://www.the-daily-record.com/news/20171127/holmes-county-tourism-hotels-keep-growing |archive-date=August 18, 2021 |access-date=August 18, 2021 |website=The Daily Record |language=en}}</ref> Tourism is centered on the Amish community, which makes up almost half the county's population, the highest density in the world.<ref name=":1" />

==Politics==
Prior to [[1944 United States presidential election|1944]], Holmes County was a stronghold of the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] in presidential elections, with every Democratic presidential candidate from 1856 to 1940, except for [[Al Smith]], carrying the county. The county has since become a [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] stronghold, with [[Lyndon B. Johnson]] being the only Democrat since 1940 to carry it, in his [[1964 United States presidential election|1964]] landslide, although [[Harry S. Truman]] came within just 16 votes of winning it in [[1948 United States presidential election in Ohio|1948]].

The high [[Amish]] population means that a large proportion of residents in Holmes County do not vote, even compared to turnout standards in much of the United States. These low figures are likely due to the Amish's tendency to abstain from politics.
{{PresHead|place=Holmes County, Ohio|source=<ref>{{Cite web |last=Leip |first=David |title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections |url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS |access-date=May 2, 2018 |website=uselectionatlas.org}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Republican|10,384|1,854|148|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|2020|Republican|10,796|1,994|188|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|8,720|1,788|598|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|2012|Republican|8,702|2,608|257|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|2008|Republican|7,720|3,141|273|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|2004|Republican|8,468|2,697|55|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|2000|Republican|6,754|2,066|325|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1996|Republican|5,213|2,531|1,340|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1992|Republican|5,079|1,969|2,008|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1988|Republican|5,064|2,179|73|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|5,146|1,737|61|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1980|Republican|3,860|2,094|440|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1976|Republican|2,870|2,242|187|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|3,752|1,507|103|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1968|Republican|3,350|1,898|481|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1964|Democratic|2,106|3,559|0|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1960|Republican|4,432|1,953|0|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1956|Republican|3,955|1,795|0|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1952|Republican|3,891|2,089|0|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1948|Republican|2,496|2,480|6|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1944|Republican|3,093|2,563|0|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1940|Democratic|3,201|3,349|0|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|2,247|4,097|88|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|1,953|4,096|131|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1928|Republican|3,457|1,631|39|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1924|Democratic|1,824|2,539|405|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1920|Democratic|2,065|3,211|49|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1916|Democratic|955|2,846|64|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1912|Democratic|465|2,429|737|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1908|Democratic|1,252|3,043|62|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1904|Democratic|1,377|2,486|97|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1900|Democratic|1,269|3,394|67|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1896|Democratic|1,284|3,622|45|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1892|Democratic|1,152|3,151|204|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1888|Democratic|1,241|3,388|180|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1884|Democratic|1,366|3,368|48|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1880|Democratic|1,370|3,281|16|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1876|Democratic|1,241|3,171|2|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1872|Democratic|1,089|2,530|1|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1868|Democratic|1,083|2,859|0|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1864|Democratic|1,066|2,681|0|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1860|Democratic|1,392|2,281|48|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1856|Democratic|1,285|2,103|5|Ohio}}
|}
{{U.S. SenHead|place=Holmes County, Ohio|Seat=1|source=<ref>{{cite news |title=2024 Senate Election (Official Returns) |website=Commonwealth of Texas by county |date=November 5, 2024 |access-date=December 5, 2024 |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-elections/ohio-senate-results}}</ref>}}

<!-- U.S. SenRow should be {{U.S. SenRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{U.S. SenRow|2024|Republican|9,699|2,117|381|Ohio}}
{{U.S. SenFoot}}

==Communities==
[[Image:Map of Holmes County Ohio With Municipal and Township Labels.PNG|thumb|300 px|Map of Holmes County, Ohio with Municipal and Township Labels]]
{| class="wikitable"
|- class="hintergrundfarbe6"
!Township
!Village
!Other places in township
|-
||[[Berlin Township, Holmes County, Ohio|Berlin]]||||[[Berlin, Holmes County, Ohio|Berlin]] (CDP)
|-
||[[Clark Township, Holmes County, Ohio|Clark]]||[[Baltic, Ohio|Baltic]] (north part)||[[Charm, Ohio|Charm]] (UIC)<br />[[Farmerstown, Ohio|Farmerstown]] (UIC)<br />[[Unionville, Holmes County, Ohio|Unionville]] (UIC)
|-
||[[Hardy Township, Holmes County, Ohio|Hardy]]||[[Millersburg, Ohio|Millersburg]] (county seat)||[[Holmes County Airport]]
|-
||[[Killbuck Township, Holmes County, Ohio|Killbuck]]||[[Killbuck, Ohio|Killbuck]]||
|-
||[[Knox Township, Holmes County, Ohio|Knox]]||[[Nashville, Ohio|Nashville]] (south part)||
|-
||[[Mechanic Township, Holmes County, Ohio|Mechanic]]||||[[Lake Buckhorn, Ohio|Lake Buckhorn]] (CDP)<br />Becks Mills<br />Saltillo
|-
||[[Monroe Township, Holmes County, Ohio|Monroe]]||||Welcome (UIC)<br />[[West Holmes High School]]
|-
||[[Paint Township, Holmes County, Ohio|Paint]]||||[[Winesburg, Holmes County, Ohio|Winesburg]] (CDP)
|-
||[[Prairie Township, Holmes County, Ohio|Prairie]]||[[Holmesville, Ohio|Holmesville]]||
|-
||[[Richland Township, Holmes County, Ohio|Richland]]||[[Glenmont, Ohio|Glenmont]]||[[Stillwell, Ohio|Stillwell]]
|-
||[[Ripley Township, Holmes County, Ohio|Ripley]]||||[[Big Prairie, Ohio|Big Prairie]] (UIC)
|-
||[[Salt Creek Township, Holmes County, Ohio|Salt Creek]]||||[[Mount Hope, Ohio|Mt. Hope]] (UIC)
|-
||[[Walnut Creek Township, Holmes County, Ohio|Walnut Creek]]||||[[Walnut Creek, Ohio|Walnut Creek]] (CDP)<br />[[Trail, Ohio|Trail]] (UIC)
|-
||[[Washington Township, Holmes County, Ohio|Washington]]||[[Loudonville, Ohio|Loudonville]] (east part)<br />[[Nashville, Ohio|Nashville]] (north part)||[[Lakeville, Ohio|Lakeville]] (UIC)
|}

CDP = Census-designated place<br />
UIC = Unincorporated community

==Transportation==

[[Holmes County Airport]] {{airport codes|||10G}} located two miles southwest of Millersburg.

==Amish community==
{{Main|Amish in Ohio}}
A large Amish community of about 36,000 exists in Northeast-Central Ohio, centered on Holmes County and extending into surrounding counties.<ref name=holmeschamber/> The [[Holmes Old Order Amish affiliation]], with 140 church districts out of 221 in the Holmes County Amish settlement in 2009, is the main and dominant Amish affiliation.<ref>Charles E. Hurst, David L. McConnell: ''An Amish Paradox: Diversity and Change in the World's Largest Amish Community'', Baltimore 2010, pages 35-36</ref> Holmes County houses the highest percentage of Amish of any U.S. county, currently 42 percent of the population, and experts speculate that by 2027, Holmes County could become the first county in the US where more than half the residents were Amish.<ref name="OSUresearchNews">{{Cite web |title=Estimate: A New Amish Community is Founded Every 3 1/2 Weeks in U.S. |url=http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/amishpop.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130602042028/http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/amishpop.htm |archive-date=June 2, 2013 |access-date=June 17, 2013 |publisher=The Ohio State University}}. Quote: "“My guess is that in 15 years, we'll witness a county whose population is majority Amish, and Holmes County is likely to gain that distinction first. Perhaps LaGrange County in Indiana will not be far behind,” Donnermeyer said."</ref> The [[Amish & Mennonite Heritage Center]] in Berlin explains traditional ways of the Amish and provides an illustrated history for visitors in its 10-foot-by-265-foot mural.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Amish & Mennonite Heritage Center |url=https://amishcountryinsider.com/amish-mennonite-heritage-center/ |website=Amish Country Insider}}</ref>

The overall Amish population of the area, centered on Holmes County, is the largest Amish community in the world.<ref name="holmeschamber">{{Cite web |title=Fact Sheets: Holmes County and Amish Country |url=http://holmescountychamber.com/press_factsheets.php?ID=14 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111230133808/http://holmescountychamber.com/press_factsheets.php?ID=14 |archive-date=December 30, 2011 |access-date=July 29, 2012 |publisher=Holmes County Chamber of Commerce}}. Quote: "Approximately 36,000 Amish residents make the region the largest Amish community in the world. Centered in Holmes County, Amish Country extends into each of the surrounding five counties. The Amish community has existed in this region of Ohio since 1809."</ref> Called locally "Amish Country", it draws many visitors to the county, thus making [[tourism]] an important sector of the local economy.

In Holmes County Amish Settlements there are several Old Order Amish affiliations. The [[Holmes Old Order Amish affiliation]] is the main and original affiliation, the [[Swartzentruber Amish]] with three subgroups, that originated in 1917 in Holmes County, are the most conservative Amish in Holmes county. There are also [[Andy Weaver Amish]] (formed 1952), Stutzman-Troyer Amish, [[Tobe Amish|Old Order Tobe Amish]] and Roman Amish on the conservative side, whereas the [[New Order Amish]] (formed in the early 1960s), the [[New Order Tobe Amish]] the New Order Amish Christian Fellowship are on the more progressive side. Holmes County is home of more Amish affiliations than any other place in the world.<ref>Charles E. Hurst, David L. McConnell: ''An Amish Paradox: Diversity and Change in the World's Largest Amish Community'', Baltimore 2010, page 36.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=August 23, 2010 |title=How many types of Amish are there? |url=https://amishamerica.com/how-many-types-of-amish-are-there/ |website=Amishamerica.com}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Commons category|Holmes County, Ohio}}
* [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Holmes County, Ohio]]
* [[USS Holmes County (LST-836)|USS ''Holmes County'' (LST-836)]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{wikivoyage|Holmes County (Ohio)}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20040730065541/http://holmescounty.com/ Holmes County official site]
* [http://www.visitamishcountry.com/ Visit Amish Country (Holmes Co. Tourism Bureau)]

{{Geographic Location
|Centre    = Holmes County, Ohio
|North     = [[Wayne County, Ohio|Wayne County]]
|Northeast = [[Stark County, Ohio|Stark County]]
|East      = [[Tuscarawas County, Ohio|Tuscarawas County]]
|Southeast =
|South     = [[Coshocton County, Ohio|Coshocton County]]
|Southwest = [[Knox County, Ohio|Knox County]]
|West      =
|Northwest = [[Ashland County, Ohio|Ashland County]]
}}

{{Holmes County, Ohio}}
{{Ohio}}
{{authority control}}

{{coord|40.56|-81.93|display=title|type:adm2nd_region:US-OH_source:UScensus1990}}

[[Category:Holmes County, Ohio| ]]
[[Category:Appalachian Ohio]]
[[Category:1825 establishments in Ohio]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1825]]
[[Category:Amish in Ohio]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania Dutch culture in Ohio]]
[[Category:German-American culture in Ohio]]
[[Category:Swiss-American culture in Ohio]]