Community Profile
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Defiance County, located in Northwest Ohio, is 50 miles southwest of Toledo and 25 miles east of Fort Wayne, Indiana. Major markets of close proximity include Detroit (120 miles), Chicago (180 miles), Columbus, Ohio (130 miles), and Cleveland (160 miles). We invite you to Defiance County, Ohio; a great place to live and work.
Geography of Defiance County
Borders Williams County, Fulton County, Henry County, Putnam County, Paulding County, Allen County, Indiana and Dekalb County, Indiana.
414 square miles
Latitude: 41° 17' N
Longitude: 84° 23' W
Population
| Defiance County: | 39,100 |
| City of Defiance: | 16,250 |
| Village of Hicksville: | 2,600 |
| Village of Sherwood: | 800 |
| Village of Ney: | 350 |
| Surrounding Counties: | 530,000 |
School Systems
| Public High Schools | 5 |
| Private Schools | 3 |
| Public School Systems | |
| Ayersville Local School District | |
| Central Local School District | |
| Defiance City School District | |
| Hicksville Exempted School District | |
| Northeastern Local School District | |
| County Teacher Population | 474 |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 15:1 |
| Average ACT Score | 22.14 |
| Ohio ACT Score Average | 21.4 |
| National ACT Score Average | 20.8 |
| Vocational School System | |
| Four County Career Center | |
Higher Education
Defiance College, Defiance, OH
Defiance College - a four-year private liberal arts school, Defiance College is recognized by the John Templeton Foundation as One of the Nation's Top Character-Building Colleges. The college's signature academic programs are accounting with a CPA track, criminal justice, forsensic science, elementary education, social work, and restoration ecology. The college does offer graduate-level programs for business students.
Northwest State Community College - located about 20 miles from the City of Defiance, Northwest State Community College offers two-year and four-year programs in business technologies, engineering technologies, and health and human services technologies. The college also provides customized training for area business and industry.
| Other Colleges Located in a 50-mile Radius: | |
| Indiana/Purdue at Fort Wayne | 20 miles |
| Indiana Institute of Technology | 25 miles |
| Tri-State University | 35 miles |
| Bowling Green State University | 40 miles |
| Bluffton University | 45 miles |
| University of Findlay | 45 miles |
| University of Northwestern Ohio | 45 miles |
| Medical University of Ohio | 48 miles |
| Ohio State University - Lima Campus | 50 miles |
| University of Toledo | 50 miles |
| Mercy College of Northwest Ohio | 50 miles |
| Rhodes State College | 50 miles |
Transportation
Defiance County is the economic hub of Northwest Ohio. Access to many modes of transportation is a strength for the county.
| Highways | |
| U.S. Route 24 | State Route 15 |
| State Route 2 | State Route 49 |
| State Route 18 | State Route 111 |
| State Route 66 | State Route 249 |
| State Route 127 | State Route 424 |
| State Route 281 | |
| Interstate | |
| I-69 - 15 miles from Defiance County | |
| 80/90 Turnpike - 15 miles from Defiance County | |
| 1-75 - 30 miles from Defiance County | |
| Rail | |
| Defiance County is served by two railroads: CSX and Maumee & Western | |
| Port | |
| The Port of Toledo is 55 miles from Defiance County. | |
| Air | |
| Defiance Memorial Airport Runway Length: 4,197 feet Airport Type: General |
|
| Toledo Express Airport Runway Length: 10,600 feet Airport Type: General/Commercial Distance from Defiance County: 40 miles |
|
| Fort Wayne International Runway Length: 12,000 feet Airport Type: General/Commercial Distance from Defiance County: 20 miles |
|
| Detroit Metro Runway Length: 11,000 feet Airport Type: General/Commercial Distance from Defiance County: 100 miles |
|
Labor
Defiance County |
|
2006 Civilian Labor Force |
20,700 |
Employed |
19,500 |
Unemployed |
1,200 |
Unemployment Rate |
5.6% |
Seven-County Area |
|
2006 Civilian Labor Force |
311,900 |
Employed |
295,600 |
Unemployed |
16,370 |
Unemployment Rate |
5.5% |
Taxes
| Income Tax | |
| City of Defiance | 1.5% |
| Village of Hicksville | 1.0% |
| Village of Sherwood | 1.0% |
| County/State Sales Tax | 6.5% |
| Municipality | Personal Property Tax Rate - Assessed per 1000 (35%) | Real Property Tax Rate Assessed per 1000 (25%) |
| City of Defiance | 65.68 |
49.341718 |
| Village of Hicksville | 60.85 | 47.664881 |
| Village of Sherwood | 50.90 | 48.169209 |
| Village of Ney | 51.30 | 47.077039 |
Utilities
| Electric | |
| Toledo Edison American Electric Power Northwestern Electric Cooperative | |
| Natural Gas | |
| Ohio Gas Company | |
| Telephone | |
| Sprint Verizon North Sherwood Mutual Phone Company |
Communications
| Radio |
| 2 FM - WDFM & WZOM |
| 1 AM - WONW |
| Local TV |
| City of Defiance - DCTV |
| Village of Hicksville - HIX TV |
| Newspapers |
| City of Defiance Crescent News |
| Village of Hicksville News Tribune |
Local Governments
| Defiance County |
| City of Defiance |
| Village of Hicksville |
| Village of Sherwood |
| Village of Ney |
Major Employers
| Industrial Sector | Number of Employees |
| General Motors - Powertrain | 1,783 |
| Defiance Metal Products | 733 |
| Johns Manville Corporation | 640 |
| Parker-Hannifin Corporation | 198 |
| Keller Warehousing & Distribution | 160 |
| Nemco Med, Inc. | 135 |
| Cooper Power Tool, Inc. | 116 |
| Brown's Bakery | 80 |
| Metal Management of Ohio | 70 |
| Nemco Food Equipment | 70 |
| Koester Metals | 65 |
| Olson Cold Storage | 65 |
| Advantage Powder Coating | 60 |
| Utility & Service Sector | Number of Employees |
| Defiance College | 150 |
| Ohio Gas Company | 105 |
| Maumee Valley Vending | 75 |
| Werlor, Inc. | 55 |
| First Energy | 35 |
Medical Services
| Defiance Regional Medical Center |  |
|
| Employment | 400 | |
| Number of Beds | 61 | |
| Physicians | 105 | |
| Life Flight Service | Yes | |
| Level III Trauma Center | ||
| Defiance Clinic |  |
|
| Employment | 325 | |
| Number of Beds | 23 | |
| Physicians | 38 | |
| Community Memorial Hospital |  |
|
| Employment | 160 | |
| Number of Beds | 25 | |
| Physicians | 30 | |
| Mercy Hospital |  |
|
| Employment | 142 | |
| Beds | 23 | |
| Physicians | 62 | |
Financial Services
- Farmers & Merchants State Bank
- Fifth-Third Bank
- First Federal Bank
- Hicksville Bank
- First Place Bank
- Key Bank
- Midwest Community Federal Credit Union
- Sherwood State Bank
- Sky Bank
- State Bank & Trust Company
Motels and Hotels
- Comfort Inn
- Defiance Inn
- Holiday Inn Express
- Super 8 Motel
- Ranchland Village Motor Inn
- Locust Key Lodging
Cultural Activities
Libraries
Theatre
- Fort Defiance Players
- Huber Opera House & Civic Center
- Defiance County Fair
- Auglaize Village
Churches
- 60 Protestant
- 5 Catholic
Recreation
Parks
- 1 State Parks & Forest
- 12 Recreational/Municipal Parks
Golf
- 3 Public Courses
- 1 Private Course
Rivers
- Maumee
- Tiffin
- Auglaize
Other
- 6 Swimming Facilities
- 11 Theatre Screens
- 17 Ball Diamonds
- 15 Public Tennis Courts
Private Recreational Facilities
- Kettenring Country Club
- Defiance Area YMCA
Climate
| Mean Summer Temperatures: | 76 degrees |
| Mean Winter Temperatures: | 29 degrees |
| Annual Precipitation: | 32 inches |
| Annual Snowfall: | 26 inches |
| Elevation: | 700 feet above sea level |