Greene County, Ohio

Greene County Education, Geography, and History

Greene County is a county located in the state of Ohio. Based on the 2010 census, the population was 161,573. Its county seat is Xenia. The county was established on March 24, 1803 and named for General Nathanael Greene, an officer in the Revolutionary War.

Greene County is part of the Dayton, OH Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Etymology - Origin of Greene County Name

Residents named the county in honor of General Nathaniel Greene, a hero of the American Revolution.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts

Greene County History

On March 24, 1803, the Ohio government authorized the creation of Greene County. The county was originally parts of Ross and Hamilton Counties. Residents named the county in honor of General Nathaniel Greene, a hero of the American Revolution.

Greene County is located in southwestern Ohio. It is predominantly rural, with four percent of the county's 415 square miles consisting of urban areas. The county seat is Xenia, which was the county's third largest city in 2000. With a population of 37,984 people, Beavercreek was the county's largest community in 2000. Greene County experienced a sizable increase in population-roughly 8.2 percent-between 1990 and 2000, raising the total number of residents to 147,886 people. The county averages 356 people per square mile.

The largest employers in Greene County are service industries, especially Wilberforce University, Wright State University, Cedarville College, and Central State College, with government positions finishing second. Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is the largest government employer. Tourism, another type of service industry, is a rather large employer in the county, with many people visiting the outdoor drama Blue Jacket that takes place near Xenia. In 1999, the per capita income in the county was approximately 27,100 dollars, with just over seven percent of the people living in poverty.

Most voters in Greene County claim to be independents, yet in recent years, they have overwhelmingly supported Republican Party candidates at the national level.

Educator Horace Mann, novelist William Dean Howells, and historian Whitelaw Reid rank among the county's more prominent residents.

Sources
Greene County, Ohio History Central, July 23, 2008,
http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=1934&nm=Greene-County

Geography: Land and Water

As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 416 square miles (1,080 km²), of which 414 square miles (1,070 km²) is land and 2.5 square miles (6.5 km²) (0.6%) is water

Neighboring Counties

Bordering counties are as follows:

• Clark County, Ohio - north
• Madison County, Ohio - northeast
• Fayette County, Ohio - southeast
• Clinton County, Ohio - south
• Warren County, Ohio - southwest
• Montgomery County, Ohio - west

Education

Higher education

The following colleges and universities are located in Greene County:

Public

• Wright State University, Fairborn
• Central State University, Wilberforce
• Clark State Community College - Greene Center, Beavercreek

Private

• Antioch College, Yellow Springs
• Wilberforce University, Wilberforce
• Cedarville University, Cedarville

Public school districts

Beavercreek City School District
Cedar Cliff Local School District
Fairborn City School District
Greeneview Local School District
Sugarcreek Local School District
Xenia Community City School District
Yellow Springs Exempted Village School District
Greene County Career Center, Xenia (Vocational school)

Private schools

Dayton Christian School System
Xenia Christian High School, Xenia (the Ambassadors)
St. Brigid School (the Irish)

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