Athens is a medium-sized city located in the state of Ohio. With a population of 20,820 people and seven associated neighborhoods, Athens is the 71st largest community in Ohio.

Of important note, Athens is also a city of artists. Athens has more artists, designers and people working in media than 90% of the communities in America. This concentration of artists helps shape Athens’s character.

Also of interest is that Athens has more people living here who work in computers and math than 95% of the places in the US.

One interesting thing about the economy is that relatively large numbers of people worked from their home: 14.38% of the workforce. While this number may seem small overall, as a fraction of the total workforce this is high compared to the rest of the county. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes.

Because Athens has a very large number of students who are 18 years or older and in college, it is thought of as a college town. This has a major influence on local Athens lifestyle, entertainment, and culture in general. Life in Athens is very much tied to the academic calendar: when students return from the summer break in the fall, one will notice them out and about, buying groceries, out with friends, and generally getting re-acquainted with each other. In Athens people study hard and play hard, and there is ample opportunity to do both.

Athens, while not large, also appears to be attractive to some younger, educated professionals, who help shape the character of the city.

Residents of the city have the good fortune of having one of the shortest daily commutes compared to the rest of the country. On average, they spend only 15.43 minutes getting to work every day.

Do you have a 4-year college degree or graduate degree? If so, you may feel right at home in Athens. 66.62% of adults here have a 4-year degree or graduate degree, whereas the national average for all cities and towns is just 21.84%.

The per capita income in Athens in 2022 was $22,737, which is low income relative to Ohio and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $90,948 for a family of four. However, Athens contains both very wealthy and poor people as well. Athens also has one of the higher rates of people living in poverty in the nation, with 43.03% of its population below the federal poverty line.

Athens is a somewhat ethnically-diverse city. The people who call Athens home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Athens residents report their race to be White, followed by Asian. Important ancestries of people in Athens include German, Irish, English, Italian, and Polish.

The most common language spoken in Athens is English. Other important languages spoken here include Chinese and Arabic.