311,595
Cincinnati is a city located in Hamilton County Ohio. Cincinnati has a 2024 population of 311,595. It is also the county seat of Hamilton County. Cincinnati is currently growing at a rate of 0.16% annually and its population has increased by 0.64% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 309,601 in 2020.
The average household income in Cincinnati is $79,960 with a poverty rate of 24.84%. The median age in Cincinnati is 32.9 years: 32.2 years for males, and 33.6 years for females.
The city sits on the border of Ohio and Kentucky at the meeting of the Ohio River and the Licking River. Cincinnati's population is slowly declining.
Cincinnati has had a steadily declining population for several decades. Between 2000 and 2010, the population dropped from 331,300 to 296,900. While the worst of the decline seems to be over, Cincinnati still has not recovered its previous population.
Strained Racial Relations in Cincinnati
Cincinnati has historically been predominantly white, with a 1940 white population accounting for 88% of the population. Cincinnati has dealt with strained race relations for much of its history, however. Due to its location on the Ohio River, the city was a border town between Kentucky, a slave state, and Ohio, with many residents playing a role in abolitionism. Many fugitive slaves also crossed at Cincinnati to escape North, and it had several stations on the Underground Railroad.
There have been many race riots in Cincinnati. The earliest occurred in 1829 when a riot broke out as anti-abolitionists attacked black people in the city, with other riots happening in 1836 and 1841.
One of the most recent racially-charged riots occurred in 2001 when police shot and killed a black man during a foot pursuit. Racial agitation again reared its head with the case of a university officer named Ray Tensing and his actions in the death of Samuel DuBose, which lead to some protests and two mistrials in court as juries became deadlocked and could not reach an agreement.
Cincinnati Population Growth
Like many other large industrial cities, Cincinnati recorded a peak population in 1950 and it has steadily lost people since. Cincinnati has lost 43% of its peak population, while its metropolitan area has doubled in population.
Municipal boundaries have remained unchanged since 1950, yet thousands of pre-war homes and apartments have now been replaced by non-residential structures, including expressways, hospitals, and universities.
Cincinnati is in a tight position, as increasing the population in the city proper would now require higher rents, increased traffic and most likely the demolition of many historic buildings for the construction of high-rise apartments.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics recently rated the U.S. metropolitan areas with the highest and lowest projected job growth. Cincinnati was ranked as one of the bottom ten urban areas for job growth, which does not bode well for increased population in the near future.
Cincinnati was founded in 1788. The original surveyor of the area, John Filson, originally named the settlement Losantiville, which combines four terms from different languages to mean "the town opposite the mouth of the Licking River." The agreement was renamed Cincinnati in 1790 by Arthur St. Clair to honor the Society of the Cincinnati, which honored General George Washington, who was considered a latter-day Cincinnatus.
By 1819, the city was incorporated. The introduction of steam navigation on the Ohio River helped Cincinnati grow to 115,000 people by 1850, and the area began to multiply. In its early history, Cincinnati depended heavily on trade with slave states to the south and African Americans began to settle the area in growing numbers. This led to tensions and racially-fueled riots.
Cincinnati later played a significant role in the Civil War, serving as a source for troops and supplies for the Union Army. While Cincinnati later made it through the Great Depression better than most large cities in the United States, it was devastated not long afterward by the flood of 1937, one of the worst floods in the history of the country.
Cincinnati was a major boomtown in the heart of the United States for the early part of the 19th century, but by the end of the city, as the country moved from steamboats to railroads, the city was surpassed in importance and population by other cities like Chicago.
Cincinnati Demographics
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Cincinnati was:
- White: 50.41%
- Black or African American: 39.62%
- Two or more races: 5.64%
- Asian: 2.64%
- Other race: 1.55%
- Native American: 0.12%
- Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.02%
State
Ohio
County
Hamilton County
Land Area (mi²)
77.9
sq mi
Density (mi²)
3,999.20
/sq mi
Growth Since 2020
0.64% (
1,994
)
The current population of Cincinnati, Ohio is 311,595 based on our projections of the latest US Census estimates (released May 2024). The last official US Census in 2020 recorded the population at 309,601.
Population by Race
White
Black or African American
Two or more races
Asian
Other race
Native American
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Cincinnati Population by Race
Cincinnati Population Pyramid 2024
Cincinnati Median Age
32.9
Total
32.2
Male
33.6
Female
Cincinnati Adults
There are 244,156 adults, (39,833 of whom are seniors) in Cincinnati.
Cincinnati Age Dependency
51.2
Age Dependency Ratio
19.5
Old Age Dependency Ratio
31.7
Child Dependency Ratio
Cincinnati Sex Ratio
| Female | 159,780 | 51.73% |
| Male | 149,090 | 48.27% |
Cincinnati Population by Age
Cincinnati Renter vs Owner Occupied by Household Type
Household Type | Count | Average Size | Owner | Renter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All | 141,033 | 2.1 | 39.3 | 60.7 |
| Non Family | 78,418 | 1.29 | 27.7 | 72.3 |
| Married | 34,261 | 2.98 | 74.3 | 25.7 |
| Female | 22,748 | 3.28 | 24.9 | 75.1 |
| Male | 5,606 | 3.31 | 46.7 | 53.3 |
3.01
Average Family Size
2.1
Average Household Size
39.3%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Cincinnati Households and Families
Male
Female
Less Than 9th Grade
9th to 12th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Associates Degree
Bachelors Degree
Graduate Degree
Cincinnati Educational Attainment by Sex (over 25)
Cincinnati Educational Attainment by Race
High School Graduation Rate
Bachelors Rate
The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 93.96%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 78.74%.
Cincinnati Educational Attainment by Race
All
Male
Female
$43,901
Average Earnings
$48,076
Average Male
$39,677
Average Female
Cincinnati Earnings by Educational Attainment
Cincinnati Language by Age
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
Cincinnati Language
91.17% of Cincinnati residents speak only English, while 8.83% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 3.11% of the population.
Cincinnati Language
Cincinnati Poverty by Race
rate
24.84%
Overall Poverty Rate
22.51%
Male Poverty Rate
27.01%
Female Poverty Rate
Poverty in Cincinnati
The race most likely to be in poverty in Cincinnati is Other, with 43.59% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Cincinnati is White, with 15.22% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 4.53%. Among those working part-time, it was 31.07%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 39.26%.
Cincinnati Poverty
rate
Cincinnati Poverty Rate by Education
rate
Cincinnati Poverty Rate by Employment Status and Sex
Cincinnati Income by Household Type
Households
Families
MarriedFamilies
NonFamilies
mean
median
Income by Household Type
Cincinnati Marital Status
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Marriage Rates
29.1%
Overall Marriage Rate
30.7%
Male Marriage Rate
27.7%
Female Marriage Rate
Cincinnati Married by Age and Sex
male
female
Cincinnati Marriage
The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 45-54.
Cincinnati Marital Status by Race
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Cincinnati Marital Status
Second Gulf War
First Gulf War
Vietnam
Korea
World War II
Cincinnati Veterans by War
count
Cincinnati Veterans by Age
count
Cincinnati Veterans by Race
Cincinnati Veterans by Education
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
15.78%
Veteran Poverty Rate
29.97%
Veteran Disability Rate
Cincinnati Veterans by Education
LaborForceParticipation
66.1%
Labor Force Participation
61.4%
Employment Rate
6.9%
Unemployment Rate
Cincinnati Employment by Age
LaborForceParticipation
Cincinnati Employment by Race
LaborForceParticipation
Cincinnati Employment by Education
Origin of Non-Citizens
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
Origin of Naturalized Citizens
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
68.8%
Born in Cincinnati
93.23%
Native Born
6.77%
Foreign Born
4.11%
Non Citizen
2.65%
Naturalized
Place of Birth
93.23% of Cincinnati residents were born in the United States, with 68.8% having been born in Ohio. 4.11% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Africa.
Cincinnati Place of Birth
Note: data after 2022 is projected based on recent change
Year | Population | Growth | Growth Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2029 | 314,089 | 499 | 0.16% |
| 2028 | 313,590 | 499 | 0.16% |
| 2027 | 313,091 | 498 | 0.16% |
| 2026 | 312,593 | 499 | 0.16% |
| 2025 | 312,094 | 499 | 0.16% |
| 2024 | 311,595 | 498 | 0.16% |
| 2023 | 311,097 | 1,692 | 0.55% |
| 2022 | 309,405 | 744 | 0.24% |
| 2021 | 308,661 | -940 | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 309,601 | 5,156 | 1.69% |
| 2019 | 304,445 | 1,944 | 0.64% |
| 2018 | 302,501 | 649 | 0.22% |
| 2017 | 301,852 | 1,874 | 0.62% |
| 2016 | 299,978 | 329 | 0.11% |
| 2015 | 299,649 | 840 | 0.28% |
| 2014 | 298,809 | 751 | 0.25% |
| 2013 | 298,058 | 1,027 | 0.35% |
| 2012 | 297,031 | 739 | 0.25% |
| 2011 | 296,292 | -769 | -0.26% |
| 2010 | 297,061 | 0 | 0% |
| 2000 | 331,285 | -32,755 | -9% |
| 1990 | 364,040 | -21,369 | -5.54% |
| 1980 | 385,409 | -68,105 | -15.02% |
| 1970 | 453,514 | -49,036 | -9.76% |
| 1960 | 502,550 | -1,448 | -0.29% |
| 1950 | 503,998 | 48,388 | 10.62% |
| 1940 | 455,610 | 4,450 | 0.99% |
| 1930 | 451,160 | 49,913 | 12.44% |
| 1920 | 401,247 | 37,656 | 10.36% |
| 1910 | 363,591 | 37,689 | 11.56% |
| 1900 | 325,902 | 28,994 | 9.77% |
| 1890 | 296,908 | 41,769 | 16.37% |
| 1880 | 255,139 | 38,900 | 17.99% |
| 1870 | 216,239 | 55,195 | 34.27% |
| 1860 | 161,044 | 45,609 | 39.51% |
| 1850 | 115,435 | 69,097 | 149.12% |
| 1840 | 46,338 | 21,507 | 86.61% |
| 1830 | 24,831 | 15,189 | 157.53% |
| 1820 | 9,642 | 7,102 | 279.61% |
| 1810 | 2,540 | -311,549 | -99.19% |
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