RANK #60 / 996 · POP 73,716 · OH
PROJECTED GROWTH: +3.3%
Scioto County, Ohio, is distinguished by its location at the confluence of the Scioto and Ohio Rivers, with Portsmouth serving as its county seat. The city's floodwall murals, depicting 2,000 years of local history, are a notable landmark. The county is approximately 100 miles south of Columbus, Ohio. This southern Ohio region, nestled in the Appalachian foothills, offers a community feel with access to extensive outdoor recreation, particularly within the 63,000-acre Shawnee State Forest, often called "Ohio's Little Smokies." Hiking, fishing, boating, and camping are popular activities. Life in Scioto County offers a blend of small-town living and natural beauty. The county has several public school districts, including Portsmouth City Schools and Wheelersburg Local Schools, and is home to Shawnee State University. Public transportation, Access Scioto County, provides demand-response, curb-to-curb service throughout the county. The economy, historically rooted in manufacturing and steel, is seeing new investment in sectors like data centers and energy.
Below national median
Below-average climate & terrain
Above national median (13x)
Housing looks undervalued at 3.3x — home prices are low relative to local economic output. The typical U.S. county is 4–6x.
Source: Redfin · Census BPS — Browse sales on Redfin →
| PROJECT | AMOUNT | STATUS |
|---|---|---|
|
Portsmouth Powered Land Project (Natural Gas Plant)
SB Energy (SoftBank subsidiary)
|
$33,000M | Proposed |
|
Proposed Data Center (Tilted Gate LLC)
Tilted Gate LLC (affiliated with a Fortune 100 tech company, possibly Google)
|
$1,000M | Proposed |
|
Scioto Ridge Wind Farm (Hardin and Logan Counties, OH)
RWE Clean Energy
|
$300M | Operating |
|
Scioto Ridge Solar Project (Hardin County, OH)
RWE Clean Energy LLC
|
$110M | Under Construction |
|
Waterfront Redevelopment Project (Portsmouth)
Ohio's Wonderful Waterfronts Initiative
|
$34M | Planned |
Source: public records, news, corporate announcements. Amounts are estimates where noted.
Bars show percentile rank among all 996 counties.
Scioto County has a Boom Town Index score of 94/100, ranking #60 among 996 U.S. counties. With job growth at +1.9% and a median household income of $46,360, it's an above-average county on economic indicators.
The median home value in Scioto County is $122,900 with median rent at $723/month. The income-to-home-value ratio is 0.3772, which is more affordable than the national average.
Population growth: -0.9% year-over-year. Job growth: +1.9%. Home values changed +5.5% in the past 12 months.
Yes — 3.03% of Scioto County's population moved from another state, which is above the national average and indicates strong in-migration.