County outline
Where Stark County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 99.1% of Stark County’s measured area and water for 0.9%. Its combined area converts to 1,502.7 square kilometers or approximately 371,324 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 574.94 | 1,489.088 | 367,961.6 |
| Water | 5.254 | 13.608 | 3,362.6 |
| Total | 580.194 | 1,502.696 | 371,324.2 |
How Stark County compares
By original Census land area, Stark County ranks #11 of 88 in Ohio and #1729 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 1.319 times the Ohio county-equivalent median of 436 square miles. It accounts for 1.4% of the combined county land area in the state.
See the complete Ohio ranking · What counts as a county equivalent?
Population and density of Stark County
The Census Bureau estimates that 373,771 people lived in Stark County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #208 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #8 of 88 in Ohio. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 374,814, the population has declined by 1,043 (−0.3%), compared with +0.9% for Ohio as a whole.
With 574.9 square miles of land, that is 650 people per square mile (251 per km²), placing Stark County #270 nationally for density and #10 in Ohio. The median county equivalent has 47 people per square mile; the Ohio median is 120. Put another way, there are about 0.984 acres of land per resident.
| July 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 374,476 | 373,565 | 372,531 | 372,455 | 373,240 | 373,771 |
| Change | — | −911 | −1,034 | −76 | +785 | +531 |
U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates. Estimates are revised each year and are not decennial census counts. Density divides the whole population by the whole county’s land area, so it describes an average, not how settlement is distributed within the county. Population sources and methods.
Cities and towns in Stark County
18 incorporated places lie at least partly in Stark County. Together they are home to 171,131 people (45.8%); the other 202,640 (54.2%) live outside any incorporated place, in unincorporated communities and rural areas.
The largest is Canton city, with 69,001 residents in the county. Among places with at least 1,000 residents in 2020, Louisville city grew fastest since then (+4.3%).
| Incorporated place | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canton cityCounty seat | 69,001 | −2.4% | 26.7 |
| Massillon city | 32,168 | +0.5% | 18.9 |
| Alliance cityAlso in 1 other county | 21,536 | −0.4% | 9.012 |
| North Canton city | 17,692 | −0.9% | 6.43 |
| Louisville city | 9,874 | +4.3% | 5.666 |
| Canal Fulton city | 5,412 | +1.4% | 3.685 |
| Hartville village | 3,456 | +3.5% | 2.703 |
| Brewster village | 2,192 | +0.5% | 2.289 |
| Minerva villageAlso in 2 other counties | 1,973 | −0.2% | 2.201 |
| Navarre village | 1,805 | −2.9% | 1.83 |
| East Canton village | 1,513 | −0.1% | 1.194 |
| Beach City village | 923 | −2% | 0.437 |
| Waynesburg village | 910 | −0.1% | 0.493 |
| East Sparta village | 744 | −0.5% | 1.831 |
| Meyers Lake village | 718 | −0.4% | 0.219 |
Show the other 3 places
| Name | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|---|
| Magnolia villageAlso in 1 other county | 693 | −0.3% | 0.793 |
| Wilmot village | 275 | −2.8% | 0.184 |
| Hills and Dales village | 246 | −2.4% | 0.31 |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 subcounty estimates, counting only the part of each place inside Stark County. Land: 2026 Census Gazetteer, for the whole place even where it extends into other counties. How communities are listed.
Metropolitan area
Stark County is a central county of the Canton-Massillon, OH Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its 2 county equivalents have 400,246 residents on 969.6 square miles of land; Stark County accounts for 59.3% of the land and 93.4% of the residents. By combined land it ranks #283 of 393 metropolitan areas, and #141 by population. It belongs to the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH Combined Statistical Area.
| County equivalent | Population 2025 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|
| Stark County | 373,771 | 574.9 |
| Carroll County | 26,475 | 394.7 |
ZIP codes
43 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Stark County; 31 of them have most of their land inside the county, and the others mainly cover neighboring areas.
44201442164426044601446084461244613446144461844624446264463044632446344464044641446434464544646446474465244657446624466644669446704468544688446894470244703447044470544706447074470844709447104471444718447204472144730
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas are the Census Bureau’s approximations of USPS ZIP Code service areas, from the 2020 Census relationship files. Lighter codes have less than half of their land in this county. Post-office-box and single-address ZIP Codes have no tabulation area.
Counties bordering Stark County
Stark County shares a land border with 8 county equivalents. It has more land than every one of them. The largest neighbor is Tuscarawas County (567.6 mi²) and the smallest is Carroll County (394.7 mi²). Together with its neighbors, Stark County forms a block of 4,358.4 mi² of land, of which it holds 13.2%.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. Stark | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuscarawas County | 567.6 | about the same | Compare |
| Wayne County | 555 | about the same | Compare |
| Columbiana County | 531.9 | 1.1× smaller | Compare |
| Portage County | 487.5 | 1.2× smaller | Compare |
| Holmes County | 422.6 | 1.4× smaller | Compare |
| Summit County | 412.7 | 1.4× smaller | Compare |
| Mahoning County | 411.5 | 1.4× smaller | Compare |
| Carroll County | 394.7 | 1.5× smaller | Compare |
How big is Stark County compared with U.S. states?
Stark County has less land than any of the 50 states. Rhode Island, the smallest state by land area, has 1,033.9 mi², about 1.8 times as much. Ohio’s county land could hold about 71 areas the size of Stark County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 24 miles (38.6 km) on each side. Real county shapes are rarely square, so this is a scale reference rather than a width or driving distance.
State figures are the sums of each state’s county-equivalent land measurements in the same Census release, so states and counties are compared on the same basis. Published state totals can differ slightly because of rounding. Compare all states · Counties bigger than entire states.
What stands out about Stark County?
Stark County has more land than 1,493 of the other 3,221 county equivalents in the dataset.
A median is the middle county-equivalent measurement, not the average of the largest and smallest. All three bars use the same linear scale. Very small areas may appear as a thin sliver; the labels retain their values.
Does including water change its rank?
Using land plus water places Stark County at #1,831 nationally by total area, 102 places farther from the top than its land rank. Other county equivalents gain more area when their water measurements are included.
Its water share is 0.9%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2% — 0.3 percentage points lower. This describes the statistical geography’s land/water mix, not flood exposure or developable land.
Closest positions in the national land ranking
These entries sit immediately beside Stark County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1728 | Sac County, Iowa | 575 | Compare |
| #1729 | Stark County, Ohio | 574.9 | This county |
| #1730 | Webster County, Nebraska | 574.9 | Compare |
Calculated from the same Census release as the area table. Total-area order uses original ALAND + AWATER; water shares and chart labels use published square miles. Calculation details.
Representative coordinates
The Census internal point is 40.814131, -81.365667. It represents a location inside the geography; it is not necessarily the centroid or the address of a courthouse.
Source and precision
U.S. Census Bureau, 2026 Gazetteer Files, Counties. Original ALAND: 1,489,087,356 m²; AWATER: 13,606,582 m². Rankings use ALAND; exact ties use ascending GEOID. Tables preserve Census-published square miles to three decimals, with conversions based on those values.
Common questions
How big is Stark County?
Stark County, Ohio has 574.9 square miles (1,489.1 km²) of land and 5.254 square miles of water, for a total area of 580.2 square miles. It ranks #1729 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is Stark County the largest county in Ohio?
No. Stark County ranks #11 of 88 in Ohio by land area. The largest is Ashtabula County, with 702.4 square miles of land.
What counties border Stark County?
Stark County shares a land border with Summit County, Tuscarawas County, Wayne County, Portage County, Carroll County, Columbiana County, Mahoning County, and Holmes County.
What is the population of Stark County?
The Census Bureau estimates Stark County had 373,771 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #208 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 650 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of Stark County?
The county seat of Stark County is Canton.
What cities and towns are in Stark County?
Stark County has 18 incorporated places. The most populous five are Canton city, Massillon city, Alliance city, North Canton city, and Louisville city; 202,640 residents live outside any incorporated place.
Is Stark County part of a metropolitan area?
Yes. It is a central county of the Canton-Massillon, OH Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has 2 county equivalents and 400,246 residents.
How many ZIP codes are in Stark County?
43 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Stark County, and 31 of them have most of their land inside the county. Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas approximate USPS ZIP Code areas.
How does Stark County compare with U.S. states?
It has less land than every state. Rhode Island, the smallest, has 1.8 times as much land.
How many acres of land are in Stark County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 367,962 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 371,324 acres. One square mile equals 640 acres.
Why might another source show a different area?
Check whether it reports land or total area, its Census vintage, and its rounding. Our guide explains how to reconcile county area figures.
Can this establish a property boundary?
No. Statistical measurements and generalized maps do not establish property lines. Consult the relevant local surveying or land-records authority.