Market rankings · Ohio
Child care centers and preschools in Ohio
Every metro area, small-town market and county in Ohio, ranked by the Groundwork market score for child care centers and preschools, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 2,692
- 362 chain locations (13%)
- Official establishments
- 2,813
- +6.0% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $2B
- On child care and other personal services
- Listings per 10k households
- 5.5
- 5% below the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $736K
- 27% below the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #39 of 51
- Market score 35 · Lower middle
A site report maps the child care centers and preschools on map listings around any address in Ohio by name and distance, and the spending within reach.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardSurvey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure
What this means
Ohio has 2,692 child care centers and preschools on map listings as of September 2026. Of those, 362 are chain locations, or 13%, against 12% across the U.S. That is 5.5 per 10,000 households, 5% below the U.S. rate of 5.8.
Households in Ohio spend about $2B a year on child care and other personal services, or $407 per household, 30% below the U.S. average. That works out to $736K per center, 27% below the U.S. figure of $1M.
Official counts show 2,813 businesses with payroll classed as child care services in Ohio in 2023, up 6.0% from 2019. That is one for every 1,729 households, against one for every 1,573 across the U.S. Across the U.S., the count rose 5.7% over the same years. Since fiscal 2022, 210 SBA-backed loans worth $123M have gone to businesses classed as child care services in Ohio.
Among the 50 states and DC, Ohio ranks #39 for child care centers and preschools, with a Groundwork market score of 35 (lower middle). Of the 15 scored metro areas in or partly in Ohio, the Sandusky metro area scores highest (59). Of the 25 scored small-town markets in or partly in Ohio, the Findlay area scores highest (70).
Every market in Ohio for child care centers and preschools
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in Ohio, highest first; the U.S. rank compares each market with every other of its kind. A metro area that crosses a state line is listed in each state it reaches, and numbered only in the state its page is under. How the score works.
Metro areas
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Sandusky, OH | 59 | 16 | 3.1 | $1.2M | −2.6% | #124 of 387 |
| Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | 53 | 49 | 3.2 | $1.2M | −2.6% | #174 of 387 |
| 2Springfield, OH | 46 | 20 | 3.6 | $950K | −0.4% | #226 of 387 |
| 3Canton-Massillon, OH | 45 | 66 | 3.9 | $907K | −0.2% | #234 of 387 |
| 4Mansfield, OH | 43 | 17 | 3.4 | $913K | −0.1% | #248 of 387 |
| Wheeling, WV-OH | 41 | 19 | 3.3 | $1.1M | −3.6% | #257 of 387 |
| 5Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | 39 | 546 | 6.0 | $787K | +2.7% | #272 of 387 |
| 6Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | 38 | 168 | 4.9 | $822K | +1.5% | #279 of 387 |
| Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH | 34 | 20 | 4.0 | $815K | −3.6% | #299 of 387 |
| 7Akron, OH | 32 | 155 | 5.2 | $786K | 0.0% | #316 of 387 |
| 8Columbus, OH | 32 | 666 | 7.7 | $614K | +4.7% | #323 of 387 |
| 9Cleveland, OH | 27 | 540 | 5.8 | $722K | −0.8% | #345 of 387 |
| 10Youngstown-Warren, OH | 25 | 101 | 5.5 | $594K | −1.4% | #359 of 387 |
| 11Toledo, OH | 18 | 149 | 5.9 | $649K | −1.0% | #373 of 387 |
| 12Lima, OH | 18 | 26 | 6.3 | $536K | −1.2% | #375 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Findlay, OH | 70 | 11 | 3.5 | $1.1M | +0.1% | #75 of 454 |
| 2Wooster, OH | 68 | 14 | 3.2 | $1.2M | −0.1% | #85 of 454 |
| 3Celina, OH | 67 | 5 | 3.0 | $1.2M | +0.5% | #96 of 454 |
| 4Sidney, OH | 67 | 7 | 3.7 | $1M | −0.2% | #97 of 454 |
| 5Chillicothe, OH | 66 | 7 | 2.3 | $1.4M | −0.8% | #104 of 454 |
| 6Mount Vernon, OH | 66 | 9 | 3.8 | $1M | +1.9% | #108 of 454 |
| 7Marietta, OH | 65 | 6 | 2.4 | $1.4M | −2.1% | #112 of 454 |
| 8Norwalk, OH | 64 | 5 | 2.1 | $1.6M | −0.4% | #115 of 454 |
| 9Ashland, OH | 62 | 5 | 2.4 | $1.3M | +0.1% | #126 of 454 |
| 10Marion, OH | 61 | 7 | 2.8 | $1.1M | −0.4% | #136 of 454 |
| 11Wapakoneta, OH | 58 | 8 | 4.2 | $933K | −1.2% | #167 of 454 |
| 12New Philadelphia-Dover, OH | 56 | 14 | 3.6 | $911K | −0.9% | #180 of 454 |
| 13Greenville, OH | 51 | 10 | 4.7 | $726K | −0.7% | #227 of 454 |
| 14Gallipolis, OH | 50 | 5 | 4.3 | $736K | −0.5% | #231 of 454 |
| 15Wilmington, OH | 50 | 12 | 7.2 | $518K | +0.6% | #234 of 454 |
| 16Athens, OH | 49 | 12 | 5.2 | $643K | +1.3% | #237 of 454 |
| 17Fremont, OH | 47 | 13 | 5.3 | $633K | −0.4% | #258 of 454 |
| 18Tiffin, OH | 45 | 12 | 5.4 | $610K | −1.0% | #277 of 454 |
| 19Coshocton, OH | 44 | 8 | 5.4 | $566K | +1.6% | #286 of 454 |
| 20Defiance, OH | 42 | 8 | 5.2 | $660K | +0.1% | #304 of 454 |
| 21Portsmouth, OH | 41 | 10 | 3.5 | $880K | −3.4% | #307 of 454 |
| 22Zanesville, OH | 40 | 18 | 5.2 | $627K | +0.7% | #316 of 454 |
| 23Salem, OH | 35 | 21 | 5.1 | $625K | −2.2% | #352 of 454 |
| 24Cambridge, OH | 29 | 9 | 5.5 | $542K | −0.1% | #385 of 454 |
| 25Van Wert, OH | 27 | 7 | 6.1 | $535K | +0.3% | #397 of 454 |
| Bellefontaine, OH | Not scored | 3 | 1.5 | $2.4M | +0.4% | |
| Bucyrus, OH | Not scored | 1 | 0.6 | $5.4M | −0.3% | |
| Urbana, OH | Not scored | 3 | 1.9 | $1.9M | +0.2% | |
| Washington Court House, OH | Not scored | 4 | 3.5 | $1M | −1.4% |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Union County, OH | 88 | 11 | 4.5 | $1.3M | +16.5% | #24 of 1,611 |
| 2Greene County, OH | 74 | 30 | 4.4 | $1.1M | +3.7% | #181 of 1,611 |
| 3Clermont County, OH | 72 | 31 | 3.6 | $1.3M | +3.9% | #213 of 1,611 |
| 4Geauga County, OH | 70 | 19 | 5.3 | $1.1M | +0.3% | #259 of 1,611 |
| 5Wood County, OH | 69 | 19 | 3.5 | $1.2M | +1.5% | #282 of 1,611 |
| 6Warren County, OH | 68 | 61 | 6.6 | $923K | +5.7% | #323 of 1,611 |
| 7Miami County, OH | 66 | 19 | 4.2 | $963K | +3.4% | #371 of 1,611 |
| 8Erie County, OH | 65 | 8 | 2.5 | $1.5M | −2.9% | #383 of 1,611 |
| 9Fairfield County, OH | 64 | 32 | 5.3 | $906K | +6.5% | #435 of 1,611 |
| 10Hancock County, OH | 63 | 11 | 3.5 | $1.1M | +0.1% | #451 of 1,611 |
| 11Butler County, OH | 63 | 68 | 4.6 | $985K | +2.4% | #457 of 1,611 |
| 12Ross County, OH | 62 | 7 | 2.3 | $1.4M | −0.8% | #474 of 1,611 |
| 13Wayne County, OH | 62 | 14 | 3.2 | $1.2M | −0.1% | #479 of 1,611 |
| 14Delaware County, OH | 62 | 72 | 8.7 | $841K | +12.5% | #492 of 1,611 |
| 15Huron County, OH | 61 | 5 | 2.1 | $1.6M | −0.4% | #497 of 1,611 |
| 16Washington County, OH | 61 | 6 | 2.4 | $1.4M | −2.1% | #499 of 1,611 |
| 17Mercer County, OH | 61 | 5 | 3.0 | $1.2M | +0.5% | #509 of 1,611 |
| 18Ashland County, OH | 60 | 5 | 2.4 | $1.3M | +0.1% | #530 of 1,611 |
| 19Shelby County, OH | 60 | 7 | 3.7 | $1M | −0.2% | #539 of 1,611 |
| 20Portage County, OH | 60 | 27 | 4.1 | $986K | +1.0% | #543 of 1,611 |
| 21Licking County, OH | 60 | 36 | 5.2 | $888K | +3.8% | #550 of 1,611 |
| 22Knox County, OH | 59 | 9 | 3.8 | $1M | +1.9% | #573 of 1,611 |
| 23Marion County, OH | 58 | 7 | 2.8 | $1.1M | −0.4% | #599 of 1,611 |
| 24Ottawa County, OH | 57 | 8 | 4.3 | $945K | −2.0% | #631 of 1,611 |
| 25Medina County, OH | 55 | 44 | 6.0 | $851K | +1.3% | #690 of 1,611 |
Show all 88 counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26Perry County, OH | 55 | 6 | 4.5 | $819K | +1.3% | #694 of 1,611 |
| 27Fulton County, OH | 54 | 7 | 4.1 | $956K | −1.9% | #715 of 1,611 |
| 28Auglaize County, OH | 52 | 8 | 4.2 | $933K | −1.2% | #767 of 1,611 |
| 29Stark County, OH | 52 | 63 | 4.0 | $890K | −0.2% | #770 of 1,611 |
| 30Lorain County, OH | 52 | 63 | 4.9 | $854K | +3.1% | #772 of 1,611 |
| 31Clark County, OH | 51 | 20 | 3.6 | $950K | −0.4% | #794 of 1,611 |
| 32Tuscarawas County, OH | 50 | 14 | 3.6 | $911K | −0.9% | #819 of 1,611 |
| 33Lake County, OH | 50 | 53 | 5.2 | $815K | −0.1% | #828 of 1,611 |
| 34Belmont County, OH | 49 | 8 | 2.9 | $1.1M | −2.8% | #836 of 1,611 |
| 35Richland County, OH | 48 | 17 | 3.4 | $913K | −0.1% | #870 of 1,611 |
| 36Ashtabula County, OH | 47 | 13 | 3.3 | $924K | −0.8% | #896 of 1,611 |
| 37Darke County, OH | 45 | 10 | 4.7 | $726K | −0.7% | #960 of 1,611 |
| 38Gallia County, OH | 44 | 5 | 4.3 | $736K | −0.5% | #980 of 1,611 |
| 39Athens County, OH | 42 | 12 | 5.2 | $643K | +1.3% | #1,046 of 1,611 |
| 40Clinton County, OH | 42 | 12 | 7.2 | $518K | +0.6% | #1,055 of 1,611 |
| 41Sandusky County, OH | 41 | 13 | 5.3 | $633K | −0.4% | #1,078 of 1,611 |
| 42Seneca County, OH | 40 | 12 | 5.4 | $610K | −1.0% | #1,112 of 1,611 |
| 43Scioto County, OH | 39 | 10 | 3.5 | $880K | −3.4% | #1,120 of 1,611 |
| 44Coshocton County, OH | 39 | 8 | 5.4 | $566K | +1.6% | #1,131 of 1,611 |
| 45Summit County, OH | 38 | 128 | 5.5 | $743K | −0.3% | #1,142 of 1,611 |
| 46Lawrence County, OH | 38 | 10 | 4.4 | $721K | −4.2% | #1,145 of 1,611 |
| 47Trumbull County, OH | 38 | 39 | 4.5 | $695K | −1.3% | #1,146 of 1,611 |
| 48Brown County, OH | 36 | 9 | 5.3 | $701K | +1.6% | #1,180 of 1,611 |
| 49Jefferson County, OH | 36 | 12 | 4.4 | $695K | −2.4% | #1,181 of 1,611 |
| 50Putnam County, OH | 36 | 14 | 10.6 | $394K | 0.0% | #1,202 of 1,611 |
| 51Defiance County, OH | 35 | 8 | 5.2 | $660K | +0.1% | #1,215 of 1,611 |
| 52Muskingum County, OH | 35 | 18 | 5.2 | $627K | +0.7% | #1,217 of 1,611 |
| 53Montgomery County, OH | 34 | 119 | 5.1 | $725K | +0.5% | #1,240 of 1,611 |
| 54Hardin County, OH | 34 | 8 | 6.8 | $492K | −2.1% | #1,256 of 1,611 |
| 55Hamilton County, OH | 33 | 243 | 6.9 | $645K | +1.0% | #1,269 of 1,611 |
| 56Columbiana County, OH | 33 | 21 | 5.1 | $625K | −2.2% | #1,271 of 1,611 |
| 57Henry County, OH | 33 | 8 | 7.0 | $542K | −0.2% | #1,275 of 1,611 |
| 58Franklin County, OH | 30 | 496 | 9.0 | $492K | +2.8% | #1,338 of 1,611 |
| 59Mahoning County, OH | 29 | 62 | 6.3 | $531K | −1.4% | #1,358 of 1,611 |
| 60Preble County, OH | 28 | 8 | 4.8 | $695K | −0.8% | #1,369 of 1,611 |
| 61Cuyahoga County, OH | 27 | 348 | 6.3 | $638K | −2.3% | #1,386 of 1,611 |
| 62Guernsey County, OH | 26 | 9 | 5.5 | $542K | −0.1% | #1,406 of 1,611 |
| 63Allen County, OH | 26 | 26 | 6.3 | $536K | −1.2% | #1,409 of 1,611 |
| 64Lucas County, OH | 20 | 123 | 6.7 | $544K | −1.7% | #1,479 of 1,611 |
| 65Van Wert County, OH | 20 | 7 | 6.1 | $535K | +0.3% | #1,481 of 1,611 |
| 66Hocking County, OH | 17 | 6 | 5.2 | $609K | −1.9% | #1,523 of 1,611 |
| 67Paulding County, OH | 17 | 6 | 7.9 | $446K | −0.4% | #1,528 of 1,611 |
| 68Wyandot County, OH | 13 | 7 | 7.8 | $436K | −1.4% | #1,564 of 1,611 |
| 69Meigs County, OH | 7 | 5 | 5.5 | $463K | −2.6% | #1,591 of 1,611 |
| Pickaway County, OH | Not scored | 4 | 1.8 | $2.2M | +7.4% | |
| Logan County, OH | Not scored | 3 | 1.5 | $2.4M | +0.4% | |
| Madison County, OH | Not scored | 1 | 0.6 | $7M | +7.1% | |
| Holmes County, OH | Not scored | 1 | 0.7 | $5.7M | +1.7% | |
| Highland County, OH | Not scored | 4 | 2.4 | $1.4M | +1.1% | |
| Crawford County, OH | Not scored | 1 | 0.6 | $5.4M | −0.3% | |
| Champaign County, OH | Not scored | 3 | 1.9 | $1.9M | +0.2% | |
| Williams County, OH | Not scored | 2 | 1.3 | $2.3M | −1.4% | |
| Morrow County, OH | Not scored | 2 | 1.5 | $2.6M | +3.7% | |
| Jackson County, OH | Not scored | 2 | 1.5 | $2M | +0.5% | |
| Fayette County, OH | Not scored | 4 | 3.5 | $1M | −1.4% | |
| Adams County, OH | Not scored | 3 | 2.9 | $1M | +1.5% | |
| Pike County, OH | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | 0.0% | |
| Carroll County, OH | Not scored | 3 | 2.7 | $1.3M | −1.1% | |
| Harrison County, OH | Not scored | 1 | 1.7 | $1.7M | −2.9% | |
| Noble County, OH | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +1.3% | |
| Morgan County, OH | Not scored | 1 | 1.8 | $1.7M | −0.9% | |
| Monroe County, OH | Not scored | 2 | 3.5 | $892K | −2.7% | |
| Vinton County, OH | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −1.2% |
Markets with fewer than 5 child care centers and preschools on map listings, and counties under 10,000 people, aren’t scored; they’re listed last in each table.
Questions
How many child care centers and preschools are in Ohio?
Map listings as of September 2026 show 2,692 child care centers and preschools in Ohio. 362 of them (13%) are chain locations. The listings count day care centers and preschools. Official counts show 2,813 businesses with payroll classed as child care services in 2023, up 6.0% from 2019. Official counts also show 16,627 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Ohio spend on child care and other personal services?
About $2B a year, or $407 per household. That is 30% below the U.S. average (an index of 70, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 2,692 child care centers and preschools on map listings, it comes to $736K per center. It is estimated from the incomes of the 4,863,191 households in Ohio and national spending patterns by income.
How does Ohio compare with the U.S. for child care centers and preschools?
Ohio has 5.5 child care centers and preschools per 10,000 households, 5% below the U.S. rate of 5.8. Spending per center is $736K, 27% below the U.S. figure of $1M. At the U.S. ratio of child care centers and preschools to household spending, Ohio would have about 1,978, against 2,692 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 1,729 households, against one for every 1,573 across the U.S. The official count rose 6.0% from 2019 to 2023, against +5.7% for the U.S.
Which market in Ohio has the highest market score for child care centers and preschools?
Among 15 scored metro areas in or partly in Ohio, the Sandusky metro area scores highest, at 59 (upper middle). Among 25 scored small-town markets in or partly in Ohio, the Findlay area scores highest, at 70 (upper middle). Among 69 scored counties in Ohio, Union County scores highest, at 88 (high). Scores compare each market with others of its kind across the U.S.
What is the Groundwork market score?
The Groundwork market score runs from 0 to 100 and compares a market with others of its kind for one business type: states with states, metro areas with metro areas, small-town markets and counties with their own. It weighs household spending per competitor (35%), households per business with payroll (25%), population growth (20%) and spending power (20%), each ranked against those peers. A higher score means that, taken together, the market has more household spending and more households for each business already there, faster population growth and more spending per household than similar markets. It describes a market, not any one site or deal. Ohio scores 35 for child care centers and preschools (lower middle), #39 of the 50 states and DC.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Ohio. It maps the child care centers and preschools on map listings near the site and sizes the households and spending within the distance you choose. New accounts get 10 actions over 3 days, no card.
Child care and preschools in other states
All 51 states
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- South Carolina
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- Tennessee
- Texas
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- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
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Top markets for child care centers and preschools across the U.S. · All business types in Ohio
Screening a site or an acquisition in Ohio?
A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are estimates for research only. Not investment or real estate advice.