Total enrollment
53,192
+760 (+1%) vs SY 2020-21
Stark County
Ohio · Public K-12
101 public K-12 schools, roughly 53,798 students, one county, 373,713 residents. That is Stark County, Ohio on the numbers. That works out to 53 elementary, 21 middle, and 22 high schools.
4-year change in Stark County
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25School count
95
-4 (-4%) vs SY 2020-21
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
How Stark County ranks
Among counties| Measure | This county | In Ohio | In the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 53,798 | #8 of 88 | #209 of 2,745 |
| Number of schools ranked most first | 97 | #7 of 88 | N/A |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 18.2:1 | #72 of 88 | #2,476 of 2,655 |
| Free or reduced-price lunch share ranked highest first | 35.7% | #65 of 78 | #2,252 of 2,526 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 43.8% | #19 of 88 | #1,342 of 2,707 |
Counties need at least 3 schools and 1,000 students to be ranked. Test proficiency is ranked within the state only, since each state gives a different test. Each rank links to the full list.
Stark County school rankings
Residents
373,713
all ages · ACS 5-yr
Schools
101
25 districts
Enrollment
53,798
students · NCES CCD
Median income
$67,934
Below Ohio avg
Free/reduced lunch
35.7%
Below Ohio avg
Elementary
53
22,951 students
Middle
21
11,893 students
High
22
18,249 students
Combined / other
5
705 students
LARGEST DISTRICT
Canton City
7,702 students · 25 districts in Stark County
County vs. school enrollment demographics
Left bar is the racial makeup of Stark County residents (Census ACS 5-year). Right bar is the enrollment-weighted makeup of public schools in the county (NCES CCD). NCES systematically under-reports Hispanic, Pacific Islander, and Native American enrollment for many schools; where the resident share is meaningful but the reported school share is zero, we mark the school bar "not reported".
County residents
School enrollment
Bachelor's+
25.9%
adults 25+
Poverty rate
8.7%
ACS 5-year
Unemployment
3.9%
civilian labor
Median age
42
21.5% under 18
Test scores in Stark County
Latest 2024-25 ELA proficiency, 85 schools ranked. Ohio state average: 59.8%.
Top 5 schools (ELA)
- Portage Collaborative Montessori School· 90.3%
- Strausser Elementary School· 89.0%
- Hoover High School· 86.5%
- Lake Middle / High School· 86.1%
- Sauder Elementary School· 85.5%
Lowest 5 schools (ELA)
- Stark High School· 15.4%
- Stephanie Rushin Patrick Elementary School· 22.5%
- Youtz Intermediate School· 24.0%
- Canton Harbor High School· 26.1%
- Clarendon Intermediate School· 26.7%
Cities in Stark County
About Stark County
Stark County is a sprawling Ohio county of about 373,713 residents, home to 101 public schools and roughly 53,798 students.
Looking at the wider area, census numbers show median household income runs near $67,934, 26% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and roughly 9% of residents live below the federal poverty line.
On the school-mix side, Stark County is made up of 53 elementary schools (22,951 students), 21 middle schools (11,893), 22 high schools (18,249), and 5 combined or other schools.
The largest single district in Stark County is Canton City, which alone enrolls about 7,702 students.
Over the past 4-year window. Across the same 4-year window, public-school enrollment stayed largely flat: 52,432 students in SY 2020-21 versus 53,192 in SY 2024-25. The school count fell from 99 to 95 across the same 4-year window.
In the discussion threads here, the community for Stark County discusses enrollment trends, district policy changes, and bus-route updates. Anyone with firsthand knowledge of these schools is welcome to weigh in.
Frequently asked questions
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data