Total enrollment
53,192
-2,826 (-5%) vs SY 2017-18
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.
7-year change in Stark County
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25School count
95
-12 (-11%) vs SY 2017-18
% White
73%
was 78%
% Hispanic
5%
was 3%
% Black
11%
was 11%
% Asian
1%
was 1%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
Schools
101
25 districts
Enrollment
53,798
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%
| Name | City | Level | Grades | Enrollment | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T C Knapp Elementary School | Canton | Elementary | PK-PK | · | · |
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 7-year window. Across the same 7-year window, public-school enrollment fell 5%: 56,018 students in SY 2017-18 versus 53,192 in SY 2024-25. The school count fell from 107 to 95 across the same 7-year window. The White share of public-school enrollment decreased from 78% to 73%.
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
Stark County school rankings
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data