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1 / 20#20. Putnam County and Allen County
- Putnam County population: 34,199
- Allen County population: 100,838
- Social connectedness index: 1,881,076
Most socially connected counties in Ohio
In today's digital age, social media platforms enable people to bridge geographic distances and connect with their friends, family, and community, no matter where they are. According to a 2022 Gallup and Meta study, at least 1 in 3 people across seven countries, including the U.S., said they used social media to interact with others at least once a day in the past week.
While social media has its drawbacks—such as pulling attention away from other tasks or fostering a problematic comparison culture—it remains a vital tool for helping people stay connected.
A majority of students in grades 3 to 12 said social media helped them develop relationships, learn social skills, and make a positive impact in their community, according to a 2024 report from The Social Institute.
Spokeo compiled a ranking of the most socially connected counties in Ohio using 2021 data from Facebook, based on a national analysis. County pairs were ranked by their social connectedness index, which measures the relative probability that two individuals across two locations are friends with each other on Facebook. The social connectedness index is a scaled value up to a billion. Larger indexes indicate a greater share of Facebook friends between county pairs.
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2 / 20#19. Crawford County and Richland County
- Crawford County population: 41,529
- Richland County population: 125,064
- Social connectedness index: 1,936,084
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3 / 20#18. Ottawa County and Sandusky County
- Ottawa County population: 39,803
- Sandusky County population: 58,709
- Social connectedness index: 2,007,604
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4 / 20#17. Morrow County and Marion County
- Morrow County population: 35,595
- Marion County population: 64,851
- Social connectedness index: 2,146,832
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5 / 20#16. Holmes County and Wayne County
- Holmes County population: 44,386
- Wayne County population: 116,510
- Social connectedness index: 2,328,879
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6 / 20#15. Erie County and Huron County
- Erie County population: 74,035
- Huron County population: 58,199
- Social connectedness index: 2,529,105
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7 / 20#14. Logan County and Champaign County
- Logan County population: 46,057
- Champaign County population: 38,845
- Social connectedness index: 2,703,407
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8 / 20#13. Meigs County and Athens County
- Meigs County population: 21,767
- Athens County population: 62,706
- Social connectedness index: 2,909,416
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9 / 20#12. Seneca County and Wyandot County
- Seneca County population: 54,527
- Wyandot County population: 21,457
- Social connectedness index: 2,944,338
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10 / 20#11. Morgan County and Perry County
- Morgan County population: 13,646
- Perry County population: 35,551
- Social connectedness index: 3,290,961
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11 / 20#10. Henry County and Fulton County
- Henry County population: 27,520
- Fulton County population: 42,007
- Social connectedness index: 3,346,990
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12 / 20#9. Fayette County and Highland County
- Fayette County population: 28,817
- Highland County population: 43,614
- Social connectedness index: 3,417,148
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13 / 20#8. Jefferson County and Harrison County
- Jefferson County population: 64,026
- Harrison County population: 14,159
- Social connectedness index: 3,433,727
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14 / 20#7. Pike County and Ross County
- Pike County population: 27,001
- Ross County population: 76,501
- Social connectedness index: 3,569,521
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15 / 20#6. Mercer County and Auglaize County
- Mercer County population: 42,439
- Auglaize County population: 46,050
- Social connectedness index: 3,623,892
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16 / 20#5. Adams County and Brown County
- Adams County population: 27,521
- Brown County population: 43,777
- Social connectedness index: 3,628,143
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17 / 20#4. Belmont County and Monroe County
- Belmont County population: 64,918
- Monroe County population: 13,153
- Social connectedness index: 4,067,410
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18 / 20#3. Defiance County and Paulding County
- Defiance County population: 38,315
- Paulding County population: 18,706
- Social connectedness index: 4,948,061
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19 / 20#2. Vinton County and Jackson County
- Vinton County population: 12,474
- Jackson County population: 32,606
- Social connectedness index: 8,956,203
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20 / 20#1. Guernsey County and Noble County
- Guernsey County population: 38,089
- Noble County population: 14,311
- Social connectedness index: 9,111,361
This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Kayla Zhu, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 46 states.
