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🐴 Why is Ohio so Amish? You’ve wondered. I found out.
🧭 Guess which states have Amish…the last one shocked me
🍔 Reward yourself with Cleveland’s best burgers.
Okay but seriously - why is Ohio like this?
We’ve got NFL stadiums, craft breweries, and somehow, more horse-drawn transportation than the Oregon Trail. You cannot tell me you haven’t had the thought while stuck behind a buggy on a two-lane road: How did this happen?
Why are we the epicenter of the horse-and-bonnet universe?
Welp, there’s a story here - and it’s way more interesting than just “they like farmland.”
It starts with a move, centuries ago, and ends with a state that somehow checks all the boxes for a community picking its place. If you’re sipping coffee while reading, perfect - lean in, because this is one of those stories that quietly explains so much about place, values, and how people choose to live.
The story in a nutshell
Back in Europe in the late 1600s, a guy named Jakob Amman broke away from the Swiss Brethren. The group that became the Amish was seeking a way of life rooted in simplicity, separation, faith and community.
Fast-forward: in the 1700s and 1800s, many Anabaptist/Amish folks fled religious pressure, limited land, and economic constraints in Europe to head for the U.S. frontier.
When they arrived, they found land in Pennsylvania … and then, as things filled up, they looked west. That’s where Ohio comes in. Because Ohio wasn’t just “available land”; it was the right kind of available land for the Amish way of life.
According to the research, Ohio offered rural space that was still connected enough to the necessities of life.
Today, Ohio is home to the second-largest population of Old Order Amish in the U.S., behind only Pennsylvania.
In 2023 the estimate for Ohio was ~84,065 Amish individuals in the state.
So – why does Ohio make so much sense for them?
The land: Enough rural acreage, but not so isolated that you’re cut off. One researcher said Ohio is “the perfect mix” for Amish settlement.
Affinity: Once a settlement starts somewhere (like in Holmes County, Ohio), it tends to attract more families, growth, off-shoots. It’s a self-reinforcing pattern.
Growth dynamics: Amish families have lots of kids, and retention (young people staying in the community) is high - meaning the population naturally doubles roughly every 20 years.
Practicality: Easier to live old-school (horse-and-buggy, simple life) in a place where services are accessible, land prices manageable, nearby towns exist — all things Ohio offered historically.
Fun history facts (yes, bullets)
The settlement in Holmes County was founded around 1808 when families from Somerset County, Pennsylvania moved west.
Holmes County has the highest concentration of Amish in any U.S. county - and it’s creeping up almost to 50%!
Ohio has 74 individual Amish settlements (as of latest counts) across the state.
The overall Ohio Amish population in 2023 was estimated at ~84,065, making Ohio second only to Pennsylvania.
The shift: While farming was traditionally dominant, in the Ohio Amish community many now work in woodworking, metal fabrication, small manufacturing rather than just plow + barn.
What it really means (yes, introspective moment)
So here’s where I get a little existential:
The fact that Ohio ended up with this robust Amish presence isn’t just a quirk of history or geography - it’s a case study in how a group chooses where and how to live. They picked a place that fit their values, then they built the life around that.
For me, as an ex-interior designer who talks a lot about space, purpose, and mood, there’s something deeply meaningful here: the built environment, the community, even the landscape you pick can reflect your values or help them thrive.
And for the rest of us in “regular life” (you, me, our city-and-suburb routines) this offers a reminder: if you’re going to design a life you love, pick your place wisely.
Don’t just land somewhere because it’s convenient - land somewhere because it fits you.
Also: The weirdness is part of what makes it beautiful. Ohio doesn’t look like Switzerland or 1700s Europe. But because Ohio happened to provide the right mix of things (rural access + connectivity), the Amish found a home here - and it grew.
So when you’re driving through back roads and spot the horse-and-buggy, you’re looking at layers: history, values, strategy, community.
Wild.
Ohio’s Got Buggies — But So Does Where?!
Think you know where all the Amish live in America? You’re probably wrong. Click to see the full 32-state ranking — the one at the very bottom totally threw me for a loop:
Want to see it? (Yes please.)
If you’re craving a little peace and quiet like me, click to see the corner of Ohio that still looks like a painting:
Much Love,
P.S. You’ve earned yourself a juicy reward after all that Amish history. Check out The 10 Best Burgers in Cleveland (you’ll never guess what #2 is!)🍔
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