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Ohio · Northeast Ohio · #184 Most Populous County in the US
Stark County, Ohio
Northeast Ohio's football and manufacturing heritage county - from Canton's Pro Football Hall of Fame and Massillon's legendary Tiger football tradition to the Hoover vacuum company history of North Canton and Jackson Township's rapidly growing suburban communities. Property tax, courts, public records, and senior services for Stark County residents.
Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
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Stark County's assessment ratio means effective tax rates are low — but incorrect appraisals still cost money. Ownwell manages the appeal with no upfront cost.
Office: Stark County Emergency Management Agency – 4500 Atlantic Blvd NE, Lower Level, Canton, OH 44705 | (330) 451-3900 | Emergency 24/7: (330) 451-3911 | Fax: (330) 451-3934 | Hours: Mon-Fri 8 AM-4 PM; Director Tim Warstler; also handles LEPC coordination and 24/7 hazmat spill reporting.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: I-77 and US-30/62 serve Canton, the county seat, roughly 50 miles south of Cleveland
Transit: No dedicated county-wide public transit system was found in this search – confirm directly with the county or your city
Notes: Canton is accessible via clearly marked exits directly off I-77.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Stark County Building Inspection Department – 7235 Whipple Ave NW, Suite A, Canton, OH 44720 | (330) 451-1770.
Notes: Canton is genuinely, nationally the permanent home of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, one of the most-visited museums in the United States. The Hall’s location traces directly to Stark County’s foundational role in professional football history: the American Professional Football Association – later renamed the National Football League – was founded in Canton on September 17, 1920, and the Canton Bulldogs (with Jim Thorpe, pro football’s first major star, joining in 1915) became the NFL’s first two-time champions (1922-23). Canton citizens campaigned in the early 1960s to secure the Hall for their city; it opened September 7, 1963. The Hall now hosts the annual Enshrinement Week, NFL Hall of Fame Game, and Enshrinement Ceremony each summer, drawing legends and fans from across the country. Stark County is also the birthplace of President William McKinley, the 25th U.S. President, honored at the McKinley Presidential Library & Museum in Canton.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Veterans Service Commission of Stark County – 2955 Wise Ave. NW, Canton, OH 44708 | (330) 451-7457 | Fax: (330) 451-7469 | Hours: Mon-Fri 8 AM-12 PM & 1-4 PM; founded 1886, over 130 years of service; provides free VA benefits assistance, financial support, and medical transportation; Board meets 3rd Tuesday of the month at 1 PM.
Vet Center: Stark County Vet Center – 601 Cleveland Avenue NW, Suite C, Canton, OH 44702 | (330) 454-3120; confidential no-cost counseling for veterans and families.
State: Ohio Department of Veterans Services – dvs.ohio.gov
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Stark Library (Stark County District Library) – Main Library, 715 Market Ave. N, Canton, OH 44702 | (330) 452-0665; dating to 1938; multiple branches including DeHoff Memorial, East Canton, Jackson Community (Massillon), Lake Community (Uniontown), and Madge Youtz.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Pro Football Hall of Fame and the McKinley Presidential Library & Museum are the county’s premier, nationally significant attractions.
Notes: The genuine Pro Football Hall of Fame heritage is one of the most nationally recognizable facts covered anywhere in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Stark County Auditor – 110 Central Plaza South, Suite 220, Canton, OH 44702 | (330) 451-7357.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Stark County Dog Warden – 1801 Mahoning Road NE, Canton, OH 44705 | (330) 451-2343.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Stark-Tusc-Wayne Joint Solid Waste Management District – confirm current contact via starkcountyohio.gov.
NOTES: Stark County is the sixth county in this batch (Ross, Sandusky, Scioto, Seneca, Shelby, Stark, Summit) of the Ohio v2 redo. The genuine Pro Football Hall of Fame heritage is one of the most nationally recognizable facts covered anywhere in this project. All contact information above was sourced via web search as of early August 2026 and should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit, deadline-sensitive filing, or emergency-adjacent decision.
About Stark County
Stark County is Ohio’s eighth most populous county and the 184th most populous in the United States, covering 576 square miles of northeastern Ohio’s Tuscarawas River valley and surrounding uplands.
Canton (population ~70,000, the county seat) is most famous as the home of the Pro Football Hall of Fame – the national shrine of American professional football, housing exhibits on every inducted player and coach since the Hall’s founding in 1963. Canton’s selection as the Hall’s home reflects the city’s role in the NFL’s founding: the American Professional Football Association (which became the NFL) was organized in Canton in 1920. The McKinley Presidential Library & Museum honors President William McKinley, who was from Canton, and includes the McKinley National Memorial – a domed granite mausoleum on a hill overlooking the city.
Massillon (population ~33,000) is Canton’s sister city to the west – home to one of the most storied high school football programs in America. The Massillon Washington Tigers have won more Ohio state football championships than any other program and produced more NFL players per capita than virtually any other school. The tradition – including an annual rivalry game with McKinley High in Canton – is one of the most intense in American high school athletics.
North Canton (population ~17,000) is the suburban community developed around the Hoover Company’s vacuum cleaner manufacturing operations – Hoover defined North Canton’s identity for over a century before its decline. The community has reinvented itself as an affluent suburb with strong schools and growing commercial development.
Jackson Township is Stark County’s fastest-growing unincorporated community – a large, upscale suburban township with significant retail, healthcare, and residential development along Fulton Drive NW and Interstate 77. Aultman Hospital and Mercy Medical Center provide the county’s two major healthcare systems.
Alliance (population ~21,000) in the county’s eastern tier is home to Mount Union University (a Division III football powerhouse that has won more national championships than any other division III program in NCAA history).
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Ohio appraises at 100% of true value, assessed at 35% of appraised value. Full reappraisals every six years with triennial updates.
The appeal process: File a complaint with the Stark County Board of Revision at 110 Central Plaza South, Suite 220, Canton, OH 44702, phone 330-451-7357. Filing window: January 1 through April 1. School districts may also file reverse appeals.
Ohio homestead exemption: $25,000 assessed value reduction for qualifying seniors (65+) and permanently disabled homeowners.
No OH estate or inheritance tax since 2013.
OWNWELL CTA: Stark County Board of Revision: January 1–April 1. Jackson Township and North Canton steady appreciation. No OH estate or inheritance tax. Ownwell manages the appeal with no upfront cost.
Recommended
Stark County Board of Revision: January 1–April 1. Jackson Township and North Canton steady appreciation. No OH estate or inheritance tax. Ownwell manages the appeal with no upfront cost.
Courts & Legal
Courts & Legal
Probate Court: The Stark County Probate Court at 110 Central Plaza South, Suite 500, Canton, OH 44702, phone 330-451-7751, handles wills, estate administration, guardianships, and trusts.
Common Pleas Court: The Stark County Common Pleas Court handles major civil and criminal matters.
Recorder: The Stark County Recorder at 110 Central Plaza South, Suite 250, Canton, phone 330-451-7443, maintains real property records. Land records searchable online.
Senior Services
The Stark County Area Agency on Aging at 400 Tuscarawas Street West, Canton, OH 44702, phone 330-580-9000, serves the county’s senior population with in-home services, caregiver support, nutrition programs, and transportation. Aultman Hospital and Mercy Medical Center provide significant geriatric care.
Recommended
Assisted living, memory care, and independent living across Stark County - from Canton and Massillon to North Canton, Jackson Township, and Alliance.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
PROBATE COURT
110 Central Plaza South, Canton, OH 44702
(330) 451-7860
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Stark County Probate Court, Canton (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
The William McKinley Presidential Library & Museum in Canton holds significant regional historical collections.
Local societies
No dedicated Stark County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Stark County Probate Court 110 Central Plaza South, Suite 501, Canton, OH 44702 (330) 451-7755 Stark County is in northeastern Ohio, seated in Canton – one of Ohio’s more populous counties.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Ohio has not adopted the Uniform Probate Code, but has incorporated some streamlined concepts into its own system under Title 21 of the Ohio Revised Code (ORC Chapters 2101-2131).
Summary Release from Administration (ORC § 2113.03) – available for very small estates valued at $5,000 or less. Lets the court release assets quickly, often to cover funeral expenses and support the surviving family, without a fiduciary being appointed.
Release from Administration (ORC § 2113.03) – Ohio’s broader small-estate shortcut. Available when the gross probate estate is $35,000 or less, OR up to $100,000 if the entire estate passes to a surviving spouse (by will or by Ohio’s intestacy law). No executor/administrator is appointed; the court releases the estate directly to the person(s) entitled to it.
Full Estate Administration – required when the estate exceeds these thresholds or the situation is otherwise contested or complex. The court appoints a fiduciary (Ohio’s term for executor/administrator), issues a Certificate of Appointment once any will is admitted, and the fiduciary inventories assets, publishes notice to creditors, pays debts, and distributes what remains under ongoing court supervision.
Step 2: filing for administration
File the will (if any) and an application with the Probate Court in the county where the decedent resided.
If pursuing Release from Administration or Summary Release, complete the applicable court forms (Form 5.0 for standard Release, Form 5.10 for Summary Release) along with a complete asset inventory and supporting documents.
For full administration, the court issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration to the appointed fiduciary.
The fiduciary publishes notice to creditors; claims generally must be presented within 6 months of the date of death.
The fiduciary inventories and manages estate assets, pays valid debts and expenses, and distributes what remains according to the will or Ohio’s intestacy law, reporting to the court along the way.
The estate is closed once a final account is filed and approved by the court.
What it costs
Filing fees vary by county – check with Stark County directly for current fees.
No state estate tax, no state inheritance tax (repealed effective January 1, 2013). Only the federal estate tax could apply, and only to very large estates ($15,000,000 per individual as of 2026).
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
PROBATE COURT
110 Central Plaza South, Canton, OH 44702
(330) 451-7860
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
4500 Atlantic Blvd NE, Canton, OH 44705
(330) 430-3800
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
BOARD OF ELECTIONS
3525 Regent Ave NE, Canton, OH 44705
(330) 452-3901
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Canton City Public Health
420 Market Ave South, Canton, OH 44702
(330) 489-3231
Job and Family Services
402 2nd St SE, Canton, OH 44702
(330) 451-8663
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Stark County Health Department – 7235 Whipple Ave NW, Suite B, North Canton, OH 44720 | (330) 493-9904.
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Recommended for Ohio
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