# Centerville, Ohio

Centerville is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States. A core suburb of Metro Dayton, its population was 24,240 as of the 2020 census.

## Geography

Although the city is located primarily in Montgomery County, a small portion is located in Greene County.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.85 square miles (28.10 km$^2$), of which 10.78 square miles (27.92 km$^2$) is land and 0.07 square miles (0.18 km$^2$) is water.
Centerville and Washington Township voted November 5, 2008, on whether to create a merger commission. The proposed merger commission succeeded in the city but failed in the township.

## History

In 1796, American explorer Benjamin Robbins founded Centerville, Ohio, naming it after his hometown of Centreville, New Jersey, due to its location between two rivers and its proximity to several other communities. Robbins and two of his brothers chose land in Centerville, with Robbins selecting 160 acres northwest of the town center because of the abundance of springs. During settlement, settlers discovered limestone in Centerville, leading to the replacement of many log cabins with more durable limestone structures. On April 6, 1797, Robbins's family arrived in Centerville from Dry Ridge, Kentucky after ten days of constructing a wagon road, and began assembling houses. Robbins established a log cabin for his family, but during occupancy, the roof was blown away during a storm. Robbins's son, Sam, became the city's first mayor. By 1820, Robbins added a second floor to the house and replaced the base with limestone. In 1803, one-room schoolhouses were established in Centerville, offering education from grades 1 to 6. Benjamin Robbins died on June 3, 1837, and was buried at the Sugar Creek Baptist Cemetery.
In 1900, the U.S. Post Office changed the spelling of the town’s name from Centreville to Centerville. On December 2, 1968, Centerville became a city. In 1973, Centerville High School was established.

## Demographics
### 2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 23,999 people, 10,693 households, and 6,694 families living in the city. The population density was 2,226.3 inhabitants per square mile (859.6/km$^2$). There were 11,421 housing units at an average density of 1,059.5 per square mile (409.1/km$^2$). The racial makeup of the city was 90.2% White, 4.0% African American, 0.2% Native American, 3.2% Asian, 0.4% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.8% of the population.
There were 10,693 households, of which 25.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.3% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.4% were non-families. 32.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.78.
The median age in the city was 46.9 years. 20.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20.8% were from 25 to 44; 28.4% were from 45 to 64; and 24.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.2% male and 53.8% female.

### 2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 23,024 people, 9,996 households, and 6,597 families living in the city. The population density was 2,257.2 inhabitants per square mile (871.5/km$^2$). There were 10,422 housing units at an average density of 1,021.7 per square mile (394.5/km$^2$). The racial makeup of the city was 92.33% White, 2.94% African American, 0.13% Native American, 3.17% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.26% from other races, and 1.10% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.18% of the population.
There were 9,996 households, out of which 26.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.0% were married couples living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.0% were non-families. 30.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.82.
In the city the population was spread out, with 21.6% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 27.5% from 45 to 64, and 18.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $54,892, and the median income for a family was $68,580. Males had a median income of $52,331 versus $34,881 for females. The per capita income for the city was $30,210. About 3.4% of families and 4.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.4% of those under age 18 and 3.6% of those age 65 or over.

## Arts and culture

Centerville has the largest collection of early stone houses in the state of Ohio. Many are listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
The Town Hall Theatre is located in downtown Centerville.
The Heart of Centerville features a selection of boutiques, restaurants and businesses in a historic setting which includes Ohio's largest collection of early stone buildings.

## Education

Centerville Public Schools are part of the Centerville City School District. The district has a preschool which is located in each of the two elementary schools teaching kindergarten to first grade. The district also has six elementary schools teaching second through fifth grade, three middle schools teaching sixth through eight grade, as well as one high school and an alternative high school.
The other public schools in this district include:
* Centerville Primary Village North
* Centerville Primary Village South (2007)
* Normandy Elementary School (1963)
* Stingley Elementary School
* Driscoll Elementary School
* Weller Elementary
* W.O. Cline Elementary School (1955)
* John Hole Elementary School
* C.W. Magsig Middle School (1924)
* Hadley E. Watts Middle School (1969)
* Tower Heights Middle School
* Centerville School of Possibilities
* Centerville High School (1973)
There is also one Catholic K-8 School and a Seventh-day Adventist Pre-12 Preparatory School serving the city.
Washington-Centerville Public Library offers residents access to more than 380,000 books, audios, movies, and music as well as educational programs, community services, and research assistance for youth and adults.

## Notable people

* Hannah Beachler, Academy Award winner for production design
* Michael Bennett, NFL defensive tackle for the Jacksonville Jaguars
* Erma Bombeck, essayist
* Stevie Brock, singer
* Phil Donahue, talk show host
* Nancy Dutiel, fashion and beauty model (Lancôme)
* Claire Falknor, professional soccer player for the Houston Dash
* Eric Fanning, was appointed 22nd Secretary of the Army by President Obama on May 18, 2016
* Andy Harmon, former Philadelphia Eagles player
* A. J. Hawk, former NFL linebacker for the Green Bay Packers, Atlanta Falcons, and Cincinnati Bengals
* Kirk Herbstreit, played quarterback at Ohio State before becoming a sports analyst on the ESPN program College Gameday
* Will Johnson, NFL fullback
* Ben Judd, video game agent and producer
* Pat Kilbane, comic actor, singer
* Nate Leaman, American ice hockey coach
* Holley Mangold, Olympic weightlifter and female football player
* Nick Mangold, former offensive lineman for the New York Jets
* Sean Murphy, baseball catcher for the Atlanta Braves
* Mike Nugent, played football for Ohio State University, and the New York Jets and Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League
* Ifeadi Odenigbo, Current defensive end for the Cleveland Browns
* Chip Reese, poker player
* Joe Thuney, Current offensive guard for the Chicago Bears
* Mike Tolbert, American football player

## Sister cities

Centerville has two sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International:
* Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
* Bad Zwischenahn, Lower Saxony, Germany