64
Classified Level 3 — High — the highest-risk designation in Ohio registry records
1,951
Listed as absconders — whereabouts currently unverified by the registry
1
Registered within the last 90 days
1,090
Ohio cities & towns with at least one registered offender
94.7
Per 10,000 residents in Dayton — highest rate of the major cities (3.9× the state average)
0%
Ohio's rate vs. the national average of ~24 per 10,000
City breakdown

Sex offenders by city in Ohio

Registered sex offender counts for the 12 largest cities in Ohio, with each city's rate per 10,000 residents. Raw counts track population — the per-capita column is the fair comparison, and the spread is dramatic: Dayton's rate is 5× Parma's. Click a city for its full breakdown, or a column header to sort.

Key facts
  • Cleveland has 43% more registered offenders than Columbus, despite having 2.4× fewer residents.
  • Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati account for 54% of the registered offenders across the 12 cities tracked.
  • Adjusted for population, living in Dayton means 5× more registered offenders per resident than Parma.
  • Registered sex offenders live in 1,090 different Ohio cities and towns — no community is exempt.
#CityRegistered offendersPopulationPer 10,000 residents
1 Cleveland
2,945
372,626 79.0
2 Columbus
2,055
906,022 22.7
3 Cincinnati
1,568
309,561 50.7
4 Dayton
1,304
137,677 94.7
5 Akron
1,277
190,408 67.1
6 Toledo
1,157
270,877 42.7
7 Canton
515
70,743 72.8
8 Youngstown
486
60,047 80.9
9 Lorain
341
65,218 52.3
10 Hamilton
243
63,393 38.3
11 Springfield
222
58,644 37.9
12 Parma
144
81,121 17.8

Counts as of July 2026, compiled from official registry records. City populations from the 2020 U.S. Census. red = 1.5× the state rate or more · green = well below the state rate.

City-by-city breakdowns

Every Ohio city we track has its own page with neighborhood-level numbers, risk levels, and recent registrations:

Every Ohio municipality with registered offenders (top 60 shown)
Cleveland 2,945Columbus 2,055Cincinnati 1,568Dayton 1,304Akron 1,277Toledo 1,157Mansfield 868Canton 515Youngstown 486Lima 344Lorain 341Hamilton 243Springfield 222Elyria 220Chillicothe 209Middletown 207Newark 207Massillon 162Lancaster 155Marion 154Euclid 150Zanesville 147Alliance 147Parma 144Warren 142Sidney 138Defiance 136Barberton 134Sandusky 128Wooster 120Ashtabula 116Medina 115Piqua 113Lebanon 113Marietta 105Fairfield 104Findlay 101East Cleveland 93Millersburg 90Garfield Heights 90Urbana 88Ashland 84West Chester 79Maple Heights 77Bellefontaine 77Hillsboro 76Greenville 76Tiffin 75East Liverpool 74Delaware 73Troy 71Fremont 71Ravenna 70Westerville 69Miamisburg 66Cleveland Heights 64Cambridge 64Mount Vernon 64Van Wert 63Portsmouth 63
The rules in Ohio

Ohio sex offender laws & risk levels

Tier I–III registration. Ohio was the first state to adopt the federal Adam Walsh Act tiers: Tier I (15 years), Tier II (25 years), Tier III (lifetime with 90-day verification). County sheriffs maintain eSORN; Tier III and many Tier II records appear in public searches while some Tier I records are disclosed more narrowly.

1,000-foot school rule. Ohio bars registrants from establishing a residence within 1,000 feet of a school (with childcare and preschool included in many cases); enforcement details have been shaped by court rulings on retroactivity.

Registration & verification. Registrants must keep their address, employment, and schooling current with the registry, and verify in person on a recurring schedule — more frequently for higher-risk or higher-tier registrants. Failure to register or verify is itself a crime and commonly appears as a listed offense on registry records.

Current risk-level breakdown in Ohio:

Tier II Sex Offender
5,867
Tier I Sex Offender
3,575
(Pre AWA) Sexual Predator
3,257
Tier III Sex Offender
2,626
Other
1,088
Common questions

Ohio sex offender registry FAQ

How many registered sex offenders live in Ohio?

As of July 2026, there are 28,399 registered sex offenders in Ohio — about 24.1 for every 10,000 residents, right at the national average. Counts change as offenders register, move, or are removed from the registry.

Which city in Ohio has the most sex offenders?

Cleveland has the most registered sex offenders in Ohio with 2,945. Raw counts track population, so the fairer comparison is per capita: adjusted for population, Dayton has the highest rate among major cities at 94.7 per 10,000 residents, while Parma has the lowest at 17.8.

How do I find sex offenders near my address in Ohio?

Use the free Predator Map app to search any Ohio address and see registered offenders around it on a map, with photos and offense details from official registry records. You can also search the official Ohio eSORN Sex Offender Registry (Attorney General) website directly.

Why is this number different from the official Ohio registry website?

Public registry websites only show what the state chooses to publish. Ohio's public searches emphasize Tier II and Tier III offenders; some Tier I records are only disclosed to those who request notification. Statistics on this page are compiled from aggregated official registry records, so they can differ from — and often exceed — what a manual search of the public site returns.

Does Ohio restrict where sex offenders can live?

1,000-foot school rule. Ohio bars registrants from establishing a residence within 1,000 feet of a school (with childcare and preschool included in many cases); enforcement details have been shaped by court rulings on retroactivity. Address-level monitoring matters more than assumptions about "safe" neighborhoods.

What do Ohio's tiers mean?

Ohio assigns Tier I (15-year registration, annual verification), Tier II (25-year, semi-annual), and Tier III (lifetime, every 90 days) based on the offense of conviction. There are currently 64 registrants at the highest classification in Ohio.

How current is this data?

Statistics on this page are compiled from official state registry records and refreshed monthly. This page was last updated in July 2026. Always verify individual records with the official state registry.

Can I get alerts when a sex offender moves near me in Ohio?

Yes. Predator Map Pro monitors up to 5 addresses daily and sends push and email alerts when a registered offender moves in nearby, a new offender registers, or someone moves away.

Is it legal to look up sex offenders near me?

Yes. Registry information is public record under federal and state law (Megan's Law), and anyone may search it to protect themselves and their family. What the law prohibits is using registry information to harass, threaten, or commit a crime against a registrant — misuse can be prosecuted.

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Methodology: Statistics are compiled from aggregated official state registry records and refreshed monthly. City figures count the city listed on each registry record. Per-capita rates use 2020 U.S. Census populations. Aggregated counts can exceed what public registry websites display because some classification levels are excluded from public searches. Figures are estimates and change daily as registries update — always verify individual records with the official state registry.