[4] Pike County was organized on February 1, 1815, from portions of Scioto, Ross, and Adams Counties, and was named in honor of Zebulon Pike, the explorer and soldier who had recently been killed in the War of 1812.

[6] As of the census[11] of 2000, there were 27,695 people, 10,444 households, and 7,665 families living in the county.

22.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 28,709 people, 11,012 households, and 7,743 families living in the county.

[12] In terms of ancestry, 19.3% were German, 14.8% were Irish, 12.9% were English, and 12.5% were American.

[15] The Garnet A. Wilson Public Library serves area communities from its main branch in Waverly, Ohio and from its branches in Beaver, Piketon, and Western Pike County.

It bears fourteen stars, representing the county's townships, and various industry symbols within a circular emblem, all upon a green field.

However, things have changed recently; Bill Clinton in 1996 was the last Democrat to win the county, though Barack Obama lost here by only one vote in 2012.