Negotiating pay when I have been out of work after 18 years as an HR coordinator

A recruiter asked for my salary expectations on a first call as I look for work as an HR coordinator. Thank you in advance. I looked up ranges in Cincinnati and they vary a lot. Does giving a range hurt?

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it last year, and it settled down once I kept a simple log of every call and form.