You’ve seen these lists before. Best places to live in Ohio. Best suburbs in Ohio. Best counties in Ohio.
Etc., etc., etc.
But they all focus on major cities and towns in the Buckeye State, and no one pays attention to the little guy.
Well, that’s all about to change as we put together a list of the superb small towns in Ohio based on numbers–not opinions or hearsay.
We’ll dive right into our methodology in the next section, but first, we thought you might want to know which places in Ohio ranked the best based on Saturday Night Science.
$152,273 median income · 1.9% unemployment
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$115,653 median income · 0.0% unemployment
$125,729 median income · 1.4% unemployment
$88,000 median income · 1.2% unemployment
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$99,672 median income · 3.0% unemployment
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$68,009 median income · 0.5% unemployment
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$231,538 median income · 1.9% unemployment
$167,917 median income · 5.7% unemployment
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$139,934 median income · 1.4% unemployment
$79,318 median income · 1.4% unemployment
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Ohio’s statewide median.
Ohio statewide median: $71,389
Ohio statewide median: $242,141
Ohio statewide median: 4.8%
On the map
Where Ohio’s best small towns are
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How We Determined The Coolest Towns In Ohio
We threw a lot of criteria at this report to get the best, most complete results of the best small towns in Ohio possible.
Using the most recent data from the Census’s 2020-2024 American Community Survey, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Saturday Night Science, this is the criteria we used:
- Population Density (Higher is better)
- Lowest Unemployment Rates
- Housing costs (Higher is better. More demand.)
- Adjusted Median Income (Higher is better)
- Highly Educated Adults (Higher is better)
- Insurance Rates (Higher is better)
- Commute Times (Lower is better)
We looked at places with populations lower than 5,000 people and greater than 1,000, of which there were many – 375 to be exact.
We then ranked each place in each category with scores from 1 to 375, averaged them out, and the lowest scores went to our Best Small Towns in Ohio. Top of that list — Mariemont.
This is our eleventh time ranking the best small places to live in Ohio.
The full plate
Best Small Towns In Ohio
Click any column to sort. Search by town name.
| Rank | Town | Population | Median Income | Median Home Value | Unemployment Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mariemont | 3,474 | $152,273 | $684,940 | 1.9% |
| 2 | St. Henry | 2,741 | $115,653 | $370,750 | 0.0% |
| 3 | Sherwood | 3,808 | $125,729 | $344,159 | 1.4% |
| 4 | Minster | 3,182 | $88,000 | $324,834 | 1.2% |
| 5 | Chagrin Falls | 4,201 | $99,672 | $493,592 | 3.0% |
| 6 | Coldwater | 4,191 | $68,009 | $282,880 | 0.5% |
| 7 | Coldstream | 1,540 | $231,538 | $957,743 | 1.9% |
| 8 | Ottawa Hills | 4,798 | $167,917 | $401,865 | 5.7% |
| 9 | Silver Lake | 2,515 | $139,934 | $359,405 | 1.4% |
| 10 | Dillonvale | 3,514 | $79,318 | $279,099 | 1.4% |
| 11 | Sixteen Mile Stand | 3,666 | $126,118 | $701,736 | 1.9% |
| 12 | New Bremen | 2,787 | $82,019 | $300,022 | 0.0% |
| 13 | Terrace Park | 2,295 | $197,750 | $769,547 | 3.9% |
| 14 | Wetherington | 1,138 | $167,625 | $688,998 | 0.0% |
| 15 | Fort Loramie | 1,467 | $93,750 | $334,079 | 2.2% |
| 16 | Granville South | 1,146 | $131,307 | $410,896 | 0.0% |
| 17 | Amberley | 3,826 | $154,688 | $588,030 | 5.5% |
| 18 | Minerva Park | 2,446 | $130,878 | $359,348 | 3.2% |
| 19 | Plain City | 3,829 | $117,972 | $537,522 | 2.7% |
| 20 | New California | 1,672 | $161,908 | $523,625 | 1.1% |
| 21 | Choctaw Lake | 1,985 | $141,500 | $427,844 | 1.4% |
| 22 | Fort Recovery | 1,729 | $66,563 | $339,225 | 1.4% |
| 23 | Huber Ridge | 4,111 | $97,039 | $291,786 | 2.8% |
| 24 | South Russell | 3,956 | $171,875 | $487,890 | 2.0% |
| 25 | Turpin Hills | 4,875 | $141,346 | $529,183 | 3.4% |
| 26 | Gambier | 2,126 | $93,365 | $364,104 | 4.2% |
| 27 | Ne | 2,685 | $99,434 | $452,493 | 2.1% |
| 28 | Doyle | 3,048 | $79,181 | $302,677 | 3.3% |
| 29 | Evendale | 2,651 | $148,500 | $500,459 | 2.1% |
| 30 | Moreland Hills | 3,456 | $185,592 | $731,145 | 2.7% |
| 31 | Loveland Park | 1,700 | $118,636 | $288,247 | 2.1% |
| 32 | Five Points | 2,031 | $144,293 | $580,891 | 4.4% |
| 33 | Gates Mills | 2,207 | $231,250 | $758,245 | 3.1% |
| 34 | Greentown | 2,993 | $114,355 | $379,332 | 3.3% |
| 35 | Kings Mills | 1,175 | $139,643 | $415,308 | 2.0% |
| 36 | Fairfax | 1,566 | $75,000 | $260,442 | 3.3% |
| 37 | Bratenahl | 1,452 | $137,500 | $342,776 | 0.8% |
| 38 | Versailles | 2,715 | $70,717 | $289,960 | 0.3% |
| 39 | Fruit Hill | 4,200 | $107,254 | $305,833 | 4.0% |
| 40 | Lake Darby | 4,608 | $97,404 | $306,109 | 2.0% |
| 41 | Milan | 1,774 | $97,973 | $278,241 | 1.5% |
| 42 | Glandorf | 1,162 | $110,580 | $304,113 | 1.6% |
| 43 | Elmore | 1,643 | $84,554 | $219,323 | 0.0% |
| 44 | Brooklyn Heights | 1,501 | $96,786 | $261,235 | 2.4% |
| 45 | Glendale | 1,974 | $111,932 | $405,205 | 5.1% |
| 46 | Elida | 2,163 | $81,083 | $242,668 | 5.1% |
| 47 | Cherry Grove | 4,176 | $117,994 | $338,427 | 3.6% |
| 48 | New Baltimore | 1,585 | $158,750 | $395,565 | 0.0% |
| 49 | Kalida | 1,526 | $87,500 | $221,061 | 0.0% |
| 50 | Hunter | 3,551 | $127,411 | $263,896 | 4.2% |
| 51 | Mogadore | 3,806 | $82,557 | $257,496 | 1.1% |
| 52 | Holland | 1,438 | $64,868 | $286,668 | 2.1% |
| 53 | Boston Heights | 1,381 | $121,250 | $532,338 | 4.2% |
| 54 | Taylor Creek | 4,253 | $99,323 | $376,514 | 2.2% |
| 55 | Ostrander | 1,008 | $159,375 | $496,010 | 2.5% |
| 56 | Beechwood Trails | 3,133 | $110,887 | $393,423 | 0.0% |
| 57 | Mayfield | 3,321 | $125,962 | $351,601 | 8.8% |
| 58 | Sheffield | 4,380 | $107,837 | $286,293 | 2.8% |
| 59 | Munroe Falls | 5,000 | $81,214 | $274,601 | 3.7% |
| 60 | Whitehouse | 4,642 | $93,229 | $377,851 | 1.7% |
| 61 | Commercial Point | 3,141 | $107,868 | $418,264 | 1.3% |
| 62 | Mount Repose | 3,798 | $102,031 | $285,767 | 4.4% |
| 63 | Hartville | 3,377 | $69,648 | $291,821 | 0.6% |
| 64 | Thornville | 1,818 | $102,237 | $347,359 | 1.1% |
| 65 | Yellow Springs | 3,711 | $85,982 | $375,220 | 6.0% |
| 66 | Pleasant Run Farm | 4,524 | $73,725 | $279,773 | 0.7% |
| 67 | Devola | 2,688 | $99,702 | $265,814 | 5.6% |
| 68 | Westfield Center | 1,211 | $109,625 | $398,496 | 5.0% |
| 69 | Columbus Grove | 1,532 | $68,750 | $236,634 | 3.2% |
| 70 | Smithville | 1,330 | $71,944 | $255,833 | 1.8% |
| 71 | Etna | 1,440 | $114,365 | $299,971 | 0.0% |
| 72 | Bluffton | 3,859 | $75,694 | $271,174 | 9.3% |
| 73 | Richfield | 3,721 | $82,560 | $487,652 | 3.8% |
| 74 | Waynesville | 2,777 | $79,048 | $468,322 | 2.6% |
| 75 | Haskins | 1,291 | $108,828 | $287,658 | 4.3% |
| 76 | Orange | 3,485 | $170,063 | $551,009 | 4.1% |
| 77 | Ottawa | 4,441 | $69,950 | $278,917 | 1.7% |
| 78 | Arlington | 1,675 | $77,450 | $233,537 | 2.8% |
| 79 | Four Bridges | 3,417 | $121,764 | $664,536 | 4.2% |
| 80 | St. Bernard | 3,983 | $67,083 | $205,774 | 3.2% |
| 81 | Carey | 3,622 | $75,069 | $181,602 | 1.0% |
| 82 | Ashville | 4,648 | $66,522 | $358,546 | 5.1% |
| 83 | LaGrange | 2,800 | $94,922 | $297,942 | 3.0% |
| 84 | West Liberty | 1,494 | $52,031 | $305,362 | 2.1% |
| 85 | North Zanesville | 2,758 | $83,904 | $279,567 | 4.6% |
| 86 | Pleasant Hill | 1,526 | $72,330 | $245,429 | 4.2% |
| 87 | Greenhills | 3,702 | $70,250 | $228,658 | 2.5% |
| 88 | Poland | 2,357 | $92,417 | $249,082 | 3.9% |
| 89 | Silverton | 4,860 | $72,143 | $258,351 | 2.5% |
| 90 | Blue Jay | 1,797 | $117,859 | $273,367 | 0.0% |
| 91 | Walton Hills | 2,010 | $106,055 | $321,532 | 4.1% |
| 92 | Berlin | 1,232 | $82,589 | $358,139 | 0.0% |
| 93 | Mount Carmel | 4,890 | $70,000 | $274,571 | 1.7% |
| 94 | Anna | 1,699 | $80,788 | $324,393 | 10.5% |
| 95 | Valley View | 1,925 | $110,125 | $338,936 | 8.9% |
| 96 | Hiram | 1,201 | $75,313 | $330,336 | 5.5% |
| 97 | Pandora | 1,603 | $64,942 | $230,302 | 1.8% |
| 98 | West Alexandria | 1,340 | $59,973 | $232,015 | 1.1% |
| 99 | Shawnee Hills | 2,534 | $108,750 | $454,000 | 10.7% |
| 100 | Enon | 2,587 | $96,912 | $241,006 | 5.3% |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024 via Saturday Night Science. 375 Ohio towns between 1,000 and 5,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: Science Can Tackle Any Issue, Even Small Ones
We said it once, and we’ll say it again — this list: it’s just science. We did the research, crunched the numbers, and it turns out these small towns in Ohio are the best in which to live.
And who can argue with that?
The best small towns in Ohio are Mariemont, St. Henry, Sherwood, Minster, Chagrin Falls, Coldwater, Coldstream, Ottawa Hills, Silver Lake, and Dillonvale. Not sold on Ohio? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Best Small Towns In Ohio FAQs
What is the best small town to live in Ohio?
Mariemont is the best small town in Ohio for 2026. The median household income there is $152,273 and the median home costs $684,940. St. Henry and Sherwood round out the top three.
What are the best small towns in Ohio?
The best small towns in Ohio are Mariemont, St. Henry, Sherwood, Minster, Chagrin Falls, Coldwater, Coldstream, Ottawa Hills, Silver Lake, and Dillonvale. We ranked all 375 Ohio towns with between 1,000 and 5,000 residents.
What counts as a small town?
For this ranking, a small town is any Ohio place with between 1,000 and 5,000 residents. 375 towns fit that window this year.
How do you rank the best small towns in Ohio?
Each town is scored on density, unemployment, housing costs, income, education, insurance coverage, and commute times, using Census American Community Survey data. The town with the best average across all of it, Mariemont, takes the top spot.
How much does a home cost in Mariemont?
The median home in Mariemont runs $684,940, against $242,141 across Ohio as a whole. Pair that with a $152,273 median household income, and you can see why it ranks so well.
