Bell Covered Bridge · National Register of Historic Places
Barlow Township’s story
197 years in pictures
The archive holds 4 maps from 1904 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1829Barlow Township is settled
Barlow TownshipOH
5 bordering townsMap →
Bell Covered Bridge · Photo: JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ MD · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
2,521
2025 Census estimate · −2.4% since 2020
Median home value
$246K
Census ACS
Household income
$80K
median
Median age
36.2
years
Jobs based here
526
A commuter town
TownGrade
C+
#682 of 987 in OH
Is Barlow Township a good place to live?
Barlow Township gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $246K, 3.9 years of the Marietta area’s $64K median household income. It grades C+ overall, ranked 682nd of 987 in Ohio. The low prices come with trade-offs. The median household income is $80K, and 9% of residents live below the poverty line. On the plus side, natural-hazard risk is low. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 96% of U.S. towns. Only 1 of the 954 Ohio towns we compare have a lower median rent than Barlow Township. Bell Covered Bridge is on the National Register of Historic Places.
What makes Barlow Township stand out
Where Barlow Township beats most towns.
Natural hazardsA
Very low risk of storm and flood damage
FEMA National Risk Index.
Warren Local schools
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Warren Elementary School | K–4 | 779 |
| Warren Middle School | 4–8 | 650 |
| Warren High School | 9–12 | 565 |
SchoolsB+
On state tests and graduation
NCES · EDFacts.
Bell Covered BridgeHistory
Settled in 1829
1 place on the National Register
A history going back 197 years.
A commuter town
94% of working residents leave Barlow Township for work
Where Barlow Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
526jobs based in Barlow Township
6%of working residents work in town
12 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Barlow Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Ohio), ordered by how far Barlow Township is from typical.
Its grades run from A for hazard risk (better than 91% of comparable towns) to D− for walkability (better than 4%), so the C+ overall blends very different results.
WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.4 of 20; 0% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitD−Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 13% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listAOpen →Jobs & incomeC−Open →Cost of livingA−Open →HealthMarietta Memorial Hospital 9.6 miles awayCOpen →SchoolsB+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors0% conserved landDOpen →History1 place on the National RegisterB+Open →Civic life4.5 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsA−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Barlow Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Barlow Township, and how to reach them.
PowerAEP Ohio19.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterLittle Hocking Water Association, Inc.No health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers84% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Barlow Township’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Ohio you can register online until 30 days before Election Day, in person until 30 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 30 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereDirector, Washington County Board of ElectionsWashington County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2019
ZIP codes45784, 45729, 4571445784 63% · 45729 32% · 45714 5%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Barlow Township.
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A
Very low risk in Barlow Township, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 87% of U.S. communities.
13risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHeat wavesDrought
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
SchoolsB+
Barlow Township’s schools rank ahead of 72% of Ohio districts
Its public schools are run by the Warren Local school district. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Warren High School, with 565 students.
72%of OH districts it outscoresB+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warren Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–4 | Grades K–4 | 779 | B+ |
| Warren High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 565 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OH on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
With 0.5 jobs for every working resident, most of Barlow Township’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Barlow Township for work: only 6% work in town. Jobs based in Barlow Township grew to 526 in 2023, 34 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Marietta (15%), Parkersburg (10%) and Belpre (5%).
6%work in town
| Barlow Township | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 6.1% | 6.9% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Barlow Township6%
Marietta15%
Parkersburg10%
Belpre5%
Warren Township4%
12 mi
median commute distance
526
jobs based in Barlow Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
D−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 4% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthC
Residents of Barlow Township are less healthy than 75% of U.S. towns
Barlow Township beats the Ohio average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 6. 45% of Barlow Township adults have obesity, above both Ohio’s towns (38%) and U.S. towns (35%). 41% of Barlow Township adults have high blood pressure.
25%healthier than U.S. townsCHealth Grade
| Barlow Township | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 45% | 38% | 35% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 38% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 34% | 33% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 16% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Ohio
0 better26 too close to call6 worse
| What stands out | Barlow Township | OH |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with obesity | 44.5% | 37.1% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.3% | 8% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.2% | 7.1% |
Marietta Memorial Hospital
9.6 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
35th
percentile among OH towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
OutdoorsD
Barlow Township has set aside 0.2% of its land for conservation
For Barlow Township, that is below both the Ohio town median (3.7%) and the median of U.S. towns (4.3%). 6.4 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. The biggest park or preserve is Veto Lake Wildlife Area, at 110 acres.
#464for trails in OH
| Barlow Township | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.2% | 3.7% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
0.2%
conserved · 48 of 20,221 acres
6.4 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Veto Lake Wildlife Area | — | 110 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Barlow Township
Barlow Township has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 23° and about 16 inches of snow falls in a winter.
16″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter25–42°
Spring41–65°
Summer61–84°
Fall44–67°
Oct 27
typical first frost
Apr 18
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Nearby attractions
All 13 attractions →The Wilds and 5 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Barlow Township. Close and well known come first.
30 mi Zoo & aquariumThe Wilds
10 mi MuseumCampus Martius Museum
10 mi MuseumOhio River Museum
27 mi MuseumOld Meigs County Courthouse
10 mi MuseumThe Castle
27 mi MuseumBeauchamp-Newman HouseSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
The Wilds: Bikingshaun (talk), CC BY 3.0 · Campus Martius Museum: Snoopywv, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ohio River Museum: Wolfgang8741, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Old Meigs County Courthouse: Nyttend, Public domain · The Castle: Chrispainter1966, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Beauchamp-Newman House: mjswisher79, CC BY-SA 3.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Barlow Township
18pages on Barlow Township
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Barlow Township
Marietta CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Marietta10.3 mi$39,652 tuitionWashington State College of OhioCommunity college · Public · Marietta11.2 mi$4,128 in-state tuitionWest Virginia University at ParkersburgUniversity or college · Public · Parkersburg, WV15 mi$4,612 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Barlow Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Ohio.
About Barlow Township
Unincorporated community in Ohio, U.S.
Barlow is an unincorporated community in western Barlow Township, Washington County, Ohio, United States. Although it is unincorporated, it has a ZIP code 45712. It lies at the intersection of State Routes 339 and 550 near the South Fork of Wolf Creek, which meets the Muskingum River at Waterford to the north.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Elevation
- 755 ft
- ZIP code
- 45712
Barlow Township’s neighbors
5 towns share a border with Barlow Township.
Warren TownshipWatertown TownshipFairfield TownshipDunham TownshipPalmer TownshipBarlow Township
How the neighbors grade
| Town | OH rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barlow Township | #682 | C+ | A− | — | B+ | C |
| Warren Township | #416 | B+ | A− | — | B+ | C− |
| Watertown Township | — | — | B+ | — | B+ | C |
| Fairfield Township | — | — | B+ | — | B+ | C− |
| Dunham Township | #759 | C+ | B+ | — | B | C− |
| Palmer Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Watertown Township and Fairfield Township have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Barlow Township, Warren Township, Watertown Township, Fairfield Township and Dunham Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Palmer Township isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Barlow Township with a neighbor →
Questions about Barlow Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Barlow Township, OH a good place to live?
Barlow Township grades C+ overall, better than 42% of U.S. towns and #682 of 987 in Ohio. It grades C for health and B+ for schools. Walkability is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is Barlow Township, OH expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A−.