Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Belpre grades C overall, 790th of 987 graded towns in Ohio, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. On the other side, CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 85% of the country. It also does better than most on safety: it reports less crime per resident than 74% of U.S. towns. Its lowest everyday mark is in incomes: the median household income is $55K, and 16% of residents live below the poverty line. A typical home there costs about $184K, 2.9 years of the Marietta area’s $64K median household income. Belpre’s trail density is 1.4 miles per square mile, above both Ohio’s towns (0.2) and U.S. towns (0.4). Only 106 of Ohio’s 1,718 towns score lower on hazard risk. Its National Register listings include Capt. Jonathan Stone House and Charles Rice Ames House.
Where Belpre beats most towns.
Its founding year, 1789, comes before those of 98% of the Ohio towns we grade with a known year.
Census counts: 911 in 1870, 6,728 in 2020. The archive holds 8 old photos and papers going back to 1871 and 5 maps from 1904 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Ohio), ordered by how far Belpre is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Belpre, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Belpre.
Belpre sends many workers across the state line to Vienna and sees little violent crime, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of Ohio (mostly inland flooding).
5.0 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves. Civitan Park, at 52 acres with 1.1 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Civitan Park | 1.1 mi | 52 |
| 2. Howe’s Grove Park | 0.1 mi | 5 |
| 3. Depot Park | 0.2 mi | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Belpre City school district. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Belpre High School, with 387 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belpre Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–6 | Grades K–6 | 484 | B− |
| Belpre High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 387 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OH on state tests and graduation
45% of Belpre adults have obesity, against 38% in Ohio’s towns and 35% across U.S. towns. 43% of adults have high blood pressure in Belpre. Belpre beats the Ohio average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 11.
| Belpre | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 45% | 38% | 35% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 38% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 28% | 25% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 12% |
| What stands out | Belpre | OH |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 21.8% | 15.3% |
| More adults with COPD | 10.8% | 8% |
| More adults with heart disease | 9.2% | 7.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Violent crime is rare: 6 reported in 2025, 0.9 per 1,000 residents.
The property crime rate in Belpre is 5.6 per 1,000 residents.
| Belpre | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 5.6 per 1,000 residents | 9.4 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.9 per 1,000 residents | 1.2 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 95% of Ohio towns, with expected losses of about $352 per resident a year; that rating is what its C− for hazard risk is built on. 91 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 15 properties have flooded more than once.
Belpre’s FEMA risk score is 72 of 100. Since 1979, 91 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Belpre.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
61.8% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 45.9% across Ohio.
62% of Belpre households own their home. The typical Belpre home is worth about $185,000, about the same as a year ago, 25% below the Ohio typical home.
| Belpre | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 62% | 77% | 73% |
| Median rent | $867 a month | $944 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Belpre has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 86°, January nights drop to 23° and about 11 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
47% of working residents cross a state line to work, Vienna among the top destinations. Belpre has about as many jobs (2,367) as working residents, but only 286 people both live and work here.
Most working residents leave Belpre for work: only 11% work in town. Jobs based in Belpre grew to 2,367 in 2023, 546 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Parkersburg (21%), Marietta (11%) and Vienna (5%).
| Belpre | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $55,000 | $75,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 11% | 6.8% | 8% |
| Work from home | 12% | 9.7% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Belpre. Close and well known come first.
39 mi Zoo & aquariumThe Wilds
36 mi Park & preserveMcClintic Wildlife Management Area
12 mi MuseumCampus Martius Museum
12 mi MuseumOhio River Museum
22 mi MuseumOld Meigs County Courthouse
12 mi MuseumThe CastleThe Wilds: Bikingshaun (talk), CC BY 3.0 · McClintic Wildlife Management Area: Steve from Washington, DC, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · 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
3 within 15 miles of the center of Belpre
About 3 of every 100 Belpre residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Ohio.
2% of the town is conserved land, across 4 parks and preserves.
3 places in Belpre on the National Register of Historic Places.
City in Ohio, United States
Belpre (historically spelled Belpré; pronounced BEL-pree) is a city in Washington County, Ohio, United States, along the Ohio River across from Parkersburg, West Virginia. The population was 6,728 at the 2020 census. Its name derives from "Belle Prairie" (French for "beautiful meadow"), the name given to the valley by French trappers prior to the first American settlement at the site. Part of the Marietta micropolitan area, Belpre is located about 14 miles (22 km) downriver from Marietta. In 1870, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad completed the Parkersburg Bridge (CSX) across the river; at 7,140 feet (2,180 m), it was reportedly the longest in the world.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Belpre.
| Town | OH rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belpre | #790 | C | B | B+ | B− | D |
| Belpre Township | #905 | C− | B− | — | B | C |
Belpre Township reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Belpre with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Belpre grades C overall, better than 33% of U.S. towns and #790 of 987 in Ohio. It grades D for health, B+ for safety and B− for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
