Crawfis Institute · National Register of Historic Places
Berne Township’s story
Berne Township in pictures
The archive holds 4 maps from 1907 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →
Berne TownshipOH
A town of 5,177. Home to 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
6 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Nyttend · Public domain
Population
5,177
2025 Census estimate · +2.5% since 2020
Median home value
$235K
Census ACS
Household income
$83K
median
Median age
45.0
years
Jobs based here
580
A commuter town
TownGrade
B
#494 of 987 in OH
Is Berne Township a good place to live?
Berne Township gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $235K for a typical one, or 2.9 years of the Columbus metro’s $82K median household income. It grades B overall, 494th of 987 graded towns in Ohio. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 84% of U.S. towns. Its National Register listings include Crawfis Institute. 23% of residents are 65 or older in Berne Township, where Ohio’s towns sit at 20% and U.S. towns at 18%.
What makes Berne Township stand out
Where Berne Township beats most towns.
A commuter town
95% of working residents leave Berne Township for work
Where Berne Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
580jobs based in Berne Township
5%of working residents work in town
26 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Berne Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Ohio), ordered by how far Berne Township is from typical.
WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.5 of 20; 4% of households have no car; 1.1% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC−Open →Cost of livingA−Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 59% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listC+Open →Jobs & incomeBOpen →HealthFairfield Medical Center 4.5 miles awayC+Open →SchoolsBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors3% conserved landB−Open →History2 places on the National Register; 1 notable person born hereB+Open →Civic life1.7 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsC−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 Berne Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Berne Township, and how to reach them.
PowerAEP Ohio19.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterRustic Ridge MHPNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers76% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNearest public drop-offLancaster Transfer Station, 4 miOpenStreetMap
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, Fairfield County Board of ElectionsFairfield County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Oct 2026
ZIP codes43130, 4315543130 68% · 43155 32%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 Berne Township.
Berne Township sends most of its workers to Lancaster and beyond, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of Ohio (mostly inland flooding).
OutdoorsB−
Conserved land covers 3.1% of Berne Township
12 miles of trail in 10 parks and preserves. Charles Alley Nature Park, at 297 acres with 6.7 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
#408for trails in OH
| Berne Township | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.1% | 3.7% | 4.3% |
3.1%
conserved · 882 of 28,244 acres
12 mi
of trails · 0.3 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Charles Alley Nature Park | 6.7 mi | 297 |
| 2. Wahkeena Nature Preserve | 1.5 mi | 147 |
| 3. Rhododendron Cove State Nature Preserve | 1.2 mi | 75 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
SchoolsB
On state tests, Berne Township’s schools beat 60% of Ohio districts
Its public schools are run by the Berne Union Local school district. Its two schools are below. The largest public high school is Berne Union High School, with 366 students.
60%of OH districts it outscoresBSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berne Union Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 447 | C |
| Berne Union High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 366 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OH on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
Most working residents commute out of Berne Township
Berne Township has 580 jobs for its 2,232 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out.
Most working residents leave Berne Township for work: only 5% work in town. Jobs based in Berne Township grew to 580 in 2023, 99 more than in 2013. Berne Township’s average trip to work is 28 minutes.
5%work in town
| Berne Township | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 9.1% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 5.1% | 6.9% | 8% |
| Median household income | $83,000 | $75,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Berne Township5%
Lancaster23%
Columbus22%
Sugar Grove2%
Logan2%
26 mi
median commute distance
580
jobs based in Berne Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 16% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Berne Township
Berne Township has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 21° and about 20 inches of snow falls in a winter.
20″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter24–40°
Spring40–63°
Summer61–83°
Fall43–65°
Oct 24
typical first frost
Apr 22
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HealthC+
Residents of Berne Township are less healthy than 60% of U.S. towns
Berne Township beats the Ohio average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 40% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Berne Township.
40%healthier than U.S. townsC+Health Grade
| Berne Township | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 38% | 36% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 26% | 23% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 16% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 38% | 35% |
32 measures vs. Ohio
0 better30 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Berne Township | OH |
|---|---|---|
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.7% | 8.7% |
| More adults with arthritis | 32.9% | 29.8% |
Fairfield Medical Center
4.5 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
53rd
percentile among OH towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Who lives here
Older than Ohio overall
People 65 and older are 23% of residents (18% statewide). The median age in Berne Township is 45 years. Berne Township has grown 2.5% since 2020, to 5,177 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
45median age · OH 39.7
| Berne Township | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 45 years | 41.7 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 22% | 24% | 29% |
Berne TownshipOhioUnited States
Ages · share of residents
17%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma5%
High school45%
Some college22%
Associate’s7%
Bachelor’s18%
Graduate5%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.3 points. Across Ohio, 50.7% of residents are women.
| Berne Township | OH | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 12.3% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.9% | 10.3% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5% | 8.9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.9% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.9% | 12.5% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.1% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 16.5% | 13.2% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 15.4% | 10.9% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.9% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5% | 8.2% | 10.4% |
| High school | 44.6% | 32.1% | 26% |
| Some college | 21.5% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 6.6% | 9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 17.5% | 19.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 4.7% | 12.2% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C+
Inland flooding leads a moderate hazard risk in Berne Township
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 90% of Ohio towns, with expected losses of about $330 per resident a year; that rating is what its C+ for hazard risk is built on.
Since 1980, 9 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Berne Township.
59risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoes
9
paid flood claims since 1980
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Berne Township
19pages on Berne Township
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Berne Township
About 2 of every 100 Berne Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Ohio.
Landmarks
2 places in Berne Township on the National Register of Historic Places.
About Berne Township
Township in Ohio, US
Berne Township is one of the thirteen townships of Fairfield County, Ohio, United States. As of the 2020 census the population was 5,057.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 44 sq mi
- Elevation
- 781 ft
Berne Township’s neighbors
6 towns share a border with Berne Township.
It grades higher overall than all 4 graded towns on its borders; Rush Creek Township (B) comes closest.
LancasterPleasant TownshipMarion TownshipGood Hope TownshipHocking TownshipRush Creek TownshipBerne Township
How the neighbors grade
| Town | OH rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berne Township | #494 | B | A− | — | B | C+ |
| Lancaster | #844 | C | B | C− | C+ | C− |
| Pleasant Township | #767 | C+ | C+ | — | B− | C+ |
| Marion Township | — | — | B | — | B+ | C− |
| Good Hope Township | — | — | A− | — | B+ | C+ |
| Hocking Township | #588 | B− | B− | — | B− | C+ |
| Rush Creek Township | #505 | B | A− | — | B+ | C+ |
Marion Township and Good Hope Township have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Berne Township, Pleasant Township, Marion Township, Good Hope Township, Hocking Township and Rush Creek Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Berne Township with a neighbor →
Questions about Berne Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Berne Township, OH a good place to live?
By most measures, yes. Berne Township grades B overall, better than 59% of U.S. towns and #494 of 987 in Ohio. It grades C+ for health and B for schools. Walkability is its weak spot, with a C−.
Is Berne 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−.