Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Cambridge gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $172K for a typical one, or 2.9 years of the Cambridge area’s $58K median household income. It grades C− overall, ranked 879th of 987 in Ohio. The low prices come with trade-offs. Residents are less healthy than 95% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates, and the median household income is $43K, and 28% of residents live below the poverty line. On the plus side, natural-hazard risk is low. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 95% of U.S. towns, with 8 places on the National Register. 28% of residents live below the poverty line in Cambridge, where Ohio’s towns sit at 9.1% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. On history, just 86 of Ohio’s 1,718 towns do better. Cambridge's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 90% of U.S. towns.
Where Cambridge beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Census counts: 766 in 1840, a peak of 16,129 in 1930, 10,089 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1908 and 5 maps from 1909 on.
8 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Ohio), ordered by how far Cambridge is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Cambridge, 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 Cambridge.
Cambridge draws workers from Cambridge Township and beyond and is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it has seen reported crime rise by about half.
Against the 3,328 U.S. towns with household incomes like Cambridge’s, it is less healthy than 78%, so its D isn’t only a matter of income.
36% of adults get no exercise outside work in Cambridge. Cambridge beats the Ohio average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 19. 22% of adults smoke cigarettes in Cambridge.
| Cambridge | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 28% | 25% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 16% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 15% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 20% | 19% |
| What stands out | Cambridge | OH |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 23.9% | 15.3% |
| More adults with COPD | 12.4% | 8% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 20.5% | 14.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
8,055 jobs are based in Cambridge, 2.1 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in.
34% of Cambridge working residents work locally. The top destinations are Zanesville (5%), Jackson Township (5%) and Cambridge Township (4%). The average trip to work in Cambridge is 20 minutes.
| Cambridge | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 34% | 6.8% | 8% |
| Median household income | $43,000 | $75,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
125 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 16 properties have flooded more than once.
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 76% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 125 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Cambridge.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Cambridge’s median rent is $788 a month. The typical Cambridge home is worth about $172,000, up 3.9% in a year, 30% below the Ohio typical home.
| Cambridge | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 49% | 77% | 73% |
| Median rent | $788 a month | $944 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Cambridge has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 21° and about 17 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
0.9 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Northside Park, at 54 acres.
| Cambridge | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 1.5% | 3.7% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Northside Park | 0.5 mi | 54 |
| 2. Jack D Hendricks Memorial Park | — | 7 |
| 3. Courthouse Square | 0.1 mi | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Reported crimes rose from 66 to 206 over the last three FBI years, a rise beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
1 within 15 miles of the center of Cambridge
About 2 of every 100 Cambridge residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Ohio.
Where Cambridge’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
8 places in Cambridge on the National Register of Historic Places.
18 notable people were born in Cambridge.
City in Ohio, United States
Cambridge ( KAYM-brij) is a city in Guernsey County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. The population was 10,089 at the 2020 census. It lies in the Appalachian Plateau of the Appalachian Mountains in southeastern Ohio. It is the principal city of the Cambridge micropolitan area and is located adjacent to the intersection of Interstates 70 and 77. Cambridge is well known among glass collectors as being the location for the Cambridge Glass, Boyd Glass and Mosser Glass plants. The Cambridge area is also noted for its S-shaped bridges, dating back to the building of the National Road in 1828.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Cambridge.
| Town | OH rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cambridge | #879 | C− | B | B− | C+ | D |
| Cambridge Township | #932 | D | B | — | C+ | D |
| Jackson Township | #903 | C− | B+ | — | B− | D |
Cambridge Township and Jackson Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Cambridge with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Cambridge grades C− overall, better than 22% of U.S. towns and #879 of 987 in Ohio. It grades D for health, B− for safety and C+ for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D.
18 notable people were born here, including John Glenn and Chris Finch.
