Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 4,716, founded in 1838. 2 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Ohio town.
Trash day: look up yoursFew places in the country grade higher. Coldwater earns an A+, 10th of 987 graded towns in Ohio. Its public schools beat 93% of Ohio towns on state tests and graduation, a typical home costs about $295K, 3.8 years of the Celina area’s $77K median household income, and the median household earns $68K. Its lowest mark, a B, is in health. 31% of residents are under 18 in Coldwater, above both the Ohio town median (22%) and the median of U.S. towns (22%). On the outdoors, just 77 of Ohio’s 1,718 towns do better. Coldwater's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 90% of U.S. towns.
Where Coldwater beats most towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Ohio), ordered by how far Coldwater is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,001 in 1880, a low of 974 in 1920, 4,774 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 2 maps from 1908 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Coldwater, 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 Coldwater.
Coldwater is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has commutes shorter than most of Ohio.
1.2 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Coldwater Memorial Park, at 40 acres. Coldwater’s trail density is 0.6 miles per square mile.
| Coldwater | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 7.8% | 3.7% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.6 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Coldwater Memorial Park | 0.2 mi | 40 |
| 2. Coldwater Nature Preserve | — | 16 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 76% of U.S. communities. Since 1980, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Coldwater.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The median age in Coldwater is 35.2 years. 29% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 32% across Ohio.
| Coldwater | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 35.2 years | 41.7 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 17% | 20% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 29% | 24% | 29% |
Somewhere between 45% and 69% women
The Census survey reached too few of Coldwater’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±11.9 points. Across Ohio, 50.7% of residents are women.
| Coldwater | OH | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 16.1% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 14.7% | 10.3% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5.4% | 8.9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.6% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.4% | 12.5% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.1% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 9.7% | 13.2% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 6.3% | 10.9% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 10.7% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 2.1% | 8.2% | 10.4% |
| High school | 34.7% | 32.1% | 26% |
| Some college | 23.8% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.5% | 9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 18% | 19.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 11% | 12.2% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 4,700, single groups can be off by several points
Coldwater has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 19° and about 29 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Typical home values rose 5.2% in the year to September 2026.
| Coldwater | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $821 a month | $944 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 70% | 77% | 73% |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
The average commute for its 2,437 working residents takes 16.3 minutes, against 23.4 across Ohio.
25% of working residents work locally in Coldwater. Jobs based in Coldwater grew to 2,977 in 2023, 486 more than in 2013. 2.4% of residents live below the poverty line in Coldwater.
| Coldwater | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 25% | 6.8% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 16 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 2.4% | 9.1% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $68,000 | $75,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Against the 10,337 U.S. towns with household incomes like Coldwater’s, it is healthier than 80%, so its B isn’t only a matter of income.
Coldwater beats the Ohio average on 7 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 19% of Coldwater adults binge drink.
| Coldwater | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 16% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 15% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 13% | 12% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 20% | 19% |
| What stands out | Coldwater | OH |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 10.5% | 14.1% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 6.2% | 8.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Coldwater's reported crime rate is well below Ohio's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. No violent crimes were reported in 2024.
| Coldwater | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 2.6 per 1,000 residents | 10.7 | 11.5 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 1.2 | 1.7 |
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Coldwater. Close and well known come first.
8 mi State parkGrand Lake St. Marys State Park
9 mi MuseumFort Recovery
10 mi MuseumShrine of the Holy Relics
25 mi MuseumArmstrong Air and Space Museum
39 mi MuseumLevi Coffin House
33 mi MuseumAllen County MuseumGrand Lake St. Marys State Park: Bruin, CC BY 2.0 · Fort Recovery: Nyttend, Public domain · Shrine of the Holy Relics: Rfgagel, Public domain · Armstrong Air and Space Museum: Tysto, Public domain · Levi Coffin House: Nyttend, Public domain · Allen County Museum: WeaponizingArchitecture, CC BY-SA 4.0
1 within 15 miles of the center of Coldwater
About 4 of every 100 Coldwater residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Ohio.
6 notable people were born in Coldwater.
Village in Ohio, United States
Coldwater is a village in Mercer County, Ohio, United States. The population was 4,774 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes, by almost any measure. Coldwater grades A+ overall, among the top 2% of U.S. towns and #10 of 987 in Ohio. It grades B for health and A for schools.
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−.
6 notable people were born here, including James Grover McDonald and Jesse E. Moorland.
