John M. Sheets, 1901
Columbus Grove’s story
184 years in pictures
Census counts: 118 in 1850, 2,160 in 2020. The archive holds 11 old photos and papers going back to 1901 and 3 maps from 1906 on.
- 1842Columbus Grove is founded
Columbus GroveOH
Photo: Nyttend · Public domain
Population
2,132
2025 Census estimate · −1% since 2020
Typical home
$246K
+8.1% in a year
Household income
$69K
median
Median age
35.3
years
Jobs based here
679
A commuter town
Is Columbus Grove a good place to live?
Columbus Grove’s best subject grades are an A+ for cost of living and an A for schools and civic life; its weakest is a C for walkability. On cost of living, just 71 of Ohio’s 1,718 towns do better. 27% of residents are under 18 in Columbus Grove, above both Ohio’s towns (22%) and U.S. towns (22%). Columbus Grove has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Columbus Grove stand out
Where Columbus Grove beats most towns.
Typical home value
Columbus Grove$246K
Ohio$246K
Cost of livingA+
2.9 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 96% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
Columbus Grove6.3
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical OH town3.9
Civic lifeA
63% more nonprofits per person
than the typical Ohio town
Charities, civic groups and human services; churches not counted.
0historic places
HistoryB+
Founded in 1842
A long history
A history going back 184 years.
A commuter town
90% of working residents leave Columbus Grove for work
Where Columbus Grove’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
679jobs based in Columbus Grove
10%of working residents work in town
13 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Columbus Grove grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Ohio), ordered by how far Columbus Grove is from typical.
Cost of livingA+Open →SchoolsBeat 89% of Ohio districts on tests and graduationAOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.6 of 20; 2.1% of households have no car; 0.6% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →Jobs & income$69K median household incomeC+Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listC+Open →HealthBluffton Hospital 8.8 miles awayB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1 mile of trailBOpen →History3 notable people born hereB+Open →Civic life6.3 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsAOpen →
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 Columbus Grove: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Columbus Grove, and how to reach them.
PowerAEP Ohio19.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterColumbus Grove Village water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpColumbus Grove biodegradable waste dumpIn townOpenStreetMap
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, Putnam County Board of ElectionsPutnam County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2019
ZIP code4583045830 100%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 Columbus Grove.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
Columbus Grove has 0.7 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Columbus Grove for work: only 10% work in town. At 20 minutes, Columbus Grove’s average trip to work is where Ohio’s towns sit at 24 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Jobs based in Columbus Grove fell to 679 in 2023, 37 fewer than in 2013.
10%work in town
| Columbus Grove | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 10% | 6.9% | 8% |
| Median household income | $69,000 | $75,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 9.1% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Columbus Grove10%
Lima11%
Ottawa11%
Findlay5%
Bluffton4%
13 mi
median commute distance
679
jobs based in Columbus Grove
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 28% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Columbus Grove
Columbus Grove has chilly, snowy winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 19° and about 33 inches of snow falls in a winter.
33″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter22–36°
Spring40–60°
Summer62–83°
Fall44–64°
Oct 22
typical first frost
Apr 23
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Who lives here
Fewer middle-aged adults than Ohio overall
The median age in Columbus Grove is 35.3 years. 28% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 32% across Ohio.
35.3median age · OH 39.7
| Columbus Grove | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 35.3 years | 41.7 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 28% | 24% | 29% |
Columbus GroveOhioUnited States
Ages · share of residents
19%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma7%
High school36%
Some college19%
Associate’s11%
Bachelor’s21%
Graduate7%
Women and men · all residents
54% women, 46% men
About 84 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±1.7 points). Across Ohio, 50.7% of residents are women.
| Columbus Grove | OH | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 18.7% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.2% | 10.3% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 4.9% | 8.9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 17.4% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.7% | 12.5% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 8.9% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 10.6% | 13.2% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 8.7% | 10.9% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 10.8% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6.6% | 8.2% | 10.4% |
| High school | 35.7% | 32.1% | 26% |
| Some college | 19.1% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.7% | 9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 21.3% | 19.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 6.5% | 12.2% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 2,100, single groups can be off by several points
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C+
Moderate risk in Columbus Grove, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 56% of U.S. communities.
56risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesStrong wind
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HealthB−
Columbus Grove is healthier than 53% of U.S. towns
Columbus Grove beats the Ohio average on 6 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 19% of adults binge drink in Columbus Grove.
53%healthier than U.S. townsB−Health Grade
| Columbus Grove | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 16% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 38% | 36% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 38% | 35% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 20% | 19% |
32 measures vs. Ohio
6 better25 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Columbus Grove | OH |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 6.1% | 8.3% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 10.6% | 14.1% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.8% | 8.7% |
Bluffton Hospital
8.8 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
HousingCost of living grade A+
Columbus Grove’s typical home value is about $246K
The typical Columbus Grove home is worth about $246,000, up 8.1% in a year, close to the Ohio typical home. 86% of Columbus Grove households own their home.
$246KZillow home value
Typical home value
Columbus Grove$246K
Ohio$246K
+8.1%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
OutdoorsB
Columbus Grove has set aside 0% of its land for conservation
1.0 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. Columbus Grove’s trail density is 0.8 miles per square mile.
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 782 acres
1.0 mi
of trails · 0.8 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. American Legion Park | 0.7 mi | 12 |
| 2. Hall Avenue Park | — | 11 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Columbus Grove
19pages on Columbus Grove
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
4 within 15 miles of the center of Columbus Grove
Bluffton UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Bluffton8.6 mi$37,362 tuitionUniversity of Northwestern OhioUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Lima12 mi$13,875 tuitionOhio State University-Lima CampusUniversity or college · Public · Lima12.7 mi$9,488 in-state tuition
About 4 of every 100 Columbus Grove residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Ohio.
Famous people from Columbus Grove
3 notable people were born in Columbus Grove.
About Columbus Grove
Village in Ohio, United States
Columbus Grove is a village in Pleasant Township, Putnam County, Ohio, United States. The population was 2,160 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.1 sq mi
- Elevation
- 774 ft
- ZIP code
- 45830
Questions about Columbus Grove
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Columbus Grove, 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+.
What is Columbus Grove, OH known for?
3 notable people were born here, including Dean Jagger and John M. Sheets.