Elk Township I-house, 2016
Elk Township’s story
174 years in pictures
The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2015 and 5 maps from 1961 on.
- 1852Elk Township is settled
Elk TownshipOH
A town of 3,217, settled in 1852. 66% more nonprofits per person than the typical Ohio town.
4 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Nyttend · Public domain
Population
3,217
2025 Census estimate · −1.7% since 2020
Median home value
$196K
Census ACS
Household income
$61K
median
Median age
37.9
years
Jobs based here
1,179
Balanced
TownGrade
C−
#860 of 987 in OH
Is Elk Township a good place to live?
Elk Township gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $196K, 3.5 years of the county’s $55K median household income. It grades C− overall, 860th of 987 graded towns in Ohio. The low prices come with trade-offs. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 90% of the country, and the median household income is $61K, and 21% of residents live below the poverty line. 21% of residents live below the poverty line in Elk Township, where Ohio’s towns sit at 9.1% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Elk Township's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 89% of U.S. towns. Among 954 Ohio towns, just 9 have a lower median rent than Elk Township.
What makes Elk Township stand out
Where Elk Township beats most towns.
How Elk Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Ohio), ordered by how far Elk Township is from typical.
HealthHolzer Medical Center Jackson 18.1 miles awayDOpen →Jobs & incomeC−Open →Cost of livingB+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.9 of 20; 6.9% of households have no car; 3.2% of workers walk, bike or ride transitBOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 39% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listBOpen →SchoolsB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1 mile of trail; 3% conserved landB−Open →History1 notable person born hereB−Open →Civic life6.5 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 Elk Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Elk Township, and how to reach them.
PowerAEP Ohio19.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterVillage of Mcarthur water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers83% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Elk Township’s trash rules yet
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, Vinton County Board of ElectionsVinton County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Dec 2025
ZIP code4565145651 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 Elk Township.
HealthD
For health, Elk Township earns a D
17% of Elk Township adults report frequent physical distress. Elk Township beats the Ohio average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 12. 33% of Elk Township adults get no exercise outside work.
10%healthier than U.S. townsDHealth Grade
| Elk Township | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 28% | 25% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 12% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 26% | 23% |
32 measures vs. Ohio
0 better20 too close to call12 worse
| What stands out | Elk Township | OH |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 22% | 15.3% |
| More adults with COPD | 11.2% | 8% |
| More smokers | 20.8% | 15.4% |
Holzer Medical Center Jackson
18.1 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
13th
percentile among OH towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsB−
Public schools in Elk Township fall behind 54% of Ohio districts
Its public schools are run by the Vinton County Local school district. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Vinton County High School, with 491 students.
46%of OH districts it outscoresB−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vinton County Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 359 | C |
| Vinton County High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 491 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OH on state tests and graduation
Climate
In Elk Township, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
Elk Township has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 22° and about 23 inches of snow falls in a winter.
23″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter25–42°
Spring41–64°
Summer61–83°
Fall43–66°
Oct 14
typical first frost
Apr 27
typical last frost
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
About one in six working residents works right in Elk Township
Elk Township has about as many jobs (1,179) as working residents, but only 236 people both live and work here. The average commute takes 33.5 minutes, against 23.4 across Ohio.
Most working residents leave Elk Township for work: only 18% work in town. The average trip to work in Elk Township is 34 minutes. Since 2013, Elk Township has added 165 jobs, to 1,179 in 2023.
18%work in town
| Elk Township | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 34 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 18% | 6.8% | 8% |
| Median household income | $61,000 | $75,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Elk Township18%
McArthur11%
Columbus6%
Green Township6%
Wellston5%
25 mi
median commute distance
1,179
jobs based in Elk Township
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
B
Walkability grade: more walkable than 60% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B
Elk Township faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 61% of U.S. communities. Since 1997, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Elk Township.
39risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesHeat waves
3
paid flood claims since 1997
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
OutdoorsB−
Elk Township has set aside 3.1% of its land for conservation
0.5 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. The biggest park or preserve is Vinton County Fairgrounds, at 43 acres.
3.1%conserved
3.1%
conserved · 751 of 24,230 acres
0.5 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Vinton County Fairgrounds | — | 43 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Elk Township
19pages on Elk Township
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Elk Township; the nearest are
Hocking CollegeCommunity college · Public · Nelsonville18.5 mi$5,540 in-state tuitionOhio UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Athens20.5 mi$14,158 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Elk Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Ohio.
About Elk Township
Township in Ohio, US
Elk Township is one of the twelve townships of Vinton County, Ohio, United States. The 2020 census found 3,287 people in the township, 1,783 of whom lived in the village of McArthur.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 38 sq mi
- Elevation
- 738 ft
Elk Township’s neighbors
4 towns share a border with Elk Township.
Madison TownshipClinton TownshipRichland TownshipSwan TownshipElk Township
How the neighbors grade
| Town | OH rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elk Township | #860 | C− | B+ | — | B− | D |
| Madison Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Clinton Township | — | — | A | — | B− | D |
| Richland Township | — | — | B− | — | B− | D |
| Swan Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Clinton Township and Richland Township have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Elk Township, Clinton Township and Richland Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Madison Township and Swan Township aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Elk Township with a neighbor →
Questions about Elk Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Elk Township, OH a good place to live?
Elk Township grades C− overall, better than 24% of U.S. towns and #860 of 987 in Ohio. It grades D for health and B− for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Elk 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 B+.