Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Fremont gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $178K for a typical one, or 2.9 years of the Fremont area’s $62K median household income. It grades C overall, 810th of 987 graded towns in Ohio. The low prices come with trade-offs. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 89% of the country, and the median household income is $47K, and 23% of residents live below the poverty line. On the plus side, it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 82% of U.S. towns. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 92% of U.S. towns, with 7 places on the National Register. 30% of working residents work locally in Fremont, above both the Ohio town median (6.8%) and the median of U.S. towns (8%). Fremont is home to Terra State Community College. Fremont's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 80% of U.S. towns.
Where Fremont beats most towns.
Rutherford B. Hayes House
Rutherford B. Hayes House is a National Historic Landmark, the National Register’s top tier.
Census counts: 351 in 1830, 15,930 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1860 and 4 maps from 1901 on.
7 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Ohio), ordered by how far Fremont is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Fremont, 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 Fremont.
Fremont is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has property taxes about half the Ohio norm, but it has seen reported crime rise by about half.
Against the 4,673 U.S. towns with household incomes like Fremont’s, it is less healthy than 65%, so its D isn’t only a matter of income.
43% of Fremont adults have obesity. Fremont beats the Ohio average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 14. 16% of Fremont adults have diabetes.
| Fremont | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 38% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 12% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 38% | 36% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 28% | 25% |
| What stands out | Fremont | OH |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 11.4% | 8% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 18.7% | 14.1% |
| More adults facing housing insecurity | 14.6% | 11.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Fremont City school district. Two of its 12 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Fremont Ross High School, with 959 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fremont Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 799 | C |
| Fremont Ross High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 959 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OH on state tests and graduation
2.6 miles of trail in 11 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Robert L. Walsh Park, at 49 acres.
| Fremont | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 7.1% | 3.7% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Robert L. Walsh Park | 0.8 mi | 49 |
| 2. Birchard Park | 0.5 mi | 12 |
| 3. Spiegel Grove State Park | 0.4 mi | 27 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The median property tax bill is $1,146, against $2,822 across Ohio, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
57% of households own their home in Fremont. Typical home values rose 5.1% in the year to September 2026. Fremont’s median rent is $775 a month.
| Fremont | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 57% | 77% | 73% |
| Median rent | $775 a month | $944 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Reported crimes rose from 169 to 375 over the last three FBI years, a rise beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
The property crime rate in Fremont is 21.5 per 1,000 residents.
| Fremont | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 21.5 per 1,000 residents | 9.4 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.3 per 1,000 residents | 1.2 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Fremont has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 20° and about 26 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
About one in 3 of Fremont’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Clyde (7%), Stony Prairie (5%) and Toledo (4%). Half commute less than 11 miles.
| Fremont | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $47,000 | $75,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 64% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 12 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Fremont.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
1 within 15 miles of the center of Fremont
About 3 of every 100 Fremont residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Ohio.
7 places in Fremont on the National Register of Historic Places.
33 notable people were born in Fremont.
City in Ohio, United States
Fremont is a city in Sandusky County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is located along the Sandusky River about 35 miles (56 km) southeast of Toledo and 25 miles (40 km) west of Sandusky. The population was 15,930 at the 2020 census. The city was the home of Rutherford B. Hayes, who served as President of the United States from 1877 to 1881. The Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center was the first presidential library and is one of the focal points of the city. The National Arbor Day Foundation has designated Fremont as a Tree City USA since 1986.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
4 towns share a border with Fremont.
| Town | OH rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fremont | #810 | C | A− | C | C+ | D |
| Sandusky Township | #811 | C | B | — | C+ | C− |
| Ballville Township | #884 | C− | B− | — | B− | C− |
| Stony Prairie | — | — | B | — | C+ | D− |
| Ballville | #692 | C+ | B+ | — | C+ | C |
Stony Prairie has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Sandusky Township, Ballville Township, Stony Prairie and Ballville report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Fremont with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Fremont grades C overall, better than 30% of U.S. towns and #810 of 987 in Ohio. It grades D for health, C for safety and C+ for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D.
33 notable people were born here, including Robert Knepper and Mark Coleman.
