Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
2.8 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Ohio town.
Gambier’s best subject grades are an A for health, an A− for walkability, and an A+ for civic life. 66% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Gambier, against 24% in Ohio’s towns and 29% across U.S. towns. On health, just 98 of Ohio’s 1,718 towns do better. Gambier’s trail density is 1.9 miles per square mile, above both the Ohio town median (0.2) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4). On civic life, just 7 of Ohio’s 1,560 towns do better. Gambier has 3 places on the National Register. Gambier has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Gambier beats most towns.
Kenyon CollegeEach subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Ohio), ordered by how far Gambier is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 280 in 1850, a low of 280 in 1850, 2,213 in 2020. The archive holds 14 old photos and papers going back to 1824 and 2 maps from 1912 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Gambier, 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 Gambier.
Most working residents leave Gambier for work: only 13% work in town. 22% of residents live below the poverty line in Gambier. Among 994 Ohio towns, just 5 have a lower average trip to work than Gambier.
| Gambier | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 22% | 9.1% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 16 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 13% | 6.9% | 8% |
| Median household income | $93,000 | $75,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The typical Gambier home is worth about $373,000, up 5.7% in a year, 52% above the Ohio typical home. The median rent in Gambier is $725 a month.
| Gambier | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $725 a month | $944 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 68% | 77% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
3.9% of Gambier adults have diabetes. Among 994 Ohio towns, just 1 have a lower share of adults who have obesity than Gambier. 16% of Gambier adults have high blood pressure.
| Gambier | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 3.9% | 13% | 12% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 18% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 8.2% | 15% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 17% | 16% |
| What stands out | Gambier | OH |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 3.9% | 13.2% |
| Fewer adults who have had a stroke | 1.2% | 3.7% |
| More binge drinkers | 22.3% | 16.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 88% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Gambier since 1978.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Gambier has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 19° and about 42 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
1.7 miles of trail in 0 parks and preserves.
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
2 within 15 miles of the center of Gambier
College town 76 of every 100 Gambier residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Ohio.
Where Gambier’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
3 places in Gambier on the National Register of Historic Places.
3 notable people were born in Gambier.
Village in Ohio, United States
Gambier ( GAM-beer) is a village and college town in Knox County, Ohio, United States. The population was 2,213 at the 2020 census. It was planned and founded in 1824 along with Kenyon College.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
2.8 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Ohio town.
That is 5 years of the area's median household income ($73,878 across the Mount Vernon, OH 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−.
3 notable people were born here, including Miles Kendrick and Francis Key Brooke.
