Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Mount Gilead gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $264K, 3.2 years of the Columbus metro’s $82K median household income. It grades C+ overall, ranked 729th of 987 in Ohio. The low prices come with trade-offs. The median household income is $45K, and 18% of residents live below the poverty line. On the plus side, it is more walkable than 81% of U.S. towns. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 93% of U.S. towns, with 4 places on the National Register. Mount Gilead’s average trip to work is 32 minutes, where Ohio’s towns sit at 24 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Only 152 of Ohio’s 1,718 towns score higher on history. The biggest park or preserve is Morrow County Fairgrounds, at 35 acres.
Where Mount Gilead beats most towns.
Morrow County Courthouse And Jail
Census counts: 646 in 1850, 3,503 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1908 and 4 maps from 1913 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Ohio), ordered by how far Mount Gilead is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Mount Gilead, 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 Mount Gilead.
Mount Gilead trades lower home prices for longer drives to work and is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it has commutes longer than most of Ohio.
Against the 3,876 U.S. towns with household incomes like Mount Gilead’s, it is healthier than 72%, so its C isn’t only a matter of income.
Mount Gilead tracks Ohio closely on all 32 CDC measures. 40% of Mount Gilead adults have obesity.
| Mount Gilead | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 38% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 28% | 25% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 16% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 38% | 36% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 69% of U.S. communities. Since 1998, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Mount Gilead.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Mount Gilead has chilly winters and pleasant summers. Mount Gilead’s July high is 83°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The average commute for its 1,434 working residents takes 32.4 minutes, against 23.4 across Ohio.
Most working residents leave Mount Gilead for work: only 12% work in town. Jobs based in Mount Gilead grew to 1,984 in 2023, 270 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Columbus (12%), Marion (5%) and Marion Township (4%).
| Mount Gilead | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $45,000 | $75,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 12% | 6.8% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Mount Gilead's reported crime rate is well below Ohio's. The property crime rate in Mount Gilead is 3.1 per 1,000 residents. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts.
| Mount Gilead | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 3.1 per 1,000 residents | 10.7 | 11.5 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 0.6 per 1,000 residents | 1.2 | 1.7 |
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
0.3 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves.
| Mount Gilead | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 6.6% | 3.7% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Morrow County Fairgrounds | — | 35 |
| 2. Mount Gilead Recreational Center | 0.1 mi | 7 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Homes are within reach (about $264K for the typical one, A− for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 24 miles.
51% of households own their home in Mount Gilead. Typical home values rose 5.5% in the year to September 2026.
| Mount Gilead | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 51% | 77% | 73% |
| Median rent | $799 a month | $944 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
2 within 15 miles of the center of Mount Gilead
About 3 of every 100 Mount Gilead residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Ohio.
4 places in Mount Gilead on the National Register of Historic Places.
Village in Ohio, United States
Mount Gilead is a village in and the county seat of Morrow County, Ohio, United States. It is located 41 miles (66 km) northeast of Columbus. The population was 3,503 at the 2020 census. It is the center of population of Ohio. The village was established in 1832, eight years after European settlers arrived in the region. Located in the center of the village is Morrow County's historic World War I Victory Memorial Shaft, unique in the United States, and Mt. Gilead State Park is nearby on State Route 95. Other areas drawing tourism include the Amish farms, shops and stores east of Mount Gilead, near Chesterville and Johnsville. Mount Gilead is also home to the OhioHealth Morrow County Hospita…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Mount Gilead.
| Town | OH rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Gilead | #729 | C+ | A− | — | C+ | C |
| Edison | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Mount Gilead reports no FBI crime data of its own. Edison isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Mount Gilead with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Mount Gilead grades C+ overall, better than 39% of U.S. towns and #729 of 987 in Ohio. It grades C for health and C+ for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D.
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−.
2 notable people were born here, including Edwin Taylor Pollock and Bill Royce.
