Public School, 1910
Payne’s story
168 years in pictures
Census counts: 1,146 in 1890, a peak of 1,614 in 1930, 1,192 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1910 and 4 maps from 1914 on.
- 1858Payne is settled
PayneOH
Photo: Nyttend · Public domain
Population
1,188
2025 Census estimate · +0.2% since 2020
Typical home
$171K
+7% in a year
Household income
$63K
median
Median age
29.4
years
Jobs based here
228
A commuter town
Is Payne a good place to live?
The best of Payne’s subject grades are an A+ for cost of living and an A for schools; the weakest is a C− for incomes. Only 17 of Ohio’s 1,718 towns score higher on cost of living. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 71% of U.S. towns. Payne has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Payne stand out
Where Payne beats most towns.
Small town
1,188 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How Payne grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Ohio), ordered by how far Payne is from typical.
Cost of livingA+Open →SchoolsBeat 86% of Ohio districts on tests and graduationAOpen →Jobs & income$63K median household incomeC−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.5 of 20; 8% of households have no car; 0.8% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →HealthPaulding County Hospital 7.6 miles awayC+Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 36% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors0 miles of trails; 4% conserved landB−Open →HistoryB−Open →Civic life3.5 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsBOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 29.4; 20% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Payne: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Payne, and how to reach them.
PowerAEP Ohio19.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterPayne Village PWSNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Payne’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, Paulding County Board of ElectionsPaulding County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Feb 2023
ZIP code4588045880 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 Payne.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
Payne has 0.4 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Payne for work: only 5% work in town. 17% of Payne residents live below the poverty line, above both Ohio’s towns (9.1%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). Jobs based in Payne fell to 228 in 2023, 128 fewer than in 2013.
5%work in town
| Payne | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 17% | 9.1% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $63,000 | $75,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 5% | 6.9% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Payne5%
Fort Wayne11%
Paulding9%
Van Wert8%
New Haven4%
17 mi
median commute distance
228
jobs based in Payne
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 29% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HousingCost of living grade A+
Payne’s typical home value is about $171K
The typical Payne home is worth about $171,000, up 7% in a year, 30% below the Ohio typical home. At $759 a month, Payne’s median rent is below both the Ohio town median ($944 a month) and the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month).
$171KZillow home value
| Payne | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $759 a month | $944 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 69% | 77% | 73% |
Typical home value
Payne$171K
Ohio$246K
+7%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Payne has four seasons and pleasant summers
Payne has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 18° and about 24 inches of snow falls in a winter.
24″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter21–35°
Spring39–60°
Summer61–83°
Fall43–63°
Oct 19
typical first frost
Apr 25
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HealthC+
On CDC estimates, Payne is less healthy than 63% of U.S. towns
Payne beats the Ohio average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 29% of Payne adults get no exercise outside work.
37%healthier than U.S. townsC+Health Grade
| Payne | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 28% | 25% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 38% | 35% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 38% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 34% | 33% |
32 measures vs. Ohio
1 better29 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Payne | OH |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 6.8% | 8.3% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 19.4% | 15.3% |
Paulding County Hospital
7.6 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B
Inland flooding leads a low hazard risk in Payne
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 64% of U.S. communities. Since 1985, 4 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Payne.
36risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesStrong wind
4
paid flood claims since 1985
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
4.5%conserved
| Payne | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 4.5% | 3.7% | 4.3% |
4.5%
conserved · 19 of 430 acres
0.3 mi
of trails · 0.4 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Payne Community Park | 0.3 mi | 17 |
| 2. School Park | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Payne
18pages on Payne
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Payne; the nearest are
Purdue University Fort WayneUniversity or college · Public · Fort Wayne, IN20 mi$9,532 in-state tuitionNorthwest State Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Archbold34 mi$4,698 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Payne residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Ohio.
A commuter town
95% of working residents leave Payne for work
Where Payne’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
228jobs based in Payne
5%of working residents work in town
17 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Payne
Village in Ohio, United States
Payne is a village in Paulding County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,192 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 745 ft
- ZIP code
- 45880