Peoples Oil and Gas Station (NBY 496), 1926
Pioneer’s story
175 years in pictures
Census counts: 338 in 1870, 1,429 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1894 and 4 maps from 1914 on.
- 1851Pioneer is settled
Population
1,419
2025 Census estimate · −1.2% since 2020
Typical home
$180K
+3.8% in a year
Household income
$45K
median
Median age
53.7
years
Jobs based here
774
Balanced
Is Pioneer a good place to live?
Pioneer’s best subject grades are an A− for cost of living and an A+ for civic life; its weakest is a D for incomes. On civic life, just 17 of Ohio’s 1,560 towns do better. Pioneer has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Pioneer stand out
Where Pioneer beats most towns.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
Pioneer14.7
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical OH town3.9
Civic lifeA+
3.8 times the nonprofits per person
than the typical Ohio town
Charities, civic groups and human services; churches not counted.
Typical home value
Pioneer$180K
Ohio$246K
Cost of livingA−
2.9 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 80% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
0historic places
History
Settled in 1851
A long history
A history going back 175 years.
Small town
1,419 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How Pioneer grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Ohio), ordered by how far Pioneer is from typical.
Jobs & incomeDOpen →Cost of livingA−Open →HealthCommunity Hospitals and Wellness Centers 6.6 miles awayC−Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 34% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listB+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 5.1 of 20; 3.6% of households have no car; 3% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC+Open →SchoolsBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors0 miles of trailsCOpen →HistoryB−Open →Civic life14.7 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsA+Open →
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 53.7; 16% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Pioneer: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Pioneer, and how to reach them.
PowerVillage of PioneerEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterPioneer Village water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpTuesdayTrash dayTown site
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, Williams County Board of ElectionsWilliams County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2019
ZIP code4355443554 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 Pioneer.
HealthC−
Residents of Pioneer are less healthy than four in five U.S. towns
The share of adults in Pioneer who smoke cigarettes is 18%, above both Ohio’s towns (16%) and U.S. towns (14%). Among adults in the town, 32% get no exercise outside work.
20%healthier than U.S. townsC−Health Grade
| Pioneer | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 28% | 25% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 16% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 17% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 38% | 35% |
32 measures vs. Ohio
0 better31 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Pioneer | OH |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 19% | 15.3% |
Community Hospitals and Wellness Centers
6.6 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsB
Pioneer’s schools rank ahead of 62% of Ohio districts
Its two schools are below. The North Central Local school district runs its public schools. Public school enrollment in Pioneer: 516 students across 2 schools.
62%of OH districts it outscoresBSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Central Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 308 | B+ |
| North Central Junior/High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 208 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OH on state tests and graduation
HousingCost of living grade A−
Pioneer’s typical home value is about $180K
For households in Pioneer, the share who are owner-occupiers is 56%. The town’s median rent is $743 a month, below both the Ohio town median ($944 a month) and the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month).
$180KZillow home value
| Pioneer | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 56% | 77% | 73% |
| Median rent | $743 a month | $944 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Pioneer$180K
Ohio$246K
+3.8%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
33″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter20–34°
Spring37–59°
Summer59–81°
Fall42–62°
Oct 18
typical first frost
Apr 28
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B+
Natural hazards: low risk in Pioneer, mostly inland flooding
Expected losses in Pioneer break down as 52% from inland flooding and 21% from tornadoes. Storm and flood damage is expected to run lower than in 66% of U.S. communities. Also worth knowing: since 1982, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out locally.
34risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesStrong wind
2
paid flood claims since 1982
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
A job hub: Pioneer has 1.1 jobs for every working resident and draws in 703 commuters
The middle household income for Pioneer comes to $45,000. Most working residents leave Pioneer for work: only 10% work in town. In Pioneer, just over a fifth of residents live below the poverty line. Between 2013 and 2023, jobs locally rose by 102, to 774.
10%work in town
| Pioneer | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 22% | 9.1% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $45,000 | $75,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 10% | 6.9% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Pioneer10%
Bryan13%
Montpelier9%
Holiday City7%
Archbold5%
14 mi
median commute distance
774
jobs based in Pioneer
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
C+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 38% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Safety
Crime reported in Pioneer
Pioneer's reported crime rate is below Ohio's. Its rate of thefts and burglaries is 15 per 1,000 residents. Violent crime is rare: 1 reported in 2024. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts.
| Pioneer | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 15 per 1,000 residents | 10.7 | 11.5 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 0.7 per 1,000 residents | 1.2 | 1.7 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Pioneer0.7
Ohio3.1
U.S.3.6
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Pioneer15
Ohio16.5
U.S.17.7
1
violent crimes reported in 2024
21
property crimes reported in 2024
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
OutdoorsC
0% of Pioneer is conserved land
In 1 park or preserve, walkers have 0.3 miles of trail. Parks and preserves in Pioneer: one, of 7 acres. For Pioneer, the trail network density is 0.1 miles per square mile.
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 1,345 acres
0.3 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Crommer Park | — | 7 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Pioneer
19pages on Pioneer
The big questions
SchoolsBBeat 62% of OH districts · 2 schoolsSafety0.7 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2024)HealthC−Better than OH on 0 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingA−$180K typical home · up 3.8% in a yearWork & commuteD$45K median household income · 774 jobs hereNatural hazardsB+FEMA risk higher than 34% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Pioneer; the nearest are
Hillsdale CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Hillsdale, MI18.1 mi$33,189 tuitionNorthwest State Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Archbold20.5 mi$4,698 in-state tuitionUniversity of ToledoUniversity or college · Public · Toledo48.3 mi$12,744 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Pioneer residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Ohio.
About Pioneer
Village in Ohio, United States
Pioneer is a village in Williams County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,429 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.1 sq mi
- Elevation
- 879 ft
- ZIP code
- 43554
Questions about Pioneer
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Pioneer, OH a good place to live?
3.8 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Ohio town.
Is Pioneer, 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 A−.