Richland Allen, 2006
Richland Township’s story
Richland Township in pictures
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Richland TownshipAllen County, OH
A town of 5,771. 74% more library visits per person than the typical Ohio town.
5 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Nyttend · Public domain
Population
5,771
2025 Census estimate · −2% since 2020
Median home value
$206K
Census ACS
Household income
$83K
median
Median age
42.4
years
Jobs based here
2,158
Balanced
TownGrade
A+
#34 of 987 in OH
Is Richland Township a good place to live?
Richland Township is one of the best-graded places in America: an A+, 34th of 987 graded towns in Ohio. Its public schools beat 92% of Ohio towns on state tests and graduation, and homes are within reach, about $206K for a typical one, or 3.2 years of the Lima metro’s $64K median household income. Its lowest mark, a B−, is in incomes. On civic life, just 41 of Ohio’s 1,560 towns do better. 19% of working residents work locally in Richland Township, against 6.8% in Ohio’s towns and 8% across U.S. towns. Bluffton Nature Preserve, at 151 acres with 3.2 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
What makes Richland Township stand out
Where Richland Township beats most towns.
Library visits per resident
Richland Township9
Typical U.S. town3.4
Typical OH town5.2
Civic lifeA+
74% more library visits per person
than the typical Ohio town
IMLS Public Libraries Survey.
Bluffton Exempted Village schools
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Bluffton Elementary School | K–5 | 534 |
| Bluffton Middle School | 6–8 | 294 |
| Bluffton High School | 9–12 | 420 |
SchoolsA
On state tests and graduation
NCES · EDFacts.
WalkabilityB+
More walkable than 74% of U.S. towns
6.3% of workers walk, bike or ride transit
EPA National Walkability Index; Census ACS.
How Richland Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Ohio), ordered by how far Richland Township is from typical.
SchoolsAOpen →Cost of livingA−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7 of 20; 1.4% of households have no carB+Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 31% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listB+Open →HealthBluffton Hospital 2.4 miles awayB+Open →Jobs & income$83K median household incomeB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors7 miles of trails; 1% conserved landC+Open →HistoryBOpen →Civic life9 library visits per resident; 6.3 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsA+Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Richland Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Richland Township, and how to reach them.
PowerAEP Ohio19.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterBluffton Village water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet10 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpBluffton Yard Waste Recycling Center455 North Spring StreetOpenStreetMap
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, Allen County Board of ElectionsAllen County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Dec 2025
ZIP codes45817, 45808, 45830, 4587745817 88% · 45808 5% · 45830 4% · 45877 2%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 Richland Township.
Richland Township pairs an A for schools with modest home prices, trades workers with Bluffton and other neighbors and has less food insecurity than most of Ohio.
SchoolsA
For schools, Richland Township earns an A
That grade comes with an A− for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $206K.
The largest public high school is Bluffton High School, with 420 students. Its three schools are below. Public school enrollment in Richland Township: 1,248 students across 3 schools.
92%of OH districts it outscoresASchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluffton Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 534 | A+ |
| Bluffton High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 420 | A |
| Bluffton Middle SchoolTop results in townGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 294 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OH on state tests and graduation
OutdoorsC+
Open space protected for good: 1.1% of Richland Township
7.4 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves. In Richland Township, the density of trails is 0.2 miles per square mile. Parks and preserves locally: 5, covering 275 acres.
#481for trails in OH
| Richland Township | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 1.1% | 3.7% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
1.1%
conserved · 306 of 26,689 acres
7.4 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Bluffton Nature Preserve | 3.2 mi | 151 |
| 2. Motter Metro Park | 1.5 mi | 52 |
| 3. Bluffton Village Park | 0.6 mi | 53 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HealthB+
Residents of Richland Township are healthier than 69% of U.S. towns
Its widest gap with Ohio is food insecurity: 8.9% of its 4,813 adults worry about having enough food, against 14.1% statewide.
Among adults in Richland Township, 12% have diabetes. The town does better than the Ohio average on 13 of 32 CDC measures and worse on 1. Two figures for adults locally: 16% say their health is fair or poor, 18% binge drink.
69%healthier than U.S. townsB+Health Grade
| Richland Township | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 15% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 20% | 19% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 17% | 16% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 16% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Ohio
13 better18 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Richland Township | OH |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.9% | 14.1% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 5.4% | 8.3% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.9% | 8.7% |
Bluffton Hospital
2.4 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
79th
percentile among OH towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B+
Top of a low hazard risk in Richland Township: inland flooding
Flood insurance has paid out on 62 claims in Richland Township since 1979. Expected damage from storms and floods is lower here than in 69% of U.S. communities.
31risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesEarthquakes
62
paid flood claims since 1979
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
The climate in Richland Township brings four seasons and pleasant summers
July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 19° and about 33 inches of snow falls in a winter.
33″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter22–36°
Spring40–60°
Summer62–83°
Fall44–64°
Oct 22
typical first frost
Apr 23
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
About one in five working residents works right in Richland Township
Richland Township has about as many jobs (2,158) as working residents, but only 421 people both live and work here.
Half commute less than 14 miles. Between 2013 and 2023, jobs in Richland Township dropped by 273, to 2,158. The average commute for Richland Township comes to 19 minutes. The top destinations are Bluffton (23%), Lima (12%) and Bath Township (5%).
19%work in town
| Richland Township | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 3.6% | 9.1% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 8.4% | 9.7% | 11% |
| Median household income | $83,000 | $75,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Richland Township19%
Bluffton23%
Lima12%
Bath Township5%
Ottawa3%
14 mi
median commute distance
2,158
jobs based in Richland Township
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
B+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 74% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Who lives here
No age group stands out in Richland Township against Ohio
22% of Richland Township residents are 65 or older. Every broad age group is within 4 points of the Ohio average. A bachelor’s degree or higher: two in five adults 25 and older, vs 32% across Ohio.
42.4median age · OH 39.7
| Richland Township | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 40% | 24% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 22% | 20% | 18% |
| Median age | 42.4 years | 41.7 years | 40.5 years |
Richland TownshipOhioUnited States
Ages · share of residents
13%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma3%
High school30%
Some college17%
Associate’s9%
Bachelor’s21%
Graduate19%
Women and men · all residents
53% women, 47% men
About 88 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±3.1 points). Across Ohio, 50.7% of residents are women.
| Richland Township | OH | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.6% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.4% | 10.3% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 12.3% | 8.9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 9.2% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.2% | 12.5% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.5% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.1% | 13.2% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.4% | 10.9% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 11.3% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 3.2% | 8.2% | 10.4% |
| High school | 30.4% | 32.1% | 26% |
| Some college | 16.9% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.3% | 9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 21.4% | 19.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 18.9% | 12.2% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Nearby attractions
All 20 attractions →Campbell Hill and 8 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Richland Township. Close and well known come first.
36 mi MountainCampbell Hill
38 mi State parkGrand Lake St. Marys State Park
24 mi MuseumArmstrong Air and Space Museum
38 mi MuseumZane Shawnee Caverns
13 mi MuseumAllen County Museum
37 mi MuseumWood County MuseumSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Campbell Hill: Analogue Kid (talk)., CC BY-SA 3.0 · Grand Lake St. Marys State Park: Bruin, CC BY 2.0 · Armstrong Air and Space Museum: Tysto, Public domain · Zane Shawnee Caverns: Darkbluejacket, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Allen County Museum: WeaponizingArchitecture, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wood County Museum: Nyttend, Public domain
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Keep exploring
Everything we know about Richland Township
18pages on Richland Township
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
5 within 15 miles of the center of Richland Township
Bluffton UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Bluffton2.7 mi$37,362 tuitionOhio Northern UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Ada9.1 mi$39,800 tuitionOhio State University-Lima CampusUniversity or college · Public · Lima10.1 mi$9,488 in-state tuition
About 12 of every 100 Richland Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Ohio.
About Richland Township
Township in Ohio, US
Richland Township is one of the twelve townships of Allen County, Ohio, United States. The population at the 2020 census was 5,871.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 42 sq mi
- Elevation
- 827 ft
Richland Township’s neighbors
5 towns share a border with Richland Township.
Monroe TownshipJackson TownshipRiley TownshipOrange TownshipPleasant TownshipRichland Township
How the neighbors grade
| Town | OH rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richland Township | #34 | A+ | A− | — | A | B+ |
| Monroe Township | — | — | A+ | — | A | B− |
| Jackson Township | #404 | B+ | A | — | B+ | C− |
| Riley Township | — | — | A+ | — | A+ | B− |
| Orange Township | — | — | A | — | B− | B |
| Pleasant Township | #53 | A+ | A | — | A | B |
Monroe Township, Riley Township and Orange Township have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Richland Township, Monroe Township, Jackson Township, Riley Township, Orange Township and Pleasant Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Richland Township with a neighbor →
Questions about Richland Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Richland Township, OH a good place to live?
Yes, by almost any measure. Richland Township grades A+ overall, better than 98% of U.S. towns and #34 of 987 in Ohio. It grades B+ for health and A for schools.
Is Richland Township, 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−.