Mt. Olive Road Covered Bridge · National Register of Historic Places
Richland Township’s story
154 years in pictures
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1872Richland Township is settled
Richland TownshipOH
A town of 1,649, settled in 1872. 46% more nonprofits per person than the typical Ohio town.
5 bordering townsMap →
Mt. Olive Road Covered Bridge · Photo: tcpix · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,649
2025 Census estimate · −0.8% since 2020
Median home value
$164K
Census ACS
Household income
$54K
median
Median age
35.8
years
Jobs based here
108
A commuter town
Is Richland Township a good place to live?
The best of Richland Township’s subject grades is an A for civic life; the weakest is a D for health. Richland Township’s average trip to work is 34 minutes, where Ohio’s towns sit at 24 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Only 102 of Ohio’s 1,707 towns score lower on incomes. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 87% of U.S. towns. Mt. Olive Road Covered Bridge is on the National Register of Historic Places. Richland Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Richland Township stand out
Where Richland Township beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Richland Township for work
Where Richland Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
108jobs based in Richland Township
1%of working residents work in town
25 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Richland Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Ohio), ordered by how far Richland Township is from typical.
HealthHolzer Medical Center Jackson 14.1 miles awayDOpen →Jobs & income$54K median household incomeDOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.4 of 20; 0% of households have no car; 0.9% of workers walk, bike or ride transitDOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listC+Open →SchoolsB−Open →Cost of livingB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1% conserved landC−Open →History1 place on the National RegisterBOpen →Civic life5.7 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsAOpen →
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
WaterRoss County Water Co IncNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers76% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Richland Township’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, Vinton County Board of ElectionsVinton County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Dec 2025
ZIP codes45651, 45672, 4563445651 73% · 45672 24% · 45634 3%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.
HealthD
Residents of Richland Township are less healthy than 91% of U.S. towns
Richland Township beats the Ohio average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 13. 21% of Richland Township adults smoke cigarettes, against 16% in Ohio’s towns and 14% across U.S. towns. 17% of adults report frequent physical distress in Richland Township.
9%healthier than U.S. townsDHealth Grade
| Richland Township | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 16% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 28% | 25% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 12% |
32 measures vs. Ohio
0 better19 too close to call13 worse
| What stands out | Richland Township | OH |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 21.5% | 15.3% |
| More adults with COPD | 11.2% | 8% |
| More smokers | 20.8% | 15.4% |
Holzer Medical Center Jackson
14.1 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsB−
On state tests, Richland Township’s schools trail 54% of Ohio districts
Its public schools are run by the Vinton County Local school district. Its one school is below.
46%of OH districts it outscoresB−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| West ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 258 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OH on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
Compared with most of Ohio and the rest of the country, fewer of Richland Township’s working residents work locally
0.7% of Richland Township working residents work locally. Jobs based in Richland Township fell to 108 in 2023, 77 fewer than in 2013. 15% of Richland Township residents live below the poverty line.
1%work in town
| Richland Township | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 9.1% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $54,000 | $75,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.7% | 6.9% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Richland Township1%
McArthur8%
Columbus6%
Chillicothe6%
Elk Township5%
25 mi
median commute distance
108
jobs based in Richland Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
D
Walkability grade: more walkable than 13% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C+
High risk in Richland Township, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 68% of U.S. communities.
68risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland flooding
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Richland Township
Richland Township has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 23° and about 23 inches of snow falls in a winter.
23″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter25–41°
Spring41–64°
Summer61–83°
Fall43–66°
Oct 21
typical first frost
Apr 22
typical last frost
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
OutdoorsC−
0.8% of Richland Township is conserved land
0.1 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. The biggest park or preserve is Wellston Reservoir State Wildlife Park, at 109 acres.
0.8%conserved
0.8%
conserved · 220 of 27,534 acres
0.1 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Wellston Reservoir State Wildlife Park | — | 109 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
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
None within 15 miles of Richland Township; the nearest are
Ohio University-Chillicothe CampusCommunity college · Public · Chillicothe23 mi$6,362 in-state tuitionHocking CollegeCommunity college · Public · Nelsonville24.6 mi$5,540 in-state tuitionOhio UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Athens27.1 mi$14,158 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Richland Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Ohio.
Richland Township’s neighbors
5 towns share a border with Richland Township.
Jackson TownshipWashington TownshipElk TownshipHarrison TownshipClinton TownshipRichland Township
How the neighbors grade
| Town | OH rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richland Township | — | — | B− | — | B− | D |
| Jackson Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Washington Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Elk Township | #860 | C− | B+ | — | B− | D |
| Harrison Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Clinton Township | — | — | A | — | B− | D |
Richland Township and Clinton Township have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Richland Township, Elk Township and Clinton Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Jackson Township, Washington Township and Harrison Township aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). 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?
46% more nonprofits per person than the typical Ohio town.
Is Richland Township, OH expensive?
The typical home is worth about $164,000. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.