Union Putnam, 2006
Union Township’s story
Union Township in pictures
The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2006 and 3 maps from 1906 on.
Explore the history →
Union TownshipPutnam County, OH
A town of 2,986. Public schools that outperform most of Ohio.
4 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Nyttend · Public domain
Population
2,986
2025 Census estimate · +1.2% since 2020
Median home value
$214K
Census ACS
Household income
$89K
median
Median age
40.8
years
Jobs based here
1,735
Balanced
TownGrade
A+
#14 of 987 in OH
Is Union Township a good place to live?
Union Township is one of the best-graded places in America: an A+, 14th of 987 graded towns in Ohio. Its schools score near the top of Ohio on tests and graduation, a typical home costs about $214K, 2.5 years of the county’s $85K median household income, and the median household earns $89K. The exception is hazard risk: FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 74% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. 1.9% of residents live below the poverty line in Union Township, below both the Ohio town median (9.1%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Union Township's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 87% of U.S. towns.
What makes Union Township stand out
Where Union Township beats most towns.
Kalida Local schools
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Kalida Elementary School | K–4 | 203 |
| Kalida High School | 5–12 | 393 |
SchoolsA+
Beats 99% of OH districts
#4 of the 993 Ohio towns we grade for schools
NCES · EDFacts.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
Union Township5.5
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical OH town3.9
Civic lifeA
43% more nonprofits per person
than the typical Ohio town
Charities, civic groups and human services; churches not counted.
How Union Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Ohio), ordered by how far Union Township is from typical.
SchoolsA+Open →Cost of livingAOpen →Jobs & incomeAOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listC−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 5.7 of 20; 0% of households have no car; 5.1% of workers walk, bike or ride transitBOpen →HealthBluffton Hospital 15 miles awayBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksC−Open →HistoryC+Open →Civic life5.5 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 Union Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Union Township, and how to reach them.
PowerAEP Ohio19.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterKalida Village PWSNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet8 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Union 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, Putnam County Board of ElectionsPutnam County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2019
ZIP codes45853, 45830, 45875, 4584445853 49% · 45830 18% · 45875 17% · 45844 11%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 Union Township.
Union Township pairs an A+ for schools with modest home prices and has added half again as many jobs in ten years, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of Ohio (mostly inland flooding).
SchoolsA+
Union Township’s public schools rank among the best in Ohio
Its A+ for schools comes with an A for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $214K. Its A+ ranks #4 of the 993 Ohio towns we grade for schools.
The largest public high school is Kalida High School, with 393 students. The Kalida Local school district runs its public schools. Its two schools are below.
99%of OH districts it outscoresA+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kalida Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–4 | Grades K–4 | 203 | A+ |
| Kalida High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 5–12 | Grades 5–12 | 393 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OH on state tests and graduation
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C−
Union Township faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 96% of Ohio towns; that rating is what its C− for hazard risk is built on.
Expected losses in Union Township break down as 73% from inland flooding and 9% from tornadoes.
74risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Union Township has four seasons and pleasant summers
Expect July afternoons of 85° and January nights of 19°, with about 11 inches of snow a winter.
11″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter22–36°
Spring40–61°
Summer62–83°
Fall44–64°
Oct 22
typical first frost
Apr 23
typical last frost
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A
Union Township has 1.2 jobs for every working resident, and 1,465 people commute in
Jobs based here grew from 986 in 2013 to 1,735.
For most workers, Union Township is a place to come home to: only 19% work in town. Jobs in Union Township grew by 749 from 2013 to 2023, reaching 1,735. 5.9% of workers work remotely from home locally. The top destinations are Kalida (18%), Lima (12%) and Ottawa (7%).
19%work in town
| Union Township | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 19% | 6.8% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 5.9% | 9.7% | 11% |
| Median household income | $89,000 | $75,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Union Township19%
Kalida18%
Lima12%
Ottawa7%
Findlay4%
17 mi
median commute distance
1,735
jobs based in Union Township
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
B
Walkability grade: more walkable than 56% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthB
On CDC estimates, Union Township is healthier than 56% of U.S. towns
The share of adults in Union Township who report frequent mental distress: 17%. On the CDC’s 32 measures, Union Township is ahead of Ohio on 9 and behind on 1. Among adults locally, 43% have obesity and 33% sleep under 7 hours.
56%healthier than U.S. townsBHealth Grade
| Union Township | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 16% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 38% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 38% | 36% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 20% | 19% |
32 measures vs. Ohio
9 better22 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Union Township | OH |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.6% | 14.1% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 5.8% | 8.3% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.8% | 8.7% |
Bluffton Hospital
15 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
68th
percentile among OH towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Who lives here
An age mix much like Ohio’s
A bachelor’s degree or higher: 30% of adults 25 and older, vs 32% across Ohio. Age groups here sit within 4 points of the Ohio average. Union Township: 16% of residents are 65 or older.
40.8median age · OH 39.7
| Union Township | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 16% | 20% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 24% | 22% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 30% | 24% | 29% |
Union TownshipOhioUnited States
Ages · share of residents
21%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma2%
High school29%
Some college22%
Associate’s17%
Bachelor’s22%
Graduate8%
Women and men · all residents
47% women, 53% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4.1 points. Across Ohio, 50.7% of residents are women.
| Union Township | OH | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 14.1% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10% | 10.3% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.2% | 8.9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 11.9% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.6% | 12.5% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.2% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 20.5% | 13.2% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11.7% | 10.9% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 3.8% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 2.4% | 8.2% | 10.4% |
| High school | 28.6% | 32.1% | 26% |
| Some college | 22% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 17.1% | 9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 22.1% | 19.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 7.8% | 12.2% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 3,000, single groups can be off by several points
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Union Township
17pages on Union Township
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Union Township
University of Northwestern OhioUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Lima14.1 mi$13,875 tuitionBluffton UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Bluffton14.7 mi$37,362 tuition
About 6 of every 100 Union Township residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Ohio.
About Union Township
Township in Ohio, US
Union Township is one of the fifteen townships of Putnam County, Ohio, United States. The 2020 census found 2,945 people in the township.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 30 sq mi
- Elevation
- 728 ft
Union Township’s neighbors
4 towns share a border with Union Township.
Sugar Creek TownshipGreensburg TownshipPleasant TownshipJackson TownshipUnion Township
How the neighbors grade
| Town | OH rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union Township | #14 | A+ | A | — | A+ | B |
| Sugar Creek Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Greensburg Township | — | — | A− | — | A+ | B− |
| Pleasant Township | #53 | A+ | A | — | A | B |
| Jackson Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Greensburg Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Union Township, Greensburg Township and Pleasant Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Sugar Creek Township and Jackson Township aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Union Township with a neighbor →
Questions about Union Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Union Township, OH a good place to live?
Yes, by almost any measure. Union Township grades A+ overall, among the top 2% of U.S. towns and #14 of 987 in Ohio. It grades B for health and A+ for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a C−.
Is Union 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.