Porter Gap from the road, 2016
Upper Township’s story
Upper Township in pictures
The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2015 and 7 maps from 1898 on.
Explore the history →
Upper TownshipOH
Population 13,816: a town in Ohio.
8 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Nyttend · Public domain
Population
13,816
2025 Census estimate · −4.3% since 2020
Median home value
$113K
Census ACS
Household income
$49K
median
Median age
40.3
years
Jobs based here
4,894
Balanced
TownGrade
C−
#896 of 987 in OH
Is Upper Township a good place to live?
Easy on the wallet, harder on other counts. The weak point is health (D−) — CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 97% of the country. Upper Township grades C− overall, better than 20% of U.S. towns, and ranks 896th of 987 in Ohio. Incomes are weaker too: the median household income is $49K, and 22% of residents live below the poverty line. Its best grade is for cost of living — a typical home costs about $113K, 1.9 years of the Huntington metro’s $60K median household income. It also trails on hazard risk (D) — FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than just over four fifths of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. Only 2 of the 993 Ohio towns we compare have a higher midsummer high than Upper Township. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 99% of U.S. towns.
Figures: home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · health, CDC PLACES · FEMA National Risk Index · NOAA normals, 1991–2020.
What makes Upper Township stand out
Where Upper Township beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
How Upper Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Ohio), ordered by how far Upper Township is from typical.
Its best grade is an A+ for history (#7 of 993 in Ohio), which describes the town but isn’t part of the overall grade; its C− comes from the livability subjects above.
HealthKing's Daughters' Medical Center 5 miles awayD−Open →Jobs & incomeNear the bottom of the towns comparedDOpen →Hazard riskInland flooding tops the listDOpen →Cost of livingBased on what homes cost against what households earnB+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 8.5 of 20; 8.8% of households have no car; 2% of workers walk, bike or ride transitBOpen →SchoolsBased on how pupils do in exams and testsB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors0 miles of trails; 6% conserved landC−Open →HistoryNear the top of the towns comparedA+Open →Civic life5.2 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsB−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 Upper Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Upper Township, and how to reach them.
PowerAEP Ohio19.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterIronton water system1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers94% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Upper 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, Lawrence County Board of ElectionsLawrence County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Dec 2025
ZIP code4563845638 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 Upper Township.
Upper Township sends many workers across the state line to Ashland, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of Ohio (mostly inland flooding).
HealthD−
Compared with most of Ohio and the rest of the country, more of Upper Township’s adults report frequent physical distress
The share of adults in Upper Township who had a checkup this year: 81%. 27% of adults say their health is fair or poor here, where Ohio’s towns sit at 20% and U.S. towns at 19%. Of 32 CDC measures, Upper Township beats the Ohio average on 1 and trails it on 23.
3%healthier than U.S. townsD−Health Grade
| Upper Township | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 16% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 45% | 38% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 15% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 13% | 12% |
32 measures vs. Ohio
1 better8 too close to call23 worse
| What stands out | Upper Township | OH |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 13.8% | 16.6% |
| More adults with COPD | 12.6% | 8% |
King's Daughters' Medical Center
5 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
2nd
percentile among OH towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsB−
Public schools in Upper Township beat 52% of Ohio districts
The largest public high school is Ironton High School, with 377 students. Of its 5 schools, two are listed below, each with the reason. Its public schools are run by the Dawson-Bryant Local school district.
52%of OH districts it outscoresB−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dawson-Bryant Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 262 | C |
| Ironton High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 377 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OH on state tests and graduation
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
In Upper Township, the FEMA risk score runs higher than in the typical Ohio or U.S. town
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 98% of Ohio towns, with expected losses of about $565 per resident a year; that rating is what its D for hazard risk is built on.
The town has had 41 paid flood insurance claims since 1978. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Upper Township once, in 2011.
81risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHeat waves
41
paid flood claims since 1978
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
In Upper Township, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
The seasons in Upper Township: chilly winters, warm summers. Summer afternoons peak near 87° in July, and January nights bottom out around 24°; snowfall runs to about 6 inches a winter.
6″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter26–45°
Spring42–67°
Summer63–86°
Fall45–68°
Oct 30
typical first frost
Apr 16
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
With only 0.8 jobs per working resident, most people in Upper Township work out of town
42% of working residents cross a state line to work, Ashland among the top destinations.
About one worker in four stays in Upper Township for work. Between 2013 and 2023, jobs here rose by 1,047, to 4,894. 4.9% of workers work remotely from home in the town. The top destinations are Ironton (20%), Ashland (13%) and Huntington (6%).
23%work in town
| Upper Township | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 22% | 9.1% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 23% | 6.8% | 8% |
| Median household income | $49,000 | $75,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 4.9% | 9.7% | 11% |
Where working residents work
In Upper Township23%
Ironton20%
Ashland13%
Huntington6%
Portsmouth4%
9 mi
median commute distance
4,894
jobs based in Upper Township
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
B
Walkability grade: more walkable than 65% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
OutdoorsC−
Open space protected for good: 5.6% of Upper Township
Across 4 parks and preserves: 0.2 miles of trail. Parks and preserves in Upper Township: 4, covering 18 acres.
5.6%conserved
5.6%
conserved · 881 of 15,811 acres
0.2 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Joe Swarts Sports Complex | — | 9 |
| 2. Paul Porter Park | — | 6 |
| 3. Beechwood Park | 0.1 mi | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 17 attractions →Wayne National Forest and 4 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Upper Township. Close and well known come first.
13 mi National forestWayne National Forest
12 mi Theme parkCamden Park
16 mi MuseumHuntington Museum of Art
15 mi MuseumHeritage Farm Museum and Village14 mi MuseumMuseum of Radio and TechnologySources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Wayne National Forest: Forest Service, USDA, Public domain · Camden Park: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain · Huntington Museum of Art: Daderot, CC0 · Heritage Farm Museum and Village: Zeo1989, CC BY-SA 4.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Upper Township
18pages on Upper Township
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
6 within 15 miles of the center of Upper Township
Ohio University-Southern CampusCommunity college · Public · Ironton1.3 mi$6,362 in-state tuitionAshland Community and Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Ashland, KY5 mi$4,728 in-state tuitionMarshall UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Huntington, WV14.8 mi$9,162 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Upper Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Ohio.
About Upper Township
Township in Ohio, US
Upper Township is one of the fourteen townships of Lawrence County, Ohio, United States. As of the 2020 census the population was 14,451.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 25 sq mi
- Elevation
- 591 ft
Upper Township’s neighbors
8 towns share a border with Upper Township.
IrontonHamilton TownshipPerry TownshipCoal GroveElizabeth TownshipRussellWestwoodLawrence TownshipUpper Township
How the neighbors grade
| Town | OH rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upper Township | #896 | C− | B+ | — | B− | D− |
| Ironton | #852 | C | A− | B | B− | D− |
| Hamilton Township | — | — | A | — | B− | D− |
| Perry Township | #891 | C− | A− | — | B | D |
| Coal Grove | — | — | A− | — | B+ | D |
| Elizabeth Township | — | — | A | — | B− | D− |
| Lawrence Township | — | — | A− | — | B | D |
Hamilton Township, Coal Grove, Elizabeth Township and Lawrence Township have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Upper Township, Hamilton Township, Perry Township, Coal Grove, Elizabeth Township and Lawrence Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Upper Township with a neighbor →
Questions about Upper Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Upper Township, OH a good place to live?
Upper Township grades C− overall, better than 20% of U.S. towns and #896 of 987 in Ohio. It grades D− for health and B− for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is Upper 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 B+.