Wakeman river dam, 2013
Wakeman’s story
194 years in pictures
The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2004.
- 1832Wakeman is settled
WakemanOH
Photo: Doug Kerr · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,019
2025 Census estimate · +2.8% since 2020
Typical home
$281K
+5.6% in a year
Household income
$72K
median
Median age
32.6
years
Jobs based here
160
A commuter town
Is Wakeman a good place to live?
Wakeman’s best subject grades are an A− for cost of living and civic life; its weakest is a C for walkability. Wakeman’s median age is 32.6 years, where Ohio’s towns sit at 41.7 years and U.S. towns at 40.5 years. Wakeman has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Wakeman stand out
Where Wakeman beats most towns.
Typical home value
Wakeman$281K
Ohio$246K
Cost of livingA−
4.1 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 79% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
Natural hazardsB+
Low risk of storm and flood damage
FEMA National Risk Index.
0historic places
HistoryB+
Settled in 1832
A long history
A history going back 194 years.
Small town
1,019 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How Wakeman grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Ohio), ordered by how far Wakeman is from typical.
Cost of livingA−Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 27% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listB+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.2 of 20; 3.3% of households have no car; 1% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →HealthMercy Allen Hospital 10.4 miles awayCOpen →Jobs & income$72K median household income; 160 jobs based hereBOpen →SchoolsBehind 51% of Ohio districts on tests and graduationB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
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 Wakeman: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Wakeman, and how to reach them.
PowerOhio Edison16.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterWakeman Village PWSNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers98% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Wakeman’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, Huron County Board of ElectionsHuron County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2019
ZIP code4488944889 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 Wakeman.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
Wakeman has 0.4 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Wakeman for work: only 2% work in town. At 28 minutes, Wakeman’s average trip to work is against 24 minutes in Ohio’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. The top destinations are Norwalk (15%), Elyria (5%) and Townsend Township (4%).
2%work in town
| Wakeman | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.6% | 6.9% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 7.9% | 9.1% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $72,000 | $75,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Wakeman2%
Norwalk15%
Elyria5%
Townsend Township4%
Perkins Township4%
16 mi
median commute distance
160
jobs based in Wakeman
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 29% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B+
Low risk in Wakeman, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 73% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Wakeman since 1998.
27risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesLightning
1
paid flood claims since 1998
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HealthC
Wakeman is less healthy than 66% of U.S. towns
Wakeman beats the Ohio average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 18% of adults smoke cigarettes in Wakeman.
34%healthier than U.S. townsCHealth Grade
| Wakeman | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 16% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 28% | 25% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 26% | 23% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 15% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Ohio
1 better31 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Wakeman | OH |
|---|---|---|
| More adults seeing a dentist | 66.4% | 62.9% |
Mercy Allen Hospital
10.4 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Wakeman
Wakeman has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Wakeman’s July high is 83°F.
33″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter22–36°
Spring39–58°
Summer61–81°
Fall44–62°
Oct 25
typical first frost
Apr 25
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HousingCost of living grade A−
Wakeman’s typical home value is about $281K
The typical Wakeman home is worth about $281,000, up 5.6% in a year, 14% above the Ohio typical home. The median rent in Wakeman is $816 a month.
$281KZillow home value
| Wakeman | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $816 a month | $944 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 77% | 77% | 73% |
Typical home value
Wakeman$281K
Ohio$246K
+5.6%
value change, 1 year
2
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
OutdoorsB−
Wakeman has set aside 0% of its land for conservation
0.2 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves.
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 544 acres
0.2 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Red Cap Park | — | 12 |
| 2. Wakeman Community Park | 0.1 mi | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 67 attractions →Cedar Point and 20 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Wakeman. Close and well known come first.
Big draw21 mi Theme parkCedar Point3.8M visitors a year
33 mi MuseumOhio State Reformatory
39 mi National ParkCuyahoga Valley National Park3.0M visitors a year
35 mi National MemorialPerry's Victory and International Peace Memorial124K visitors a year
40 mi MuseumA Christmas Story House
38 mi Zoo & aquariumCleveland Metroparks Zoo1.2M visitors a yearSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Cedar Point: Larry Pieniazek, User:Lar, en:User:Lar (primary), CC BY 2.5 · Ohio State Reformatory: Niagara66, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cuyahoga Valley National Park: Unknown, Public domain · Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial: NPS Photo, Public domain · A Christmas Story House: Berniethomas68 (talk) (Uploads), Public domain · Cleveland Metroparks Zoo: AJHalliwell (talk) (Uploads), CC BY-SA 3.0
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Keep exploring
Everything we know about Wakeman
18pages on Wakeman
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Wakeman
Oberlin CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Oberlin10 mi$67,366 tuitionBowling Green State University-FirelandsCommunity college · Public · Huron14.1 mi$6,407 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Wakeman residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Ohio.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Wakeman for work
Where Wakeman’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
160jobs based in Wakeman
2%of working residents work in town
16 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Wakeman
Village in Ohio, United States
Wakeman is a village in Huron County, Ohio, United States, along the Vermilion River. Its namesake was Jesup Wakeman, an early settler of Fairfield County, Connecticut, who was involved in western land speculation between 1800 and 1840. The population was 990 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.9 sq mi
- ZIP code
- 44889
Questions about Wakeman
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Wakeman, 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−.