Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Waverly grades C− overall, 859th of 987 graded towns in Ohio, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. It is more walkable than 79% of U.S. towns and it has 5 miles of trail. On the other side, residents are less healthy than 94% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. Waverly’s trail density is 1.2 miles per square mile, where Ohio’s towns sit at 0.2 and U.S. towns at 0.4. Waverly Canal Historic District is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Where Waverly beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Where Waverly’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Ohio), ordered by how far Waverly is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 306 in 1840, 4,165 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 3 maps from 1906 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Waverly, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Waverly.
Waverly draws workers from Pee Pee Township and beyond and has property taxes about half the Ohio norm, but it has seen reported crime rise by about half.
The biggest park or preserve is Bristol Park, at 61 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Bristol Park | 0.4 mi | 61 |
| 2. Tranquility Park | 0.1 mi | 2 |
| 3. Walnut Street Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
47% of adults have high blood pressure in Waverly, above both Ohio’s towns (38%) and U.S. towns (35%). 17% of Waverly adults have diabetes. Waverly beats the Ohio average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 15.
| Waverly | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 47% | 38% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 28% | 25% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 13% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 15% | 14% |
| What stands out | Waverly | OH |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 13.6% | 16.6% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 83% | 79.2% |
| More adults with COPD | 13.1% | 8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
3,614 jobs are based in Waverly, 2.2 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. Jobs based here grew from 2,669 in 2013 to 3,614.
About one in 5 of Waverly’s working residents works in town. 15% of residents live below the poverty line in Waverly. Jobs based in Waverly grew to 3,614 in 2023, 945 more than in 2013.
| Waverly | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 20% | 6.8% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 9.1% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $55,000 | $75,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 79% of U.S. communities. Since 1997, 30 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Waverly.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The median property tax bill is $1,388, against $2,822 across Ohio, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
The typical Waverly home is worth about $178,000, up 4% in a year, 28% below the Ohio typical home.
| Waverly | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 51% | 77% | 73% |
| Median rent | $976 a month | $943 a month | $1,185 a month |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
People 65 and older are 27% of residents (18% statewide); children under 18 are 14% of residents (22% statewide). The median age in Waverly is 50.6 years. 23% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 32% across Ohio.
| Waverly | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 14% | 22% | 22% |
| Median age | 50.6 years | 41.7 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 27% | 20% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 23% | 24% | 29% |
52% women, 48% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.8 points. Across Ohio, 50.7% of residents are women.
| Waverly | OH | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.4% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 5.9% | 10.3% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 4.4% | 8.9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.7% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 8.8% | 12.5% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.6% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 17.8% | 13.2% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 15.3% | 10.9% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 12% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 9.4% | 8.2% | 10.4% |
| High school | 47.5% | 32.1% | 26% |
| Some college | 13.9% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 5.8% | 9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 15.9% | 19.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 7.5% | 12.2% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 4,100, single groups can be off by several points
Waverly has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 86°, January nights drop to 23° and about 12 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Reported crimes rose from 28 to 67 over the last three FBI years, a rise beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Waverly’s property crime rate is 14.1 per 1,000 residents.
| Waverly | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 14.1 per 1,000 residents | 9.4 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.2 per 1,000 residents | 1.2 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
1 within 15 miles of the center of Waverly
About 3 of every 100 Waverly residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Ohio.
2.9% of the town is conserved land, across 4 parks and preserves.
3 notable people were born in Waverly.
City in Ohio, United States
Waverly is a village in, and the county seat of, Pike County, Ohio, United States, located about 14 miles (23 km) south of Chillicothe. The population was 4,165 at the 2020 census. The town was formed in 1829, as the construction of the Ohio and Erie Canal along the west bank of the Scioto River brought new growth to the area. In 1861, the county seat was moved here from Piketon. Waverly is served by the Garnet A. Wilson Public Library.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Waverly grades C− overall, better than 24% of U.S. towns and #859 of 987 in Ohio. It grades D for health, B for safety and C+ for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D.
That is 3.4 years of the area's median household income ($52,736 across the county). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
3 notable people were born here, including George D. Nye and Hollyn.
