The 10 Worst Small Towns In Ohio For 2023


We used Saturday Night Science to determine the worst small towns in Ohio.

By: Nick Johnson | About HomeSnacks
Last Updated: October 14, 2023

Most Americans have never been to small town Ohio. However, as the Ohioan who live there know, small town Ohio is an awesome place to call home.

But is it all roses? Definitely not. Just like any other state, Ohio has its trouble spots. This article aims to determine, using Saturday Night Science, the absolute worst small towns to live in the Buckeye State. Don’t freak out, we will use data to show which places have high crime, poverty, and unemployment.

After analyzing more than 385 of Ohio’s smallest cities, we came up with this list as the 10 worst small towns in Ohio where you’d never want to live:

These are the worst small towns in Ohio for 2023:

  1. Drexel
  2. Morgandale
  3. Salineville
  4. Jeffersonville
  5. Nelsonville
  6. West Hill
  7. Manchester
  8. Pomeroy
  9. Ripley
  10. Windham

So what is the worst small town to call home in Ohio for 2023? According to the most recent census data, Drexel is the worst small town to live in Ohio.

While many of these small towns have seen better days, they have wonderful communities and people. This report in no way means to knock the folks that call towns like Drexel home. Everyone

Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers, or scroll to the bottom to see how your town ranked.

And if you already know about the small towns, check out the best places to live in Ohio or the worst places to live in Ohio.

If you’re looking for something more national, check out the worst cities in America or the worst states in America.

Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table

The 10 Worst Small Towns In Ohio For 2023

1. Drexel

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 1,732
Median Home Value: $34,300 (2nd worst)
Unemployment Rate: 25.9% (3rd worst)

2. Morgandale

Overall SnackAbility

/10

Population: 1,108
Median Home Value: $79,100 (37th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 10.9% (35th worst)

3. Salineville

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 1,179
Median Home Value: $73,300 (24th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 8.3% (68th worst)

4. Jeffersonville

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 1,126
Median Home Value: $89,000 (72nd worst)
Unemployment Rate: 8.9% (59th worst)

5. Nelsonville

Nelsonville, OH

Source: Wikipedia User Tim Kiser (w:User:Malepheasant) | CC BY-SA 2.5
Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 4,319
Median Home Value: $88,500 (70th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 11.8% (28th worst)

6. West Hill

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 2,115
Median Home Value: $46,200 (3rd worst)
Unemployment Rate: 8.7% (6worst)

7. Manchester

Manchester, OH

Source: Wikipedia User Aesopposea | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 1,622
Median Home Value: $68,500 (16th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 11.9% (27th worst)

8. Pomeroy

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 1,508
Median Home Value: $64,700 (12th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 8.6% (64th worst)

9. Ripley

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 1,586
Median Home Value: $89,800 (75th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 11.7% (29th worst)

10. Windham

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 1,785
Median Home Value: $92,500 (82nd worst)
Unemployment Rate: 11.4% (3worst)

Methodology: How do you decide if a small place in Ohio is lousy or not?

To rank the worst small towns to live in Ohio, we had to determine what criteria people like or dislike about a place. Assuming that people like low crime, solid education, things to do, and a stable economy isn’t a stretch.

We then analyzed the criteria using Saturday Night Science, the thinking you’d use at a bar. It seems like even your crazy Uncle would agree that a town with high crime is worse than a town with low crime; all else the same.

Using FBI crime data and the Census’s 2017-2021 American Community Survey, this is the criteria we used:

  • Population Density (The lower, the worse)
  • Highest Unemployment Rates
  • Low housing costs (meaning there’s no demand)
  • Adjusted Median Income (Median income adjusted for the cost of living)
  • Education (Number of high school dropouts)
  • High Crime

We looked at cities with populations between 1,000 and 5,000 people, of which there were many – 385 to be exact.

We get the crime numbers from the FBI, which gets them from the cities. Dropout numbers are based on the adult population, not just the current graduation rates of teenagers.

We base all our research on facts, which is meant as infotainment. We updated this article for 2023, which is our tenth time ranking the worst small places to live in Ohio.

There You Have It – The Worst Small Towns In Ohio

If you’re analyzing teeny places in the Buckeye State with the worst economic situations, where there’s high crime and there’s not a lot to do, this is an accurate list.

If you’re curious enough, here are the best small towns to live in Ohio, according to science:

  1. Sixteen Mile Stand (Pop. 3,589)
  2. Terrace Park (Pop. 2,012)
  3. Mariemont (Pop. 3,497)

For more Ohio reading, check out:

Detailed List Of The Worst Small Towns In Ohio

Rank Town Population Unemployment Rate Home Value
1 Drexel 1,732 25.9% $34,300
2 Morgandale 1,108 10.9% $79,100
3 Salineville 1,179 8.3% $73,300
4 Jeffersonville 1,126 8.9% $89,000
5 Nelsonville 4,319 11.8% $88,500
6 West Hill 2,115 8.7% $46,200
7 Manchester 1,622 11.9% $68,500
8 Pomeroy 1,508 8.6% $64,700
9 Ripley 1,586 11.7% $89,800
10 Windham 1,785 11.4% $92,500
11 Newcomer 3,809 19.7% $76,800
12 West Union 3,132 11.2% $98,300
13 Stony Prairie 1,729 5.8% $93,600
14 Urbancrest 1,124 20.5% $94,500
15 Crystal Lakes 1,629 14.7% $86,400
16 Greenfield 4,197 8.6% $81,600
17 Rosemount 2,075 9.6% $79,800
18 Wolfhurst 1,218 21.9% $78,800
19 Woodsfield 2,387 13.7% $97,600
20 New London 2,543 9.5% $82,800
21 Union City 1,425 6.2% $47,900
22 Coal Grove 2,055 13.0% $94,700
23 Blanchester 4,399 14.7% $109,100
24 New Boston 2,672 10.9% $48,100
25 New Miami 2,300 16.2% $73,500
26 Sawyerwood 1,472 22.4% $84,400
27 Williamsport 1,001 8.2% $120,600
28 Peebles 1,981 20.8% $91,400
29 Winchester 1,289 7.8% $115,200
30 Russells Point 1,407 6.6% $98,700
31 Bloomingburg 1,105 10.2% $76,700
32 Orwell 2,044 5.1% $113,100
33 Elmwood Place 2,215 5.5% $57,500
34 Mcconnelsville 2,282 6.6% $87,200
35 Wellsville 3,157 8.4% $55,300
36 Lakeview 1,194 6.5% $80,800
37 Plymouth 1,727 10.8% $83,100
38 Glouster 1,442 5.2% $63,500
39 Waynesburg 1,121 8.6% $101,200
40 Leipsic 2,340 3.3% $98,300
41 Middleport 2,050 6.1% $69,300
42 West Lafayette 2,638 10.9% $76,000
43 Matamoras 1,177 18.9% $85,700
44 Piketon 2,232 6.7% $92,500
45 Leavittsburg 1,353 10.2% $73,700
46 Sebring 4,227 14.1% $82,600
47 Georg 4,480 2.4% $93,500
48 South Zanesville 1,882 6.0% $56,800
49 Powhatan Point 1,743 4.4% $98,000
50 Gallipolis 3,348 4.0% $111,800
51 Sardinia 1,307 2.8% $85,900
52 Montpelier 3,947 5.5% $86,400
53 Deshler 1,554 4.3% $89,300
54 Newburgh Heights 1,815 6.4% $69,400
55 Fayette 1,216 4.6% $68,700
56 Bellaire 3,927 10.8% $79,000
57 Edgewood 4,441 7.1% $86,100
58 New Paris 1,383 10.8% $73,700
59 Oak Hill 1,925 6.4% $73,700
60 Churchill 2,014 6.7% $87,100
61 Ansonia 1,148 3.8% $83,200
62 Crestline 4,496 4.8% $76,400
63 Neffs 1,149 3.5% $65,600
64 North Randall 1,051 18.1% $114,600
65 Newton Falls 4,570 7.4% $86,700
66 Camden 2,049 4.8% $104,800
67 Paulding 3,604 9.5% $93,100
68 Walbridge 3,037 8.3% $106,000
69 Payne 1,476 7.7% $87,000
70 Bethel 2,647 8.0% $114,500
71 Aberdeen 1,360 3.1% $118,800
72 Byesville 2,232 7.1% $82,900
73 Bethesda 1,300 5.8% $101,200
74 Rio Grande 1,259 2.6% $160,400
75 Sabina 2,567 2.1% $82,300
76 Lincoln Heights 3,153 26.1% $72,600
77 Crooksville 2,466 4.5% $75,200
78 Brilliant 1,192 1.6% $65,000
79 La Croft 1,084 7.8% $59,700
80 Leetonia 2,099 7.9% $80,700
81 Weston 1,540 7.5% $93,500
82 Lowellville 1,129 4.6% $71,700
83 Batavia 2,614 14.9% $152,100
84 Frankfort 1,309 7.2% $125,600
85 Utica 2,145 12.5% $110,100
86 Lockland 3,495 5.9% $100,200
87 Masury 2,314 8.0% $63,500
88 West Portsmouth 2,679 0.0% $71,400
89 Bridgeport 1,653 7.7% $79,700
90 Bolindale 2,237 5.3% $84,600
91 Jame 2,085 9.1% $111,700
92 New Vienna 1,253 7.3% $93,600
93 Dennison 2,416 9.5% $83,400
94 Minerva 3,224 4.3% $97,800
95 Millersburg 3,141 2.4% $119,900
96 Mingo Junction 3,463 6.2% $85,200
97 Park Layne 4,252 5.1% $88,900
98 Garrettsville 2,655 13.1% $167,300
99 Loudonville 2,719 6.5% $111,300
100 Somerset 1,743 10.0% $139,600
About Nick Johnson

Nick Johnson earned his masters in Business Administration from the Drucker School At Claremont Graduate University. He has written for 39 publications across the country and ran the media relations department at Movoto, a real estate portal based in San Francisco. He has been featured in over 500 publications as an expert in real estate and as an authority on real estate trends.

Nick's the creator of the HomeSnacks YouTube channel that now has over 260,000 subscribers and is an excellent source to learn about different parts of the country.

 Worst

16 thoughts on “The 10 Worst Small Towns In Ohio For 2023”

  1. We live in Cecil and it’s not that bad a town. Yes it is small, and yes there is close to nothing to do, but that is because it is a farming community. Most towns in Ohio are boring, even the large city of Defiance which is 15min away can be very boring. When it comes to fun you usually need to go to a very large city to find any, it’s obvious you won’t find anything in a little village. To add, no matter where you live you will find bad neighbors and dangerous people, there’s no way of avoiding that. Don’t let this article scare you away.

    Reply

  2. This article is insulting and inaccurate. For one thing the directions to Macksburg are incorrect. It is not off the first exit before WV. It isn’t even off the second exit. If you are going to post something like this please at least check your facts. Also when reporting the crime rates it would be helpful to give people an idea of how the crime ranks to other towns on an annual basis, i.e. How many murders/year, how many drug busts/year. Most of these have less than one murder a year making them still a very safe place to live. I grew up in Caldwell Ohio and am familiar with several of these small towns and the people who live there. Your article is hurtful to these people because you are mocking their way of life. Please be more considerate of people’s feelings.

    Reply

    1. I hunted out of Caldwell in Violet township off rt 78.
      I like Caldwell.
      But honey, put on your big girl panties and don’t allow yourself to be offended.
      If your feelings are hurt, you must have gotten a participation trophy in little league soccer and your parents overprotected your tender self esteem.
      Toughen up! Failure teaches you more than living a sheltered unrealistic existence.

      Reply

  3. None of these villages qualify as a town. How many are even incorporated and collect taxes. This looks like an attempt to just kick the residents of these communities. Is your company too stupid to know the difference between a town and villages or hamlets? And I don’t live in any of the so-called 100 worst places.
    From the English Dictionary definition: a ​place where there are a lot of ​houses, ​stores, and other ​buildings which is ​smaller than a ​city:
    [C] He was ​born in the ​small town of Elnora, Indiana.
    [U] We ​stayed at the ​best ​hotel in town.

    Reply

  4. Rude. Why do this? Dislike, and I hope I can find a way to discourage purchase of anything that you endorse.

    Reply

  5. I live in rogers and where they get the crime rate surprised me. Are they counting speeding tickets and running the only red light? And by the way, where is a 75000 house? Mine was a lot more than that!

    Reply

  6. I am a council member and your facts are all wrong I suggest you go to the county information and stay away from Facebook.Our population is larger and as for high school diplomas my family alone will dis credit that fact . our crime rate is lowest in the county and the state . we have had only one arrest in three years .before you spout off nonsense you need to do more research

    Reply

  7. This is ridiculous. There are lots worse places to live. Let’s start with EVERY place that borders on the Cuyahoga River. When you live on a river that is so polluted it catches on fire every month or so and they have to bring the fireboat to spray foam on it, THAT is a bad place. A guy driving across the bridge flicks a cigarette out the window and it falls on the river and the water goes up in flames, and you think Irondale is a bad place to live? Get serious. But it gets worse. What about inner city Cincinnati and Cleveland, where you’re afraid to go out at night or walk down the street at noon, where if you pull up at a red light, while you’re stuck there waiting for the light to change, four guys emerge from the alley and pull off your hubcaps and disappear back into the darkness, and you think Irondale is a bad place to live?

    Reply

  8. There are many “towns” that were missed! Several in Van Wert county alone. Converse, Elgin, Schumm, Glenmore, Dull Station, Dixon, Cavett, Convoy, and so on. Many of these with an even smaller population! Maybe wroth taking another look…

    Reply

  9. I’ve been to many of these quaint towns. Many of these are quiet commuter towns, Ideal for the person who wants to live close to a more populated area but still live in a friendly small town. Best of two worlds. It’s all in the eye of the beholder.

    Reply

  10. It ain’t right to label people as being dumb based only on their level of education. My dad was born into depression era West Virgina, and had to help support the family after completing the third grade. He farmed a lot and found he was better at fixing things. While employed at the county as a mechanic he managed to buy some cheap land, build a house and a garage on it, started a nice orchard and a big garden. My brothers and I ate very well growing up. Dad retired to his own business in the garage he built. So be careful of how you label people.

    Reply

  12. As a native of ohio, I must say, don’t forget Coshocton. Sadly, Coshocton is one of the worst I’ve been too. I’m honestly surprised it didn’t make this list!

    Reply

  13. You did give an abbreviated rundown as to how you collected the data in your article. One was that you had never visited any of these towns. Totally statistical driven…Hmmm.

    Reply

  15. Rogers has one of the best known flea markets in US. They bring tour busses in to shop. While visiting in Florida,(being from Ohio) I was asked if I knew where the flea market was. I did. I live just 12 miles from it. ….

    Reply

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