Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety90#1,594/15,637
Economy52#7,570/15,631
Housing83#2,527/14,977
Health37#9,897/15,609
Healthcare10#14,011/15,650
Environment58#6,517/15,453
Education67#5,184/15,649
Infrastructure13#13,584/15,650
Community18#12,820/15,651
Leisure & amenities17#12,928/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Berlin, Ohio ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Holmes County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Violent crime rate · low0 /100k
100/100Ohio 276 /100kUnited States 328 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationHolmes County value
Preventable hospital stays · low1,130 /100k
99/100Ohio 3,269 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteHolmes County value
Unemployment rate · low0.0%
98/100Ohio 4.7%United States 4.3%2020-2024U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Census table B23025
Property crime rate · low294 /100k
97/100Ohio 1,429 /100kUnited States 1,535 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationHolmes County value
Injury deaths · low46 /100k
97/100Ohio 104 /100kUnited States 87 /100k2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteHolmes County value
Grocery stores · high3.3 /10k
96/100Ohio 1.5 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsHolmes County value

Weaknesses

Voter turnout · low40.9%
1/100Ohio 65.3%United States 65.2%2024U.S. Election Assistance CommissionHolmes County value
Mental health providers · low18 /100k
1/100Ohio 371 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteHolmes County value
Frequent mental distress · high23.8%
1/100Ohio 19.5%United States 18.6%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate
Pharmacies · low0.2 /10k
2/100Ohio 1.5 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsHolmes County value
Adult smoking · high24.5%
2/100Ohio 17.6%United States 16.1%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate
Depression · high31.7%
3/100Ohio 26.2%United States 20.7%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationRising
721 (2015-2019) → 1,232 (2020-2024)
+71%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Broadband subscriptionsWorsening
84.2% (2015-2019) → 66.4% (2020-2024)
−18 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Bachelor's degree or higherImproving
16.6% (2015-2019) → 26.9% (2020-2024)
+10 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.1% → 35.7%
High school diploma or higherWorsening
66.3% (2015-2019) → 56.9% (2020-2024)
−9.5 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 88.0% → 89.6%
Income inequality (Gini index)Worsening
0.326 (2015-2019) → 0.465 (2020-2024)
+43%5 yearsCensus table B19083US 0.482 → 0.483
Home price to income ratioWorsening
2.7× (2015-2019) → 3.8× (2020-2024)
+42%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Berlin, Ohio improved on 0 of 11 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 11 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved0

No measure improved by more than its margin of error.

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 11 measures

Change of every measure of Berlin, Ohio between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	11.8 min2015-2019	14.7 min2020-2024	+2.9 min	Within the margin of error	21%
Bachelor's degree or higher	16.6%2015-2019	26.9%2020-2024	+10 points	Within the margin of error	91%
Broadband subscriptions	84.2%2015-2019	66.4%2020-2024	−18 points	Within the margin of error	0%
Effective property tax rate	0.92%2015-2019	0.65%2020-2024	−0.3 points	Within the margin of error	70%
High school diploma or higher	66.3%2015-2019	56.9%2020-2024	−9.5 points	Within the margin of error	2%
Home price to income ratio	2.7×2015-2019	3.8×2020-2024	+1.1×	Within the margin of error	18%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.3262015-2019	0.4652020-2024	+0.139	Within the margin of error	2%
Median household income	$71,3892015-2019	$82,5892020-2024	+16%	Within the margin of error	25%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Unemployment rate	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	49%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	25.3%2015-2019	30.5%2020-2024	+5.2 points	Within the margin of error	10%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Berlin, Ohio five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Berlin, Ohio in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Berlin, Ohio itself moved −15.8 points in standing on average over the same 8 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

1,232 residents (±301)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†
50–59†
40–49†
30–39†
20–29†
10–19†
Under 10†

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 50–59 women (−8.2 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

1,232 residents (±301)

Berlin, Ohio
Ohio share

White99%1,219
Black0.0%0
Hispanic or Latino0.0%0

Education

839 residents (±189)

Berlin, Ohio
Ohio share

No high school diploma43%†362
High school or GED23%†196
Some college5.0%†

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

443 households (±106)

Berlin, Ohio
Ohio share

Under $25k13%†59
$25k–50k23%†102
$50k–75k6.3%†28
$75k–100k19%†85
$100k–150k20%†88
$150k–200k6.3%†28
$200k or more12%†53

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $50k–75k (−25.8 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

443 households (±106)

Berlin, Ohio
Ohio share

Own76%336
Rent24%†107

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

88 households (±59)

Berlin, Ohio
Ohio share

Under $75069%†61
$750–1,0000.0%0
$1,000–1,50031%†27

Home values

336 homes (±85)

Berlin, Ohio
Ohio share

Under $150k20%†68
$150k–250k8.0%†27
$250k–400k41%†138

Age of homes

538 homes (±143)

Berlin, Ohio
Ohio share

2010 or later24%†128
2000–200911%†57
1980–199927%†145

Size of homes

538 homes (±143)

Berlin, Ohio
Ohio share

Studio8.2%†44
1 bedroom16%†88
2 bedrooms18%†98

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

663 workers (±199)

Berlin, Ohio
Ohio share

Drive alone51%†337
Carpool11%†70
Public transit0.0%0
Walk11%†76
Bike25%†163
Work from home2.6%†17
Other0.0%0

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Bike (+24.6 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

646 workers (±192)

Berlin, Ohio
Ohio share

Under 15 min60%†390
15–29 min24%†154
30–44 min6.3%†41

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Holmes County, the county holding most of Berlin's residents.

Holmes County has 1,413 employer establishments, 318 for every 10,000 residents (1.28× the US rate of 248; 1.47× Ohio's), with 19,733 paid employees at an average annual pay of $49,774. The Census Bureau also counts 6,431 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,413; 6,431 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 318; US 248 · Ohio 216
Paid employees: 19,733
Average annual pay: $49,774; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Holmes County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Specialty trade contractors	204	45.9	2.97×More than typical	1,345	$64,667	981
Foundation, structure and building exterior contractors	102	23	7.29×More than typical	707	$62,890	401
Construction of buildings	82	18.5	2.44×More than typical	568	$60,361	282
Truck transportation	60	13.5	2.67×More than typical	623	$63,573	237
Religious organizations	46	10.4	1.87×More than typical	191	$21,419	—
Restaurants and other eating places	45	10.1	0.55×Fewer than typical	1,047	$19,795	12
Ambulatory health care services	44	9.9	0.48×Fewer than typical	338	$53,358	87
Other specialty trade contractors	41	9.2	3.68×More than typical	153	$85,386	280
Fabricated metal product manufacturing	37	8.3	5.22×More than typical	1,632	$68,208	45
Building finishing contractors	32	7.2	1.90×More than typical	249	$60,863	206
Building equipment contractors	29	6.5	1.09×About typical	236	$60,572	94
Services to buildings and dwellings	29	6.5	0.97×About typical	72	$59,833	303

Rank places for an industry Open Holmes County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 44,407 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $0 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Berlin, Ohio: $0 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $0; −100% vs FY2025
Per resident: $0; US $1,994
Sole-source: —; US 30%
Single offer: —; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

0FY2017
-317.9FY2018
1.2KFY2019
13.1FY2022
0FY2024
6.2FY2025

What was bought

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Berlin, Ohio, so they do not add up across cities.

Berlin, Ohio's figures are part of those of Holmes County, OH ($1.1M in FY2026), never added to them: 0.0% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Berlin is mostly in Holmes County.

See federal money in Holmes County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Berlin, Ohio is split between congressional districts: each representative is shown with the share of its residents in their district (current boundaries).