Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety89#107/924
Economy63#346/925
Housing95#44/925
Health54#429/925
Healthcare33#621/923
Environment34#601/917
Education33#618/925
Infrastructure61#357/925
Community57#402/925
Leisure & amenities71#265/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Bellefontaine, OH micropolitan area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Rent as share of income · low23.3%
96/100Ohio 28.3%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071
Rent-burdened households · low35.8%
95/100Ohio 45.9%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Grocery stores · high2.8 /10k
95/100Ohio 1.5 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Property crime rate · low480 /100k
94/100Ohio 1,429 /100kUnited States 1,535 /100k2024Federal Bureau of InvestigationAggregated from counties
Public libraries · high1.7 /10k
93/100Ohio 0.7 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesAggregated from counties
Severe housing problems · low9.9%
92/100Ohio 12.7%United States 16.8%2017-2021University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Bachelor's degree or higher · low18.7%
17/100Ohio 31.5%United States 35.7%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003
Mental health providers · low135 /100k
18/100Ohio 371 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Primary care physicians · low41 /100k
19/100Ohio 77 /100kUnited States 76 /100k2022University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Dentists · low41 /100k
19/100Ohio 66 /100kUnited States 75 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Distance to an Amtrak station · high84 mi
22/100Ohio 37 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Frequent mental distress · high19.6%
24/100Ohio 19.5%United States 18.6%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Trends

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

New business applicationsImproving
5.4 /1k (2020) → 9.7 /1k (2025)
+78%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k
Property crime rateImproving
993 /100k (2019) → 480 /100k (2024)
−52%5 yearsUS 2,082 /100k → 1,761 /100k
Drug overdose deathsImproving
16.5 /100k (2021) → 9.5 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
−42%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k
PharmaciesWorsening
2.2 /10k (2020) → 1.3 /10k (2025)
−40%5 yearsUS 1.9 /10k → 1.8 /10k
Flu vaccinationsWorsening
48.0% (2019) → 40.0% (2023)
−8 pts4 yearsUS 48.0% → 44.0%
Drought exposureWorsening
0% (2021) → 7% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+7.3 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%

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, Bellefontaine, OH micropolitan area improved on 10 of 30 measures with a comparison and declined on 3. 9 moved within the margin of error and 8 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved10

Traffic deaths−30%19.9 /100k → 13.9 /100k
Grocery stores+18%2.4 /10k → 2.8 /10k
New businesses+78%5.4 /1k → 9.7 /1k
Overdose deaths−60%23.9 /100k → 9.5 /100k
Gyms+25%0.9 /10k → 1.1 /10k

Declined3

Pharmacies−40%2.2 /10k → 1.3 /10k
Libraries−12%2.0 /10k → 1.7 /10k
Price / income+0.5×2.3× → 2.8×

All 30 measures

Change of every measure of Bellefontaine, OH micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	4.8 /10k2020	4.5 /10k2025	−4.9%	Little change	21%
Average commute time	22.1 min2015-2019	21.8 min2020-2024	−0.3 min	Within the margin of error	72%
Average weekly wage	$9312020	$1,1322025	+22%	Improved	35%
Bachelor's degree or higher	16.5%2015-2019	18.7%2020-2024	+2.2 points	Within the margin of error	36%
Broadband subscriptions	82.2%2015-2019	89.0%2020-2024	+6.8 points	Improved	22%
Child poverty rate	15.0%2015-2019	16.0%2020-2024	+1 points	Within the margin of error	15%
Distance to an airport	41 mi2020	41 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	23.9 /100k2020	9.5 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−60%	Improved	90%
Effective property tax rate	1.15%2015-2019	0.99%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Little change	62%
Firearm deaths	11.1 /100k2020	10.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−2.7%	Little change	54%
Grocery stores	2.4 /10k2020	2.8 /10k2025	+18%	Improved	87%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.9 /10k2020	1.1 /10k2025	+25%	Improved	75%
High school diploma or higher	92.6%2015-2019	92.4%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Within the margin of error	5%
Home price to income ratio	2.3×2015-2019	2.8×2020-2024	+0.5×	Declined	41%
Homicide rate	3.0 /100k2020	3.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+3.3%	Little change	20%
Income adjusted for local prices	$47,5612019	$62,5622024	+32%	Improved	49%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4262015-2019	0.4452020-2024	+0.019	Within the margin of error	15%
Median household income	$56,7542015-2019	$71,5512020-2024	+26%	Improved	45%
New business applications	5.4 /1k2020	9.7 /1k2025	+78%	Improved	86%
Pharmacies	2.2 /10k2020	1.3 /10k2025	−40%	Declined	3%
Poverty rate	11.4%2015-2019	11.1%2020-2024	−0.3 points	Within the margin of error	33%
Public libraries	2.0 /10k2019	1.7 /10k2024	−12%	Declined	9%
Rent as share of income	24.4%2015-2019	23.3%2020-2024	−1.1 points	Within the margin of error	78%
Rent-burdened households	34.3%2015-2019	35.8%2020-2024	+1.5 points	Within the margin of error	44%
Restaurants and bars	8.0 /10k2020	7.8 /10k2025	−3.1%	Little change	32%
Suicide rate	15.5 /100k2020	14.9 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−3.9%	Little change	69%
Traffic deaths	19.9 /100k2015-2019	13.9 /100k2020-2024	−30%	Improved	94%
Unemployment rate	8.3%2020	4.3%2025	−4 points	Improved	81%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	7.1%2015-2019	7.3%2020-2024	+0.2 points	Within the margin of error	37%
Violent crime rate	98 /100k2020	101 /100k2025	+2.7%	Little change	23%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. 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 925 metro and micro areas 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.

Metro and micro areas like Bellefontaine, OH micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Bellefontaine, OH micropolitan area 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, Bellefontaine, OH micropolitan area itself moved −0.3 points in standing on average over the same 29 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

46,089 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

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

Household income

19,560 households (±383)

Bellefontaine, OH micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k16%3,111
$25k–50k17%3,402
$50k–75k19%3,742

Homes

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

Owners and renters

19,560 households (±383)

Bellefontaine, OH micropolitan area
United States share

Own78%15,176
Rent22%4,384

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+3.4 points).

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

20,679 workers (±683)

Bellefontaine, OH micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone78%16,101
Carpool10%2,140
Public transit0.2%†35

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes no occupation wages for Bellefontaine, OH micropolitan area.

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.

Bellefontaine, OH has 872 employer establishments, 189 for every 10,000 residents (0.76× the US rate of 248), with 17,202 paid employees at an average annual pay of $53,573. The Census Bureau also counts 3,292 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 872; 3,292 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 189; US 248
Paid employees: 17,202
Average annual pay: $53,573; US $68,342

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

Restaurants and other eating places	81	17.6	0.96×About typical	1,535	$16,746	9
Ambulatory health care services	65	14.1	0.68×Fewer than typical	759	$59,142	115
Specialty trade contractors	50	10.9	0.70×Fewer than typical	172	$58,785	325
Religious organizations	44	9.6	1.72×More than typical	199	$19,678	—
Limited-service restaurants	36	7.8	0.97×About typical	835	$16,674	6
Full-service restaurants	31	6.7	0.88×About typical	563	$17,528	3
Lessors of real estate	31	6.7	0.55×Fewer than typical	91	$44,769	303
Automotive repair and maintenance	28	6.1	1.21×About typical	105	$40,886	52
Banks and credit unions	25	5.4	1.68×More than typical	156	$49,609	—
Offices of physicians	23	5	0.77×Fewer than typical	290	$84,010	12
Offices of other health practitioners	22	4.8	0.79×Fewer than typical	148	$46,878	43
Services to buildings and dwellings	21	4.6	0.68×Fewer than typical	176	$47,670	197

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 46,064 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.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
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 contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $17.7M on contracts performed in Bellefontaine, OH micropolitan area: $381 per resident (US $1,995).

Obligations: $17.7M; +1.4% vs FY2025
Per resident: $381; US $1,995
Sole-source: 86%; US 30%
Single offer: 0.0%; 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

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration$17.5M99%
Defense Logistics Agency$124.9K0.7%

Top recipients

TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH CENTER INC$17.5M99%
UNITED TOOL & MACHINE INC$124.9K0.7%
EUROAMERICA LLC-$10.000.0%
STAR TITLE AGENCY LLC-$6,5350.0%

Spending by fiscal year

18.6MFY2017
17.2MFY2018
18.6MFY2019
21.7MFY2020
24.1MFY2021
23.2MFY2022
35.5MFY2023
29.7M

Top industries (NAICS)

Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$17.5M99%
Architectural and structural metals manufacturing · 3323$105.1K0.6%
Other fabricated metal product manufacturing · 3329$19.7K0.1%

Largest awards

NEW TO AGAINST TRC IDIQ CONTRACT: 693JJ923D000057 BIOMECHANICS RESEARCH$13.9M
TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH CENTER INC· Logan County, OH· Research & development· Sep 5, 2024 – Aug 27, 2026· 693JJ924F00107N
**VRTC** NEW TRC TO AGAINST NEW TRC CONTRACT (TBD). SEVERABLE. POP: 5-YEAR ( BASE PERIOD WITH FOUR 1 YEAR OPTIONS.) BASE PERIOD 09/30/2023 - 09/29/2024 HISTORICALLY, INDIVIDUAL TRC TASK ORDERS WERE UTILIZED TO MEET INDIVIDUAL PROJECT GOALS. D$12.7M
TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH CENTER INC· Logan County, OH· Research & development· Sep 28, 2023 – Jul 21, 2026· 693JJ923F000296
NEW TRC TO AGAINST CONTRACT: 693JJ923D000057 DUMMY MANAGEMENT LABORATORY SUPPORT SERVICES$9.6M
TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH CENTER INC· Logan County, OH· Research & development· Aug 1, 2024 – Jun 30, 2026· 693JJ924F00064N

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 6, 2026, loaded Oct 6, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $315.9M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Bellefontaine, OH micropolitan area: $6,823 per resident (US $12,957).

Assistance · FY2026: $315.9M; +1.4% vs FY2025
Per resident: $6,823; US $12,957
Loan face value: $11.7M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 2.0%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$196.4M62%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$31.8M10%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$22.5M7.1%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$20.9M6.6%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$6.3M2.0%
20.287 · Surface Transportation Block Grant Program$5.7M1.8%
20.279 · National Highway Performance Program (NHPP)$4.5M1.4%
20.272 · Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP)$4.1M1.3%

Top recipients (organizations)

OHIO DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$14.4M4.6%
COLUMBUS, OH
LOGAN COUNTY METROPOLITAN HOUSING AUTHORITY$2.4M0.8%
BELLEFONTAINE, OH
COMMUNITY HEALTH & WELLNESS PA$1.9M0.6%
TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH CENTER INC$1.5M0.5%
EAST LIBERTY, OH
CITY OF BELLEFONTAINE$1.2M

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$255.4M81%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$26.1M8.2%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Federal Highway Administration$14.4M4.6%
Department of Transportation
Farm Service Agency$4.8M1.5%
Department of Agriculture
Railroad Retirement Board$2.9M

Assistance by fiscal year

262.2MFY2021
256.7MFY2022
268.5MFY2023
281.7MFY2024
311.4MFY2025
315.9MFY2026

County aggregates

90%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 6, 2026, loaded Oct 6, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Bellefontaine, OH

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Logan CountyCentral county7246,302

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

BellefontainePrincipal city13,807

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Ohio

Areas based in Ohio, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M13340

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved10

Declined3

Metro and micro areas like Bellefontaine, OH micropolitan area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Bellefontaine, OH

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Ohio

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved10

Declined3

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought