City profile · Ohio · Census ACS 2023

Harpster, OH

Harpster's Census ACS profile: residents, income, housing, and the joined public-record layers available for this place.

273
Residents
$38,125
Median income
$134,900
Median home
$1,092
Median rent (state)
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Side-by-side metrics and state or size-class ranks use the same Census and FBI fields shown on this profile. Results stay in the URL so you can bookmark or share them.

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Starting with Harpster, OH - add up to three more cities on the compare page.

See how it ranks

State rank, size-class rank, and four peer cities for Harpster.

Place dossier plate

Sheet OH-HARPSTER-OH · Harpster, OH 273 pop · income 6th pct

POP-VILLAGE · INC-LOW · COL-BELOW · SAFE-UNK · RANK-BOTTOM · PHOTO-FINISH · HOME-LOW · BOOK-UNK

  • POP-VILLAGE 273
  • INC-LOW $38,125
  • COL-BELOW 92.8
  • SAFE-UNK Safety pending
  • RANK-BOTTOM 6th
  • PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Wales
  • HOME-LOW $134,900
  • BOOK-UNK Tracts pending

Nearest income peer: Wales, AK (+ $0 income $)

Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.

Income neighbourhood around Harpster

Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Harpster on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.

median HH income

What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2026-08-08

Compare beyond this state

Nationwide peers by population, income

Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Harpster on ACS population and median household income . Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.

Similar population

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 273.

4 peers

Similar household income

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS median household income. This city: $38,125. Population peers are excluded.

4 peers

Harpster - the verdict

Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Harpster places in the 6th percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.

6th
percentile, household income
22nd
percentile, home value
22nd
percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Harpster, OH

Ohio's Harpster is a small town, with 273 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Median household income here is $38,125 per year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 1.6%. Home values in Harpster run a median of $134,900, and the median resident age is 57.2 years. 9.4% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 44.6% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Living costs in Ohio run below the national norm: the state registers 92.8 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Below Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,092 per month statewide. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Ohio run around $228, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 55.0 out of 100 (Moderate).

A decision-led reading path

Useful questions to ask of Harpster's data

How this reading path is ordered

This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from work and mobility to population change to housing and income to comparison shortlist; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.

For Harpster, city-specific coverage includes commute-mode shares, annual population history. No matched row is reported here for FBI reported-crime rates, local building permits, matched public-school count, within-city Census tract profiles; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.

Question 1

What does the journey to work look like in Harpster?

Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 87.4%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.

Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. The profile is strongly car-oriented, so a relocation comparison should put trip distance, vehicle access, and household fuel costs ahead of a citywide commute average. The same-state peer links offer a more relevant benchmark than a national label.

Compare commute patterns →

Question 2

Is Harpster growing, shrinking, or holding steady?

Census PEP estimates show the population declined by -6 residents from 2020 to 2025, a -3.7% change. No comparable local building-permit series is available here, so population change should not be read as a housing-supply measure. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.

Recent estimates point downward. A falling count can reflect migration, household size, annexation boundaries, or estimation noise, so it is a prompt to inspect the full series rather than a claim about local economic health.

See the national growth ranking →

3. Housing and income

How far does income reach against housing in Harpster?

This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Income and home value move within the same broad scale here. The useful next check is not a generic affordability label, but whether similar-size cities offer a materially different income, housing, or commute trade-off.

The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 3.5 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 1.6%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.

Compare the housing trade-off →

4. Comparison shortlist

Which cities make useful reference points for Harpster?

Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching.

Within Ohio, the closest population matches are Glenmont (273 residents, $61,250 income); Glenford (274 residents, $85,833 income); Rocky Ridge (274 residents, $71,250 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Akiak, AK (273 residents); Central, AZ (273 residents); Patterson, AR (273 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.

Open a side-by-side comparison →

Population

273 residents

Micro place (under 10k)

Median Household Income

$38,125 /yr

Lowest-decile income · poverty 1.6% (Low poverty)

Cost of Living Index (state)

92.8 (US=100)

Affordable · BEA RPP 2024, Ohio average

City profile score · Harpster, OH

43/100

4 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023

Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians (income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out and redistribute weight. How it is calculated.

Poverty rate A
1.6%

Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.

Cost of living B+
92.8 index

BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.

Bachelor's+ share F
9.4%

Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.

Household income F
$38,125

Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.

Violent crime N/A
N/A

No FBI UCR violent-crime rate for this place (coverage is incomplete).

Harpster profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions) 4-axis radar comparing 1 series across Poverty rate, Cost of living, Bachelor's+ share, Household income. Poverty rateCost of livingBachelor's+ shareHousehold income 43 D
Harpster profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)
Read the chart values
  • Poverty rate: 89/100 (A) · 1.6%
  • Cost of living: 75/100 (B+) · 92.8 index
  • Bachelor's+ share: 5/100 (F) · 9.4%
  • Household income: 4/100 (F) · $38,125

How does Harpster compare to other US cities?

Here's how Harpster stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 6% higher than other cities
Home value 22% pricier than other cities
Median rent 22% pricier than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Harpster against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Ohio only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

Ohio-relative analysis

Median Gross Rent places Harpster near the bottom of Ohio's cities

Among the 1,196 Ohio cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Harpster ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Harpster only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#1,097 of 1,145
4th percentile in Ohio
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 1,196
0th percentile in Ohio
Median Home Value
#657 of 1,164
44th percentile in Ohio
Poverty Rate
#970 of 1,196
18th percentile in Ohio
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#954 of 1,196
20th percentile in Ohio
How in-state ranks are ordered

Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Ohio only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

6thIncome percentile
Gauge source note

6th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Harpster's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$134,900 Among the most affordable more affordable than 78% of 15,600 US cities

Show national distribution $0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). This entry sits in this band. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Above this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Above this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Harpster $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Harpster's home-value-to-income ratio: 3.5×

ACS median home value divided by median household income.

Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#9,133 of 15,516
More affordable than 41% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#7,354 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)

At 3.5×, Harpster sits in the moderate band: national rank #9,133 of 15,516 and #7,354 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000). Income and home value move in the same broad scale; check same-state peers before treating the multiple as an advantage or a warning.

How this ratio is calculated

Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000. Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0). This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.

Income distribution context

$38,125 Harpster, OH median household income (Census ACS)

Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Household income distribution - Harpster, OH Harpster, OH's median household income ($38,125) against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern. The Lorenz curve and quintile bars are national context, not Harpster, OH-specific shares. $ Household Income Distribution Harpster, OH median $38,125/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Harpster, OH median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Harpster, OH.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 9.4%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 1.6%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 44.6%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
273
Median Income
$38,125
Median Home Value
$134,900
Median Age
57.2
Poverty Rate
1.6%
Labor force participation
44.6%
Bachelor's Degree+
9.4%

Population Change

PEP vintage

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
154 residents156 residents158 residents160 residents162 residents 202020212022202320242025 161 residents 155 residents ▼ -3.7%
Harpster's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.
Read the chart as text
Period Population
2020 161 residents
2021 159 residents
2022 158 residents
2023 157 residents
2024 155 residents
2025 155 residents

Commute Patterns

Commute source

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
87.4%
Carpool
12.6%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
0.0%

Based on 103 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

Ohio statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $228

EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Ohio at $228 (electricity about $105 , water and sewer about $45 ).

These are Ohio statewide averages, not a meter reading for Harpster. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Ohio's BEA cost-of-living index is 92.8 (Below Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Harpster is $1,092/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Ohio statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 55.0 / 100 (Moderate).

Cost/risk geography note

Cost of living is a Ohio statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Harpster sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.

How Harpster compares to similar-size Ohio cities

Same-state peer method

Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.

City Population Median Household Income
Harpster (this city) 273 $38,125
Glenmont 273 $61,250
Glenford 274 $85,833
Rocky Ridge 274 $71,250
Primary sources on this page

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES. Joins use OMB Bulletin 23-01 / FIPS keys.

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Estimate caveats

ACS and UCR figures are citywide estimates with vintage lags; they do not replace a local visit, school visit, or insurance quote.

Editorial standards, provenance, and how to cite this page

Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

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