45817 ZIP Code — Bluffton, OH

Allen County, Ohio

ZIP code 45817 is located in Bluffton, Ohio, within Allen County. It covers approximately 64.03 square miles and serves a population of 6,214 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 419/567.

About ZIP code 45817

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $185,200. Owner-occupancy is high at 85%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $82,732. 43% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 18 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 37% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Overall, ZIP code 45817 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

6,214

population

64.03

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

45817 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 45817

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 45817. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Bluffton	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

45877 Pandora (5.8 mi) 45868 Mount Cory (6.3 mi) 45881 Rawson (7.2 mi) 45810 Ada (7.5 mi) 45801 Lima (10.4 mi) 45850 Harrod (11.3 mi) 45830 Columbus Grove (11.8 mi) 45835 Dola (12.3 mi) 45814 Arlington (13 mi) 45836 Dunkirk (13.2 mi) 45875 Ottawa (13.8 mi) 45812 Alger (14.1 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	6,214
Population density	97 / sq mi
State FIPS	39
County FIPS	003

Geography
Land area	64.03 sq mi
Water area	0.27 sq mi
Latitude	40.8729
Longitude	-83.8806
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	419/567

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	35.3%	48.1%	43.3%
$50k – $100k	40.5%	33.6%	31.4%
$100k – $200k	20.0%	15.6%	20.0%
Over $200k	4.1%	2.6%	5.2%

Demographics & statistics

6,214

Population

People per sq mi

43.7

Median age

$82,732

Median household income

$39,356

Per capita income

$185,200

Median home value

$836

Median monthly rent

85.1%

Home ownership

1.5%

Poverty rate

3.8%

Unemployment

2,232

Housing units

36.6%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

188

Under 5

208

207

5–9

228

212

10–14

233

151

15–19

166

222

20–24

244

275

25–34

302

266

35–44

293

311

45–54

342

205

55–59

226

193

60–64

212

397

65–74

437

202

75–84

223

129

85+

142

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,430	23.0%
18 and over	4,784	77.0%
65 and over	1,530	24.6%
Median age	43.7 years

Race & ethnicity

White 90.7%

Two or more races 3.1%

Hispanic or Latino 2.2%

Asian 2.2%

Other race 1.2%

Black or African American 0.6%

Group	Count	%
White	5,762	90.7%
Two or more races	198	3.1%
Hispanic or Latino	140	2.2%
Asian	138	2.2%
Other race	77	1.2%
Black or African American	39	0.6%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	35.3%	48.1%	43.3%
$50k – $100k	40.5%	33.6%	31.4%
$100k – $200k	20.0%	15.6%	20.0%
Over $200k	4.1%	2.6%	5.2%

Under $10k 2.6%

$10k–$15k 1.0%

$15k–$25k 8.4%

$25k–$35k 10.1%

$35k–$50k 9.1%

$50k–$75k 15.0%

$75k–$100k 14.7%

$100k–$150k 25.3%

$150k–$200k 8.8%

$200k+ 5.1%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	2.6%
$10k–$15k	1.0%
$15k–$25k	8.4%
$25k–$35k	10.1%
$35k–$50k	9.1%
$50k–$75k	15.0%
$75k–$100k	14.7%
$100k–$150k	25.3%
$150k–$200k	8.8%
$200k+	5.1%
Median income	$82,732

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 5.7%

$50k–$100k 5.1%

$100k–$150k 14.8%

$150k–$200k 32.7%

$200k–$300k 22.4%

$300k–$500k 16.5%

$500k–$1M 2.3%

$1M+ 0.4%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$185,200
Median rent / month	$836
Owner occupied	85.1%
Renter occupied	14.9%
Vacant	5.4%
Single-family detached	82.8%
Large apartment buildings	2.4%
Mobile homes	3.2%
Median rooms	6.5
Avg household size (owned)	2.45

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	3.8%
2000–2009	9.8%
1990–1999	11.9%
1980–1989	7.7%
1970–1979	12.4%
1960–1969	4.7%
1950–1959	10.0%
1940–1949	5.9%
1939 or earlier	33.6%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.8%
1 bedroom	6.8%
2 bedrooms	18.5%
3 bedrooms	44.8%
4 bedrooms	24.4%
5+ bedrooms	3.7%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	1.1%
1 vehicle	28.4%
2 vehicles	43.8%
3 or more	26.7%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	50.4%
Electricity	20.6%
Propane / LP gas	23.8%
Fuel oil	1.4%
Wood	2.7%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,372	55.8%
Cohabiting couple	83	3.4%
Male householder, no spouse	439	17.9%
Female householder, no spouse	563	22.9%
Households with children under 18	656	26.7%
Households with seniors (65+)	985	40.1%
Average household size	2.38

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	27.0%	17.4%
Married	60.6%	55.2%
Separated	2.6%	0.0%
Widowed	3.6%	14.3%
Divorced	6.1%	13.0%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.5%

Some HS, no diploma 1.5%

HS graduate 33.7%

Some college, no degree 17.4%

Associate's degree 10.2%

Bachelor's degree 20.8%

Graduate / professional 15.8%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	98.0%
Bachelor's or higher	36.6%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	88	5.4%
Kindergarten	161	9.8%
Elementary school	626	38.1%
High school	194	11.8%
College / grad school	573	34.9%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 34.8%

Manufacturing 19.3%

Retail trade 8.0%

Arts, food & hospitality 7.0%

Finance & real estate 6.2%

Construction 4.7%

Transportation & utilities 4.6%

Professional & management 4.4%

Other services 3.7%

Public administration 2.9%

Wholesale trade 1.7%

Agriculture & mining 1.4%

Information 1.4%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	46.7%
Service	13.9%
Sales & office	15.5%
Natural resources & construction	8.2%
Production & transportation	15.8%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	83.0%
Government	12.3%
Self-employed	4.5%
Unpaid family workers	0.2%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	76.7%
Carpool	9.5%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	3.8%
Work from home	9.6%
Other means	0.3%
Avg commute (minutes)	17.8

Poverty

All people 1.5%

Under 18 years 0.0%

18 and over 2.0%

Married-couple families 0.0%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	43.0%
Retirement income	33.5%
Supplemental Security	1.4%
Cash public assistance	0.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	1.5%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	32.2%
High blood pressure	30.2%
High cholesterol	29.8%
Diabetes	9.4%
Heart disease	6.9%
Stroke	2.8%
Asthma	9.7%
Arthritis	26.6%
Kidney disease	2.7%
Pulmonary disease	7.0%
Cancer	7.5%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	16.0%
Binge drinking	18.4%
No physical activity	22.6%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	31.4%
Depression	22.2%
Fair or poor health	12.0%
Poor mental health	14.9%
Poor physical health	8.8%
No health insurance	9.8%
Visited doctor (checkup)	77.2%
Visited dentist	71.6%
Cholesterol screening	88.2%
Teeth loss	12.0%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	512	10.7%

Disability	%
Any disability	9.3%
Under 18	0.7%
18–64 years	8.7%
65 and over	19.4%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	80.5%
Public insurance	30.9%
No insurance	3.6%
Uninsured under 19	7.9%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	5,818	93.6%
Spanish	75	1.3%
Other Indo-European	46	0.8%
Asian & Pacific Islander	29	0.5%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	6,067	97.6%
Born in same state	6,011	96.7%
Born in different state	5,145	82.8%
Foreign born	56	0.9%
Naturalized citizen	147	2.4%
Not a US citizen	73	49.7%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	846	13.6%
French	817	13.1%
Arab	358	5.8%
Polish	94	1.5%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	79	1.3%
Dutch	61	1%
German	7	0.1%
Irish	2	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	39.5%
Internet access	90.8%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 45817

What city is ZIP code 45817 in?

ZIP code 45817 is primarily assigned to Bluffton, Ohio.

What county is ZIP code 45817 in?

ZIP code 45817 falls within Allen County, Ohio.

Is ZIP code 45817 mostly owner-occupied?

85% of occupied units in ZIP code 45817 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 45817 have a large retiree population?

43% of households in ZIP code 45817 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Does ZIP code 45817 have a large veteran population?

11% of civilians in ZIP code 45817 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 45817?

The median home value in ZIP code 45817 is $185,200.

What timezone is ZIP code 45817 in?

ZIP code 45817 observes the EST timezone.