Welcome to Jackson Center, OH 45334
The 50 Things You Should Know!
1. While our community is growing at a consistent and manageable growth rate, we are poised for expansion in residential growth with 3 areas for new development.
a. Westwood Estates is the newest area with 15 extra-large lots. It is a prime residential area of the village with 14 lots sold and 7 new homes recently completed. The Subdivision is in close proximity to our expanding Tiger Trail Park with a paved walking track and multiple soccer fields.
b. Eastwood Estates has potential of development with 24 lots and has 2 new homes under construction. There is availability to develop an additional 40 more lots in this subdivision. This subdivision is near Wally Byam Memorial Park with playground, new T-ball fields, and updated swimming pool in 2020.
c. Another prime residential development, Hudson Lake Estates, is expanding in 2022 with 24 larger lots for upper mid-range homes. An additional 2 phases are in the early planning stages. This development has a HOA-owned commons area with private, well-stocked lake and walking track. Subdivision is close to school and near to Wally Byam Park.
2. Jackson Center Local School District is small geographically but it is in an area of highly competitive academic and athletic schools. Jackson Center, as well as other Shelby County and area schools, can boast routinely sending teams and individuals to district, regional, and state events. The cooperation and competition between schools and communities as well as our outstanding families and school staff contribute to maximizing the Jackson Center students’ overall educational experience.
3. Jackson Center School’s buildings and grounds were either newly built or updated in time for the 2017-2018 school year. The building has been featured in architectural magazines and is poised for growth into the future. The community, as well as local businesses and industry, support of the project was tremendous and continues to go far beyond bricks and mortar.
4. Jackson Center School’s Programs are very well attended and are coached/taught by respected, highly successful, well-supported personnel. The sports’ programs have produced many elite athletic achievements and the school’s music, drama and arts programs at the school are at the highest levels they have ever been. The dedicated educators working with these programs have the students performing at superior levels at each performance. Finally, the students at Jackson Center are expected to learn the value of service. Countless hours are put in each year serving veterans, those less fortunate, and those that cannot help themselves. The staff and students of the school district are proud of who they have become and who they will be in the future!
5. We have an extraordinary industrial community within our village and the surrounding township. It is highly coveted by many other communities within the state. We currently have 2 of Shelby County’s top 4 employers with Airstream, Inc. and Plastipak Packaging. Both are also in the top 40 employers within the Greater Dayton area.
6. Airstream, Inc. has recently completed construction of a new 750,000 square foot “state of the art” plant in addition to their existing manufacturing facilities and service center. The new plant houses their iconic, aluminum travel trailer while allowing their pre-existing facilities to be used for expansion of existing and new product lines. Their current employment is over 1,400 with many job opportunities available.
7. In addition to new offices and engineering space, Airstream’s new facility includes their Airstream Heritage Center for the many tourists, students, and customers that come to our village daily to take the Airstream plant tour that was chosen as one of the best in America. These informative tours were temporarily suspended in March of 2020 due to the pandemic but have resumed in 2022. Airstream is the premier manufacturer of towable travel trailers and Class B motor coaches in the RV market today. They continue to be the leader in RV luxury and innovation by constantly refining and offering many options to fit any lifestyle. The Heritage Center houses some “classic” Airstreams from the past, displays of their world-wide travels and history, a gift shop and the Caravan Café serving Starbucks coffee and snacks. Airstream Heritage Center opened the summer of 2022 with factory tours resuming shortly after.
8. Plastipak Manufacturing is located just outside of our village and is a 3-shift operation that employs another 700+ employees. As a worldwide company, they supply plastic bottles to local Pepsi and Procter & Gamble plants in Lima, OH, among others. Their Research and Development Dept. within the Village leads the way in plastic bottle technology.
9. Honda Manufacturing has plants within a few miles to our west (engine plant) and to our east (transmission plant) with a great deal of traffic between them with several area families having some employment connection to these plants. Their main Ohio automotive assembly plants in East Liberty and Marysville also have many workers in our area.
10. We have several other smaller solid businesses that have been successfully operating and employing people within the village for years such as EMI Inc., Lacal Equipment, Rising Sun Trucking, Whiteline Express Trucking, Shelby Transport, Prodeva, Lippert Components, Precision Details, and BRI. The ingenuity, forward thinking, and overall master craftsmanship of these companies and their founders have made them important contributors to our community. Countless ideas and patents, both past and present, have been generated within our village to lead the way in innovation and problem solving.
11. The total area employment and number of jobs available within our village/township alone is well over 2,500 currently and expected to rise. A good deal of these workers come to our village every day from nearby communities, some driving 30 miles or more.
12. The unemployment rate for Jackson Center/Shelby County in October 2019 was 3.5% (Ohio Dept. of Job & Family Services). The quality work ethic and hard-working employees of the area has made this a prime area for business and industry to locate and thrive. While we are located in the northeast corner of Shelby County, we are but a couple of miles from neighboring Logan (3.7% unemployment) and Auglaize (3.2% unemployment) counties, which gives us a very good area to draw quality workers. (Ohio Overall Unemployment rate for October 2019 was 3.9%.) While unemployment numbers were skewed by the pandemic, unemployment rates are near, or lower than, the pre-pandemic levels with a 3.7% unemployment rate in early 2022.
13. Access to the village is convenient and easy as we are 7 miles east of I-75 and 11 miles west of US-33. These 2 major thoroughfares are connected by SR 274 which runs East and West directly through the Village. SR 65 also provides good highway access to points South and North. The Dayton International Airport is 45 minutes to the south and John Glenn International Airport in Columbus is approximately 1.25 hour to the east. There are also nearby regional airports in New Knoxville, Sidney, Bellefontaine, and Lima. The I&O Railroad also passes through the Village and provides rail access.
14. Jackson Center has a Residential and Business Community Reinvestment Area (CRA) within our village limits that allows for real estate tax abatement. Businesses and industries that create jobs and improve facilities can receive up to 15 years of abatement on any updates and/or new construction. The Village works with the local School Boards to determine the abatement and recipients are asked to work with local schools by donating through a P.I.L.O.T. program (Payment In Lieu Of Taxes). This CRA tax abatement can be attractive for new business as well as expansion for existing companies.
15. The Residential portion of the CRA, provides the homeowner a 5-year, tax abatement to encourage new home construction and remodeling. The home owner receives 100% abatement of the improvements for 5 years if applied for within 6 months of completion of their project. Remodeling of existing homes also qualifies for the CRA if improvements are over $8,000.00.
16. Jackson Center is a “Public Power” community with our own municipal-owned electric system which includes a 9-acre solar field with 6,894 solar panels generating 2.34 megawatts of electricity. 20% of this generated power is owned and retained by the village and the other 80% is “put into the grid” to share with other municipal-owned systems. While all the electricity actually stays within the community, that is power that doesn’t need brought into the village from other renewable sources. We have placed a new sub-station on line in 2019 to assist in better service to our residents and businesses with better distribution of power within the grid and more reliable equipment. The personnel in our electric system are highly trained and work with other municipal power systems as needed to ensure quality service year after year. The Electric system had a 99.997% reliability rating in 2021.
17. JC’s Municipal electric system allows us to have lower utility rates for water and sewer customers. Ownership allows us to control some of the pumping costs associated with water and sewer rates which allow us to keep our rates in the lower 1/3 of all municipal rates in Ohio. Additionally, it allows for free street lighting throughout the Village with no additional charge to homeowners.
18. Our Tap Fees, for someone who may be constructing new facilities, remain some of the lowest in the state which helps new home builders keep additional costs down with the lower tap fees (Tap fees for water and sewer for a typical new home are $380 with an additional $150 for storm water. Many municipalities are $100’s or even $1,000’s higher.)
19. Our Municipal employees have a great combination of experience, knowledge, and youth. Many employees are cross-trained to other departments to allow smooth flow of our operations. We also work with many area villages with Mutual Aid to allow services to continue when adversity arises. We are blessed with employees that are part of our community. Our streets are well-maintained and we are constantly improving our water, wastewater, and electric facilities. The Village also continues to improve storm water runoff retention to minimize flooding from heavy rains. Our storm water system currently holds back over 30,000,000 gallons of storm water before it is gradually released into outlets from the Village.
20. Gas Aggregation, through American Municipal Power (AMP), allows all residents and businesses to combine with other municipalities to have greater bargaining power for the purchase of natural gas. The aggregation secures a fixed rate for natural gas costs for periods of 1 or 2 years to get a cost effective, stable gas price.
21. We have a village owned pool and park system that has been in existence for over 50 years. The JC Municipal Pool at Wally Byam Park underwent a major renovation in 2019 and 2020 to be able to get many more years of service from this valuable asset to the community. The pool celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2019. The pool’s renovation includes a zero entry for easy walk-in access, a stainless-steel liner, water slide, and renovations to the pool house. There is also a splash pad area with several features for the younger children to play and cool off on those hot summer days. It is also available to be rented for private pool parties on select evenings.
22. The park system has expanded to 3 locations- Wally Byam Memorial Park, Veterans Memorial Park, and the new Tiger Trail Park. The park system includes playground equipment, T-ball fields, soccer fields, tennis courts, pickleball courts, basketball courts, shelter houses, picnic tables, grills, walking tracks, wooded nature paths, relaxing benches, wooded areas, and a fishing pond. There is ample lighted parking with more improvements under construction in 2022, including a complex that will include 2 new baseball and 2 new softball fields.
23. Our area churches are strong supporters of the area residents, our schools, and the Community. You will find a welcoming faith home at Grace Lutheran Church and Jackson Center United Methodist Church within the Village limits, while Christ The King Church, Emmanuel Lutheran, St. Jacob’s Lutheran Church, St. Lawrence Catholic Church, and Maplewood United Methodist Church are all within a few miles of the Village. Many of our residents belong to or attend these seven churches.
24. The village has a “mass notification system” that will notify residents, or anyone who applies for service, of any information pertaining to emergencies or issues that arise due to power outages, water issues, weather related issues, police matters, or street closures. It can be used for all types of urgent information and can be village-wide or specific to an area of the village. The message can go via an email, a land line, cell phone, text, or all of these options that the resident chooses. The county has a similar notification system for county emergencies.
25. The population in the 2020 US census was 1,441. This represented a 6.8% increase in population from 2000. Shelby County increased 3.2% during this same period. The median age is 35.0.
26. There have been 98* zoning permits issued for new home (or duplex) construction since 2000. The 2020 Census numbers officially list 656 housing units within the village with a 6% vacancy rate. 65.6% of those occupied were by the home owner. The remaining 34.4% were listed as renter occupied. The unoccupied units have dropped drastically since 2009. (*Through June 30, 2022)
27. The 2020 American Census Bureau lists the median Household Income for the Village of Jackson Center at $58,897. The Bureau also reports a median “Family” Household Income as $71,250 and the “Married-couple” Median Household Income as $ 87,098. The American Community Survey Results lists JC residents as having 12.3% of our population fall within the “Low National Income” Range, 65.5% of our population is in the “Medium National Income” Range, and 22.2% is in the “High National Income” Range.
28. The Sperling’s Best Places shows home appreciation in the last 10 years to average 8.35% per year. 2021 had a 12% appreciation with a median home price of $150,100. Currently, the housing market remains extremely good for home owners due to the high demand and lower interest rates.
29. Sperling’s Best Places also rates cost of living by location. The US National average is 100 for comparison. Jackson Center is listed at 75.4 with the biggest factor in the overall, lower cost of living is housing costs. Other factors include grocery, health, utilities, transportation, and miscellaneous.
30. The Village is home to 2 very active medical practices associated with 2 area health systems. Mary Rutan Hospital, Jackson Center Family Care has two physicians and one FNP that practice in Jackson Center and are part of the Mary Rutan Hospital System and Urgent Care located in Bellefontaine, Ohio (18 miles). Wilson Health, Jackson Center Practice, has one physician and one CNP with an office location in the Village and is part of the area-wide, Wilson Health Hospital and Urgent Care system based in Sidney, OH (15 miles). Lima, OH is home to the Lima Memorial Health System and Mercy Health - St. Rita’s Medical Center. Both have additional, extensive resources and specialists. Troy, OH is home to Upper Valley Medical Center (Premier Health) and Troy Hospital, Kettering Health Network. All are conveniently located and within reasonable driving distances of Jackson Center. And if needed, hospitals in Columbus and Dayton are just over an hour away.
31. In addition to hospital affiliated medical practices, the village is home to one of the region’s longest operating chiropractic care offices, Huffer Chiropractic and Wellness Center, which has 3 full time chiropractors and a nutritionist on staff offering full services in chiropractic health care, education, and nutrition. This well-known and respected office is on the leading edge of new technology and trends in chiropractic health care.
32. The Village is also home to Jackson Center Dental Associates offering complete general dental care. They are associated with Botkins Family Dental Care which has 3 dentists available to serve you. Primary Eye Care Associates in Sidney, as well as other area optometrists, serve the village for the ability to get eye exams, eyewear, and contacts.
33. JC has a full-service pharmacy in Jackson Pharmacy and Wellness Center. The staff there is very accommodating to your needs and helpful with any of your prescription needs. They work within many insurance programs and Part D Medicare to offer reasonable pricing to their customers with personal care. They offer free delivery to their Jackson Center area customers.
34. The Village is home to Farmers and Merchants State Bank (Formerly Peoples Federal Savings and Loan of Sidney) as well as Peoples Savings and Loan of West Liberty. The 2 banking facilities offer a wide variety of options for investing and borrowing with personal attention. US Bank has branches just a few miles away in Anna and Botkins as well as other regional and national banking options within short distances in neighboring communities.
35. Jackson Center has several options for purchasing local needs including 2 very well-established insurance agencies, an auto parts store, a hardware store, a diverse variety/grocery store, two quick marts, a car repair facility, a beauty salon, a barber shop and local gift shops. While our proximity to many shopping opportunities, we are constantly seeking and assisting entrepreneurs to invest locally for more retail business within our community.
36. While local grocery shopping is limited and continues to be a focus moving forward, Curly’s Custom Meats is a premiere, award-winning, meat processor selling quality meats to the public for over 50 years. They will be constructing a new location within the Village in late 2022 with a larger store for retail sales. The new location will also be handling fresh produce from a regional supplier.
37. Family Dollar offers many grocery items and variety items locally. For fresh vegetables, fruits and deli needs, there are also nearby markets in nearby Anna (Anna Market), Indian Lake (Community Market), Huntsville (Hurley Family Farms), and Logansville (Saucy Sows Market). If you wish to drive slightly farther, Jackson Center is almost centrally located between Sidney (our County Seat, 14.1 miles), Wapakoneta (16.9 miles), and Bellefontaine (18.7 miles). All of which are medium size cities that offer larger markets such as Walmart, Kroger, and a variety of shopping opportunities.
38. Dining is also limited at this time but an area the village is constantly working to improve for our residents and visitors. The Heidout has daily home cooked specials and has been a JC staple for 10 years. Casey’s is the 5th largest distributor of pizza in the US and the deli at the Village Pantry’s deli offers a quick meal or snack. Subway and Casey’s also offer a nice selection of deli sandwiches and Casey’s and the Village Pantry offer fresh donuts daily. A Taste of Heaven Bakery, LLC offers a nice selection of homemade cakes, cookies, and pies. The Village is continuously working with on additions to our local fare with new possibilities arising at any time. Of course, a night out in any of the 3 nearby cities (Sidney, Bellefontaine, and Wapakoneta) offers many other dining options with craft beer bars, sports bars, and family restaurants available for your dining pleasure. For a wider selection of options, Lima is slightly farther away but within 30 minutes, and we are only an hour’s drive from Columbus, Dayton, and Findlay.
39. The Family Life Center and The American Legion Post #493 offer central meeting places to the community for events. The FLC can be “rented” at no charge for non-profits with a simple check list of “to-do” items afterwards. It includes a meeting hall, a small kitchen, and can also include a small gym available for basketball or volleyball. The American Legion is available for larger events with a large kitchen area and increased seating capacity. Both have reasonable rental rates for individual and business events.
40. The Family Life Center also houses The Fish Pond Food Pantry and The Knitworthy Clothes Closet. The community food pantry is a community food pantry run by a board of 9 area churches (United Methodist, Lutheran, and Catholic) and distributes food to needy families the second and fourth Wednesdays each month. Those from Jackson Center, Botkins, or Maplewood communities are eligible to come and seek assistance with the proper documentation. In 2018, they distributed over $24,000 in wholesale food products in addition to the many hundreds of donated items. The Knitworthy Clothes closet is open during the same time as the food pantry and at other times by appointment. All clothing is free to those in need.
41. The community residents and area churches also support the We Care Fund which temporarily assists residents who may have fallen into a time of need to assist in helping them recover from their struggles. It is administered by a small board that reviews the need and amount of assistance available.
42. The American Club is a women’s club that has been in JC for 100 years. As one of their projects over the years, they have raised the funds to build and maintain the local branch of the Amos Memorial Library. No other regional library branch was funded or continues to be maintained in this way. In addition to the American Club there are several other organizations that support our community, school, students, and athletes. These clubs help to minimize costs on parents and taxpayers, and in general make our community a better place to live. A few of these clubs and organizations include the Jr. American Club, JC Fine Arts Boosters- Tiger Notes & Strokes, JC Tiger Athletic Boosters, Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, 4-H Clubs, Jackson Center PTA, and others.
43. The Greater Jackson Center Area Growth Association is our local organization of businesses, industries, government and individuals that works for the betterment of Jackson Center and the individual business. They also make up the membership of the Community Improvement Corporation which works with the Village government to maintain, attract, and enhance business and industry in Jackson Center. As one of their main activities, the GJCAGA sponsors our annual Community Days Festival which is typically the weekend after Memorial Day. The festival includes entertainment, rides, food, car show, Queen and Little Miss pageants, a large raffle, parade and many other activities.
44. Jackson Center is home to Shelby County’s only active movie theater. The Elder Theater has been in operation in the village since the 40’s and shows first-run, digital movies in 2-D and 3-D format. All shows are currently $5.00 and they have some of the best popcorn that can be found anywhere.
45. A new downtown business center is to be constructed on Davis Street in the area directly behind Pike St. between Main and Linden Streets. When completed, this will open new opportunities for businesses to expand or locate their offices to our downtown area.
46. Our insurance fire rating is currently an ISO Rating of 4. This means that although our fire department is volunteer, their training, equipment, and village water supply assists in keeping our insurance rates low for homeowners. The fire department maintains their equipment to get their maximum life but still keep up to date on having equipment that serves our community best. They recently obtained a used ladder truck with high pumping rates to respond to the need for additional equipment. They also work with other area fire departments on “mutual aid” which allows additional service to Jackson Center and the other neighboring districts in the event of catastrophic fires.
47. Our Police Department has 3 full Time police officers, including our Chief with 20 years of experience in police work. Our department includes Officer Tyson, an admirably trained, police canine who is an expert in the fields of narcotics, tracking, and evidence recovery. In addition, to these dedicated full-time officers, we have three auxiliary police officers that assist with patrols during weekends, sporting events, community festivals, and as needed.
48. The Village offers many services to residents not easily found in other communities to enhance your experience of living in Jackson Center. Dump truck rental (in lieu of dumpster), leaf pickup, limb pickup, Christmas tree pickup, recycling area, and a grass clipping dump station are just some examples of extra services provided.
49. There are several colleges and universities within the area within easy driving distance where additional education is offered such as Edison State College, Ohio State-Lima Branch, Northwestern University-Lima, Wright State- Celina Branch, Ohio Northern University, University of Findlay, or Bluffton College. Jackson Center High School offers opportunities for college credits for enrolled students. For more information contact Jackson Center Local schools.
50. YOU ARE WELCOME HERE!! Jackson Center is a great small town to be a part of and we encourage you to do just that. There are organizations, churches, businesses, school groups and employers that need you! We encourage you to be part of something great! Each person contributing only makes us better friends, neighbors, employees, and family.
