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Belpre is a city in Washington County, Ohio, with 6,728 residents as of 2020, according to the United States Census Bureau.
In 1980, the City of Belpre saw a record population of 7,193 people, which declined to 6,551 people in the 2010 Census.
The city experienced peak growth between 1950 and 1960, when the population more than doubled. Since then, the percent change in population has continued to decline.
Belpre has a mixed workforce of both white- and blue-collar jobs. Overall, Belpre is a city of sales and office workers, professionals, and service providers. There are especially a lot of people living in Belpre who work in office and administrative support (15.26%), sales jobs (10.35%), and healthcare (7.76%).
Of important note, Belpre is also a city of artists. Belpre has more artists, designers and people working in media than 90% of the communities in America. This concentration of artists helps shape Belpre’s character. The hills, river, valley and stately homes provide ready models for photographers, painters, and nature enthusiasts.
And character Belpre has!! Out of that character comes Belpre Pride, which is rampant among local high school alumni, City employees, Chamber of Commerce members, service club members, church congregations, parents, grandparents, and kids.
Belpre is a fairly quiet city. With traffic slowing down through major thoroughfares at the close of the business day, parents with children will be found at the city’s parks, on ballfields and riding bicycles through the safe and wide streets.
A major reason residents love living in Belpre and the area is the beauty of the hills meeting the river. .
Being a small city, Belpre does not have a public transit system used by locals to get to and from work. Auto travel is the way to get around the valley, and the Belpre Area provides convenient parking access to stores, restaurants and services.
In terms of college education, the citizens of Belpre rank slightly lower than the national average. 14.93% of adults 25 and older in Belpre have a bachelor's degree or advanced degree, while 21.84% of adults have a 4-year degree or higher in the average American community.
The median household income in 2020 dollars averaged $47,917, and the percapita income in the past 12 months, according to 2021 US Census figures, is $29,074.
Washington County and the City of Belpre have benefited greatly from the presence of railroads. The Belpre Industrial Parkersburg Railroad, LLC is a non-carrier that operates 48 miles of rail network owned by CSX Transportation, Inc. The line transports commodities such as aggregates, chemicals, coal, construction materials, fertilizers, metals, minerals, petroleum products, plastics, steel, and scrap.
Belpre is also connected to the neighboring City of Parkersburg by two bridges. The four-lane Parkersburg-Belpre Bridge extends between Parkersburg’s downtown to the intersection of Main Street and Washington Boulevard in Belpre. The Memorial Bridge is tolled, has two-lanes, and connects the north of Parkersburg with SR-7 Belpre by-pass. The Memorial Bridge is owned and operated by Parkersburg Bridge partners.
Pleasure boating on the Ohio River is a spring-through-fall activity. Belpre Civitan Park sees walkers, runners, picnickers, softball and baseball players. and flower enthusiasts mobbing the beautiful Belpre park system year-round.
The Athens-Belpre Multi-Purpose Trail will one day stretch for 34 miles across Athens and Washington Counties to Parkersburg, West Virginia. To date, however, 8.6 miles of the former B&O corridor have been acquired and developed into a multi-use path serving hikers, mountain bikers and equestrians. Outside Belpre with easy access off US 50 are various unpaved trailheads with easy access for hikers and all-terrain bikers, particularly at Frost Road, Collins Road.
In short, Belpre is a quiet city with bustling retail activity, numerous spots for recreation and an opportunity to develop a relationship with other residents, nature and a talented workforce. Visit, play, work here!!
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