Farming roots and family pride shape life in Coldwater
Surrounded by fields of corn, soybeans and wheat, Coldwater is home to roughly 5,000 people in the heart of Mercer County. Faith and family are closely held values for many residents. The cross-tipped Holy Trinity Catholic Church has served the area since 1899 and continues to symbolize the village’s strong German heritage. “I talk about pride in Coldwater a lot because everybody has a sense of pride for how they represent themselves, their homes and their families,” says Mayor Doug Bertke, a Coldwater native. “Farming has always been a part of life here. It’s never ended and it never will, and that’s where we get our work ethic.” Many homebuyers choose Coldwater for its stellar school system and deep family connections. “Even if young people move away for jobs or new experiences, it's very common for them to move back to be closer to family or look after elderly family,” says Sarah Klosterman, a local Realtor with Howard Hanna Realtors.
Coldwater schools are the best in Mercer County
Coldwater Exempted Village Schools receive an overall A grade from Niche while being ranked the best school district in Mercer County. “We’re big with the athletics and have many, many state championships. We just had three during the 2024-2025 school year,” Mayor Bertke says. “But every year with the students, it isn’t just ‘Hey, I’m an athlete and that’s what I’m focusing on.’ They focus on their academics as well.” Coldwater Elementary, Middle and High schools all share one building. High schoolers can earn college credit and take career and technical education courses at Tri Star Career Compact in Celina.
Competitive housing market due to low turnover, limited development
Coldwater’s German roots are evident in its abundance of red brick buildings, but the village also has a variety of architectural styles. Most of the early 20th-century homes sit on compact lots with sidewalk-lined streets. “The market is fairly competitive here,” Klosterman says. “The town is landlocked by farmland, so there's not a lot of room for new development, and if there is, it tends to be costly.” Still, there are some new developments in town and around the outskirts near Burkettsville-St. Henry Road. Homebuyers may have to put in extra effort to find homes for sale, as many sellers don’t advertise or work with a Realtor right away. “It’s a lot of word of mouth,” Mayor Bertke says. Coldwater has a median sale price of about $200,000, roughly on par with the Celina median. However, prices can vary from the mid-$100,000s to nearly $1 million for sprawling farm estates.
Parks, trails and clubs bring neighbors together
Memorial Park spans 40 acres and features paved trails, playgrounds, sports courts, ball fields and a swimming pool. The 4.5-mile Celina-Coldwater Bike Path runs through town and is a popular avenue for biking, jogging and rollerblading. Just outside town, Baker Woods Nature Preserve has a hiking trail through one of the region’s best old-growth forests. Swimmers can hit the water on Grand Lake St. Marys, a few miles away. Residents stay involved in the community through fraternal organizations and community clubs like the American Legion, Knights of Columbus and the Kiwanis Club.
Local eats and drinks in town
Mornings might start with a doughnut from Home Bakery, a Coldwater institution, or coffee from Rooster Joe’s. Mariachis began serving Mexican fare in 2019 and moved to a bigger building in 2023 to accommodate the demand for margaritas and sizzling fajitas. Downtown Coldwater has local businesses like Penny Jane, an art gallery and studio, and boutiques like Golden on Main and The Turquoise Door. Live music and cold beer flow at McSober’s Saloon on the weekends. For a more laid-back vibe, The Vineyard at Evergreen Farm offers more than 20 wine varieties made with fruit grown on-site or sourced from regional producers. Chief’s has groceries in town, but Celina has more options and retail shopping about 10 minutes away.
Coldwater natives come home for the community picnic
The Coldwater Community Picnic is the town’s signature event and a homecoming for many Coldwater natives. “It’s a great event we have, and any proceeds coming from that go directly to capital improvements at Memorial Park and the library,” Mayor Bertke says. “The picnic draws a lot of people, including people that moved away who are like ‘This is that one time a year to go back and see my friends and family.’ We have fireworks on Friday night, live music and a huge parade on Sunday. It’s a family-fun weekend.”
About 2 hours to Columbus and Cincinnati
Coldwater is home to Mercer County Community Hospital, the only hospital in the county. U.S. Route 127 is a major thoroughfare for the region and the mainline to Dayton, about an hour away. Columbus and Cincinnati are both about 2 hours away. Coldwater runs on agriculture, so drivers can expect to share the road with tractors during the spring and fall. Relatedly, most farmers in the area use manure to fertilize their fields. Locals are accustomed to the seasonal scent, which they half-jokingly call “the smell of money.”
Written By
Leslie Klosterman
