Jobs, schools and tradition make Versailles a regional hub
Versailles is a village of less than 3,000 people in the agricultural heartland of West Central Ohio. Highly rated schools and employment opportunities continue to be major pulls for the region. “There are a lot of generational ties and families who have lived here for multiple generations, so much so that if you’re out in the community and they hear your last name, they know where you're from and they probably know your grandparents,” says village manager Kyle Francis, a lifelong resident. Many nearby residents commute to Versailles for work at major employers like Midmark Corporation, a medical equipment manufacturer, or Weaver Eggs. Thousands of visitors flock to Versailles for the annual Poultry Days festival, which celebrates the village's long history of poultry production. “It’s a point of pride for the village,” says Eric Stachler, publicity coordinator for the festival. “We deliver chicken dinners within a 20-mile radius, and we funnel that money back into the community and nonprofits.”
Versailles is the best school district in Darke County
Versailles Exempted Village School District receives an overall A-minus grade from Niche, which ranks it the best school district in Darke County. “We’ve got great schools, great teachers, great athletic programs, and we always say our best product is our children,” Stachler says. The Tigers football team brought home an Ohio state championship in 2021. More recently, the school system unveiled a new technology center, part of a major project that added new space for music, STEM and Future Farmers of America programs.
Homes are hard to come by in Versailles
Housing in Versailles consists mainly of single-family homes built in the 1900s, a smattering of townhouses and some new development. The village has a single-family median sale price of about $250,000 — higher than the Greenville median of roughly $200,000 — and a median townhouse price of $300,000. “The housing market is tight. And when I say it’s tight, typically if you hear a house is going up for sale, you’re contacting the seller way before the sign goes in the yard,” Francis says. “We have a lot of homes for sale by owner — there aren’t a lot of Realtors involved. So if you’re not here and you don’t know somebody, it can be kind of tricky.”
Parks in town and proximity to Lake Loramie
Ward Park is one of the community’s primary green spaces, featuring sports courts, ball fields, playground equipment and the municipal swimming pool. Adjacent to the Heritage Estates subdivision, Heritage Park has ample green space with scenic paved walking trails, sports fields and a disc golf course that draws thousands of players every year. “If you’re an ultimate disc player, you’ve got to make it to Versailles just once,” Stachler says. Stillwater Valley Golf Club has 18 holes of golf open to the public just a few minutes outside of town. Lake Loramie State Park, about 20 minutes away, offers camping, boating, fishing and hiking. Locals are also within a 20-minute drive of Eldora Speedway in New Weston.
Local wine, farm-to-table fare and small-town staples nearby
The corner of Main Street and Center Street has been occupied by a hotel for more than 150 years, and Hotel Versailles is the most recent iteration. The boutique hotel emerged from the ashes of The Inn at Versailles, which was devastated by a fire in 2019. On the same site, Silas Creative Kitchen features chef-driven, farm-to-table menus with seasonal ingredients. “Silas stands above. That restaurant and the boutique hotel draw people from hundreds of miles away for fine dining,” Stachler says. “What they have now has taken it up several notches from where they were before, and it’s busy every weekend for one reason or another.” The Winery at Versailles is another major draw. Ohioans from across the region visit the village to enjoy more than 30 wine varieties made with grapes grown on-site or sourced from regional producers. Locals can grab groceries at Johns IGA and pick up prescriptions at Kaup Pharmacy. Greenville has more shopping and dining options.
Poultry Days is the world’s largest chicken barbecue
More than 40,000 chicken dinners were served at Poultry Days in 2025, making Versailles the official home of the world’s largest chicken barbecue. “We’ve got people from Dayton and Lima coming here to pick up a chicken dinner,” Francis says. Not to be forgotten, Farefest is a late-summer showcase of local food and wine. “They close down Main Street for craft beer, wines and ciders, and all your fancy finger foods. You can sample all those treats and drinks, and it’s always sold out,” Stachler says.
Less than an hour from Dayton
Sidewalks and quiet streets make it easy to walk or bike around town. Versailles is less than an hour from Dayton and within two hours of Columbus and Cincinnati. Locals can get to Greenville and Wayne HealthCare hospital in 20 minutes.
Written By
Leslie Klosterman
