The Town FilesBrilliant, Ohio
Community in Jefferson County · population 1,317 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $82,500
- Household income
- $43,914
- Jan low / Jul high
- 22° / 83°
- Snow a year
- 15 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 3
- Median age
- 46.0
Brilliant is a community of 1,317 people in Jefferson County, Ohio. The median home is worth $82,500, below the typical Ohio town ($171,100). It ranks more of a college town than 93% of Ohio towns.
How Brilliant ranks
Percentile among Ohio towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Ohio towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Brilliant is worth $82,500, below the typical Ohio town ($171,100). Homes cost about 1.9 times the median household income of $43,914, which is more affordable than 91% of Ohio towns. Median rent is $536 a month. 56.1% of households own their home.
| Housing | Brilliant | Typical Ohio town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $82,500 | $171,100 |
| Median rent | $536 | $914 |
| Median household income | $43,914 | $67,019 |
| Home value ÷ income | 1.9× | 2.6× |
| Homeownership | 56.1% | 71.7% |
| Median year built | 1946 | 1965 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Brilliant
| People | Brilliant | Typical Ohio town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 46.0 | 40.6 |
| Age 65 and over | 16.3% | 19.1% |
| Under 18 | 10.6% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 12.4% | 21.3% |
| Below the poverty line | 16.2% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 6.7% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.7% | — |
| Work from home | 5.4% | 8.6% |
| Average commute | 20.1 min | 23.3 min |
| Homes with broadband | 80.6% | 90.9% |
Weather in Brilliant
July highs average 82.9°F and January lows 22.3°F. About 37.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 15.2 inches of snow (typical Ohio town: 23.8 in). Expect about 8 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 108 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Brilliant since 1950, compared with 16 for the typical Ohio town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF2, struck on October 21, 2021 about 7.4 miles from the town center. The most recent was on October 21, 2021.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 45 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on March 28, 2020.
Severe weather in Jefferson County since 1996
Jefferson County has been included in 22 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, tornado, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| March 31, 2020 | Biological | DR-4507: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3457: Covid-19 |
| April 8, 2019 | Flood | DR-4424: Severe Storms, Flooding, And Landslides |
| April 17, 2018 | Flood | DR-4360: Severe Storms, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| June 30, 2012 | Severe Storm | EM-3346: Severe Storms |
Jobs and pay in Jefferson County
Jefferson County had 19,779 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $51,142 a year. Unemployment was 5.1% in 2023; in Brilliant itself the ACS puts it at 4.3%.
Public schools in Brilliant
1 public school with 277 students, about 15.4 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buckeye North Elementary School | PK-6 | 277 | 15.4 |
Towns near Brilliant
- Wellsburg, WV1.7 mi · 2,450 people · home $104,500
- Beech Bottom, WV3.3 mi · 553 people · home $60,300
- Mingo Junction, OH4.1 mi · 3,347 people · home $104,000
- Hooverson Heights, WV4.4 mi · 2,582 people · home $154,600
- Follansbee, WV5.2 mi · 2,848 people · home $133,900
- Bethany, WV6.0 mi · 781 people · home $110,600
- Steubenville, OH6.9 mi · 18,161 people · home $130,700
- Tiltonsville, OH7.3 mi · 1,259 people · home $106,300
Brilliant questions
Is Brilliant, Ohio a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Brilliant scores better for retirees than 17% of Ohio towns and quieter than 46%. 16.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 46.0).
How much does a house cost in Brilliant?
The median owner-occupied home in Brilliant is valued at $82,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $43,914, so homes cost about 1.9 times income. Median rent is $536 a month.
What is the weather like in Brilliant?
July highs average 82.9°F and January lows 22.3°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 37.5 inches of precipitation a year and 15.2 inches of snow.
Does Brilliant get tornadoes?
3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Brilliant since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF2 on October 21, 2021. The typical Ohio town has had 16.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)