County housing intelligence
Ohio Housing Market by County
Ohio is not one housing market. Across 88 counties, the median county home value is $184,050 and the median county rent is $863/mo. The useful question is not whether Ohio is cheap. It is which county fits your income, tax tolerance, and buy-versus-rent plan.
County median home value
$184,050
Median of county medians, less distorted by the largest metros.
County median rent
$863/mo
Gross rent includes rent plus utilities where Census reports it.
Counties compared
88
Every county with available ACS housing data in this state.
Fast answers
Start with the housing question.
Market brief
The state-level housing signal
These benchmarks use the median county in the state, not one metro-weighted average. That makes the brief better for county comparison and rural-to-urban screening.
Purchase price
State county median vs national benchmark
Rent
State county median vs national benchmark
Owner cost
State county median vs national benchmark
Income base
State county median vs national benchmark
Tax rate
State county median vs national benchmark
The Ohio Pattern
These are the signals a statewide average hides. Start here before choosing counties to compare.
Price geography
Delaware County, Warren County, Union County sit at the top of the purchase market, while Meigs County, Harrison County, Jefferson County anchor the lower-cost end.
Rent reality
Delaware County, Warren County, Franklin County lead on rent, while Monroe County, Noble County, Meigs County show where monthly lease costs are lowest.
Decision lens
Henry County, Paulding County, Defiance County screen best for purchase affordability when home values are measured against local household income.
Best Counties by Housing Goal
Different households need different rankings. Price alone is not enough, so these groups compare rent, income, owner costs, and tax exposure.
Cheapest to buy
Lowest median home values. Useful for purchase-price screening.
- 1. Meigs County
$119,300
- 2. Harrison County
$121,500
- 3. Jefferson County
$127,800
- 4. Crawford County
$136,700
- 5. Scioto County
$137,900
Best buy affordability
Lowest home-value-to-income ratios. Better than price alone.
- 1. Henry County
2.1x home-value-to-income
- 2. Paulding County
2.1x home-value-to-income
- 3. Defiance County
2.2x home-value-to-income
- 4. Harrison County
2.2x home-value-to-income
- 5. Jefferson County
2.2x home-value-to-income
Cheapest to rent
Lowest median gross rent among counties with ACS rent data.
- 1. Monroe County
$672/mo
- 2. Noble County
$707/mo
- 3. Meigs County
$722/mo
- 4. Vinton County
$728/mo
- 5. Adams County
$732/mo
Lowest rent burden
Where typical renters spend the smallest share of income on rent.
- 1. Henry County
20.2% rent burden
- 2. Wyandot County
20.7% rent burden
- 3. Fulton County
21.6% rent burden
- 4. Putnam County
22.0% rent burden
- 5. Noble County
22.3% rent burden
Lowest tax-rate signal
Lowest effective property-tax rates in the state data.
- 1. Noble County
0.72% effective tax rate
- 2. Brown County
0.82% effective tax rate
- 3. Monroe County
0.82% effective tax rate
- 4. Adams County
0.83% effective tax rate
- 5. Pike County
0.83% effective tax rate
Owner-cost advantage
Counties where median owner costs are furthest below median rent.
- 1. Pike County
$154/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 2. Athens County
$145/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 3. Gallia County
$131/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 4. Morgan County
$131/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 5. Jefferson County
$106/mo cheaper to own than rent
Income-backed value
Higher-income counties that still hold a reasonable value-to-income profile.
- 1. Delaware County
$133,540 income, 3.3x value-to-income
- 2. Henry County
$80,099 income, 2.1x value-to-income
- 3. Union County
$112,322 income, 3.1x value-to-income
- 4. Putnam County
$84,928 income, 2.4x value-to-income
- 5. Geauga County
$107,860 income, 3.1x value-to-income
Tradeoffs to Check
The best page is not the one that crowns a winner. It is the one that shows where a county can surprise you after the headline price looks attractive.
| Signal | County | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Cheap price, weaker income base | Meigs County $119,300 home value, $46,873 income | Low purchase prices can still feel tight when local wages are also low. |
| Affordable homes, higher tax rate | Meigs County $119,300 home value, 1.04% tax rate | A low home price can be offset by the annual property-tax bill. |
| Renter pressure | Adams County $732/mo rent, 33.60% rent burden | Monthly rent alone does not show whether renters can comfortably absorb the cost. |
| Expensive, but income-supported | Delaware County $445,500 home value, $133,540 income | Some high-price counties also have stronger incomes, so affordability depends on both sides of the equation. |
Lowest home values
Best value-to-income
Compare Every Ohio County
Sorted by home-value-to-income ratio so the first rows are not just cheap counties, but counties where purchase prices look smaller relative to local income.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Income | Value/Income | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henry County | $168,600 | $849/mo | $80,099 | 2.1x | 1.17% |
| Paulding County | $140,800 | $812/mo | $67,731 | 2.1x | 1.03% |
| Defiance County | $163,200 | $846/mo | $73,064 | 2.2x | 1.07% |
| Harrison County | $121,500 | $785/mo | $54,414 | 2.2x | 1.05% |
| Jefferson County | $127,800 | $835/mo | $59,055 | 2.2x | 0.98% |
| Van Wert County | $152,000 | $782/mo | $67,917 | 2.2x | 0.91% |
| Seneca County | $154,700 | $856/mo | $66,025 | 2.3x | 1.03% |
| Wyandot County | $163,400 | $827/mo | $69,768 | 2.3x | 0.86% |
| Auglaize County | $189,800 | $868/mo | $78,660 | 2.4x | 0.96% |
| Crawford County | $136,700 | $794/mo | $58,044 | 2.4x | 1.19% |
| Hardin County | $151,200 | $793/mo | $62,484 | 2.4x | 1.05% |
| Huron County | $166,000 | $848/mo | $67,878 | 2.4x | 1.05% |
| Monroe County | $142,700 | $672/mo | $60,134 | 2.4x | 0.82% |
| Putnam County | $201,100 | $855/mo | $84,928 | 2.4x | 0.97% |
| Lawrence County | $144,000 | $848/mo | $58,325 | 2.5x | 0.84% |
| Meigs County | $119,300 | $722/mo | $46,873 | 2.5x | 1.04% |
| Morgan County | $150,900 | $742/mo | $59,351 | 2.5x | 0.84% |
| Trumbull County | $141,800 | $797/mo | $56,435 | 2.5x | 1.31% |
| Williams County | $150,000 | $791/mo | $61,048 | 2.5x | 1.05% |
| Allen County | $165,300 | $922/mo | $64,038 | 2.6x | 1.12% |
| Columbiana County | $151,600 | $756/mo | $58,180 | 2.6x | 1.01% |
| Fulton County | $191,000 | $863/mo | $72,864 | 2.6x | 1.28% |
| Highland County | $168,900 | $780/mo | $65,785 | 2.6x | 0.91% |
| Jackson County | $150,700 | $769/mo | $57,106 | 2.6x | 0.90% |
| Lake County | $214,100 | $1,113/mo | $80,925 | 2.6x | 1.62% |
| Lucas County | $163,900 | $934/mo | $62,224 | 2.6x | 1.69% |
| Marion County | $156,800 | $864/mo | $59,371 | 2.6x | 0.95% |
| Preble County | $180,900 | $794/mo | $69,223 | 2.6x | 1.04% |
| Sandusky County | $160,700 | $783/mo | $62,295 | 2.6x | 1.03% |
| Ashland County | $186,800 | $888/mo | $69,860 | 2.7x | 0.99% |
| Belmont County | $154,900 | $793/mo | $57,017 | 2.7x | 0.95% |
| Champaign County | $204,000 | $905/mo | $75,556 | 2.7x | 1.02% |
| Clark County | $169,900 | $872/mo | $63,132 | 2.7x | 1.19% |
| Darke County | $173,200 | $779/mo | $64,486 | 2.7x | 0.91% |
| Fayette County | $170,700 | $822/mo | $63,275 | 2.7x | 0.94% |
| Gallia County | $155,600 | $813/mo | $56,830 | 2.7x | 0.91% |
| Guernsey County | $157,700 | $864/mo | $58,478 | 2.7x | 1.01% |
| Mahoning County | $154,700 | $791/mo | $56,942 | 2.7x | 1.30% |
| Mercer County | $210,600 | $804/mo | $76,782 | 2.7x | 1.10% |
| Montgomery County | $180,900 | $1,026/mo | $66,139 | 2.7x | 1.73% |
| Scioto County | $137,900 | $742/mo | $50,609 | 2.7x | 1.06% |
| Stark County | $186,400 | $909/mo | $67,934 | 2.7x | 1.29% |
| Vinton County | $150,000 | $728/mo | $55,336 | 2.7x | 0.98% |
| Ashtabula County | $159,500 | $828/mo | $57,728 | 2.8x | 1.21% |
| Brown County | $196,200 | $817/mo | $71,270 | 2.8x | 0.82% |
| Carroll County | $183,100 | $863/mo | $64,835 | 2.8x | 0.94% |
| Coshocton County | $155,500 | $765/mo | $55,577 | 2.8x | 0.95% |
| Erie County | $199,700 | $933/mo | $71,993 | 2.8x | 1.22% |
| Hancock County | $204,700 | $979/mo | $73,141 | 2.8x | 1.00% |
| Logan County | $203,200 | $845/mo | $71,551 | 2.8x | 1.00% |
| Perry County | $191,100 | $777/mo | $67,460 | 2.8x | 0.95% |
| Richland County | $164,800 | $824/mo | $59,509 | 2.8x | 1.25% |
| Ross County | $171,500 | $906/mo | $61,303 | 2.8x | 1.00% |
| Shelby County | $208,100 | $922/mo | $73,978 | 2.8x | 0.95% |
| Greene County | $252,200 | $1,135/mo | $87,309 | 2.9x | 1.61% |
| Madison County | $250,100 | $943/mo | $87,045 | 2.9x | 1.02% |
| Noble County | $163,600 | $707/mo | $56,098 | 2.9x | 0.72% |
| Ottawa County | $219,900 | $930/mo | $76,101 | 2.9x | 1.08% |
| Summit County | $208,700 | $1,026/mo | $71,622 | 2.9x | 1.53% |
| Tuscarawas County | $185,400 | $908/mo | $65,044 | 2.9x | 1.06% |
| Washington County | $185,600 | $852/mo | $63,603 | 2.9x | 0.93% |
| Clinton County | $211,900 | $910/mo | $70,407 | 3.0x | 0.93% |
| Cuyahoga County | $195,400 | $1,060/mo | $64,468 | 3.0x | 2.00% |
| Hocking County | $186,400 | $808/mo | $62,960 | 3.0x | 0.99% |
| Lorain County | $223,200 | $966/mo | $73,347 | 3.0x | 1.37% |
| Medina County | $287,000 | $1,143/mo | $94,968 | 3.0x | 1.24% |
| Miami County | $229,100 | $966/mo | $76,817 | 3.0x | 0.98% |
| Morrow County | $222,300 | $937/mo | $75,283 | 3.0x | 1.06% |
| Muskingum County | $182,200 | $833/mo | $60,780 | 3.0x | 0.91% |
| Portage County | $227,000 | $1,064/mo | $75,766 | 3.0x | 1.27% |
| Wayne County | $222,100 | $881/mo | $73,574 | 3.0x | 1.17% |
| Clermont County | $266,200 | $1,107/mo | $85,510 | 3.1x | 1.25% |
| Geauga County | $331,100 | $1,083/mo | $107,860 | 3.1x | 1.38% |
| Pike County | $163,800 | $907/mo | $52,736 | 3.1x | 0.83% |
| Union County | $344,900 | $1,247/mo | $112,322 | 3.1x | 1.14% |
| Wood County | $227,600 | $972/mo | $74,216 | 3.1x | 1.34% |
| Butler County | $258,500 | $1,135/mo | $81,590 | 3.2x | 1.22% |
| Knox County | $239,400 | $950/mo | $73,878 | 3.2x | 1.07% |
| Warren County | $349,400 | $1,361/mo | $110,132 | 3.2x | 1.20% |
| Adams County | $164,200 | $732/mo | $50,264 | 3.3x | 0.83% |
| Athens County | $185,000 | $939/mo | $56,001 | 3.3x | 1.17% |
| Delaware County | $445,500 | $1,492/mo | $133,540 | 3.3x | 1.60% |
| Fairfield County | $298,800 | $1,172/mo | $90,966 | 3.3x | 1.10% |
| Hamilton County | $241,900 | $1,075/mo | $72,470 | 3.3x | 1.51% |
| Licking County | $275,200 | $1,078/mo | $84,426 | 3.3x | 1.22% |
| Holmes County | $267,700 | $816/mo | $76,140 | 3.5x | 1.08% |
| Pickaway County | $256,800 | $1,020/mo | $74,040 | 3.5x | 1.00% |
| Franklin County | $288,400 | $1,302/mo | $75,176 | 3.8x | 1.47% |
Questions This Page Answers
Each answer is generated from the current county dataset, so it changes when the underlying ACS data changes.
What is the typical home value in Ohio by county?
What is the typical rent in Ohio by county?
Which Ohio counties are most affordable to buy in?
Why do cheap counties still need a closer look?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.