Housing decision brief
Ashtabula County, OH Housing Market
Ashtabula County screens as a below-state purchase price, below-state rent, a higher tax-rate signal market. Use the page as a decision brief, not just a price lookup, because local income, taxes, and data confidence change how affordable the county really is.
25th lowest home value out of 88 Ohio counties with data | 37th lowest rent out of 88
Median home value
$149,600
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$816/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$807/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
2.7x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
31.0%
At or above the 30% burden threshold.
Rent vs own
$9/mo
Median owner cost screens below median rent.
Data confidence
1 note
Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
What Works
Lower purchase price
$149,600 median home value is 14% below Ohio county median
Lower rent
$816/mo is 2% below Ohio county median
Owning screens cheaper than renting
Median owner costs are $9/mo below median rent before individual mortgage terms.
What to Check
Lower income base
$55,507 median income is 15% below Ohio county median
Tax rate needs attention
1.26% effective property-tax rate is 26% above Ohio county median
Health context
Health score is 38.9 out of 100, so affordability should be weighed against local health indicators.
Crime data coverage
Crime data coverage is partial. Treat zero or low crime rates as incomplete until you check the source coverage.
Best Fit For
- Buyers comparing homes to local incomes
- Households weighing ownership against renting
- Remote earners or cash buyers looking below the state price line
Poor Fit For
- Households dependent on a deep local wage market
- Buyers focused only on purchase price and ignoring annual property tax
- Anyone treating reported crime rates as complete without source context
County vs State vs National
The county number only matters after you see the benchmark. These comparisons show where Ashtabula County is genuinely cheap, where it is average, and where the hidden cost may be.
| Metric | County | State | U.S. | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Median home value Lower usually helps affordability. | $149,600 | $173,050 | $281,900 | 14% favorable14% below Ohio county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $816 | $833 | $1,163 | Near state median2% below Ohio county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $807 | $903 | $1,672 | 11% favorable11% below Ohio county median |
Median household income | $55,507 | $65,182 | $74,755 | 15% pressure15% below Ohio county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 1.26% | 1.00% | 1.02% | 26% pressure26% above Ohio county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 31.00% | 26.00% | N/A | 19% pressure31.00% of renter income goes to rent. |
Income Fit
A low price only helps if local income can carry the monthly cost. This panel compares the county income base with rent and owner-cost thresholds.
Rent cushion
+$22,867
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$20,921
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Housing in Ashtabula County is affordable. The median rent is $816/month against a median household income of $55,507, putting rent at 17.6% of income.
Rent vs own
At $816/month rent versus $807/month in owner costs, owning is roughly $9/month cheaper , a 1% difference.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $32,640/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $34,586/year. With a median household income of $55,507, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 31.0% of renter households in Ashtabula County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Within Ohio, Ashtabula County is more affordable than Crawford County by roughly 7% ($816/mo vs $761/mo).
Better Counties to Compare
Similar counties are matched on home value, rent, income, and state context. This is more useful than a simple nearest-price list.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Why compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guernsey County, OH | $154,100 | $803/mo | Same-state comparison near $154,100 home value and $803/mo rent. |
| Marion County, OH | $146,200 | $850/mo | Same-state comparison near $146,200 home value and $850/mo rent. |
| Richland County, OH | $154,000 | $791/mo | Same-state comparison near $154,000 home value and $791/mo rent. |
| Mahoning County, OH | $141,100 | $775/mo | Same-state comparison near $141,100 home value and $775/mo rent. |
| Noble County, OH | $149,300 | $730/mo | Same-state comparison near $149,300 home value and $730/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Ashtabula County
Is Ashtabula County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Ashtabula County?
How much income do you need for housing in Ashtabula County?
What should I double-check before moving to Ashtabula County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.