Best Places to Buy Rental Property in Ohio (2026)

We ranked all 54 Ohio counties that have both a median home price and a median rent, ordered by the cap rate a median-priced rental would produce. Guernsey County leads at 6.3%, with a median price of $167,065.

Ohio counties ranked by cap rate

#MarketCap rateMedian priceMedian rentCash flowAnalyze
1Guernsey County, OH6.3%$167,065$1,350-$48Run numbers
2Erie County, OH5.9%$240,422$1,812-$154Run numbers
3Huron County, OH5.7%$195,481$1,437-$149Run numbers
4Belmont County, OH5.7%$132,616$963-$109Run numbers
5Washington County, OH5.6%$184,844$1,336-$155Run numbers
6Lucas County, OH5.3%$176,069$1,198-$196Run numbers
7Mahoning County, OH5.1%$175,744$1,157-$221Run numbers
8Wood County, OH5.1%$242,240$1,585-$311Run numbers
9Cuyahoga County, OH5.0%$218,659$1,413-$292Run numbers
10Marion County, OH5.0%$183,249$1,164-$258Run numbers
11Allen County, OH4.9%$190,690$1,208-$271Run numbers
12Montgomery County, OH4.9%$202,892$1,284-$289Run numbers
13Ashtabula County, OH4.9%$182,582$1,155-$261Run numbers
14Jefferson County, OH4.8%$127,048$773-$201Run numbers
15Athens County, OH4.7%$185,595$1,127-$296Run numbers
16Clark County, OH4.7%$199,692$1,199-$327Run numbers
17Shelby County, OH4.5%$246,250$1,428-$436Run numbers
18Lorain County, OH4.5%$260,654$1,499-$469Run numbers
19Lake County, OH4.4%$249,918$1,422-$460Run numbers
20Trumbull County, OH4.4%$172,302$969-$324Run numbers
21Hancock County, OH4.4%$239,297$1,348-$449Run numbers
22Ottawa County, OH4.4%$273,705$1,538-$517Run numbers
23Summit County, OH4.4%$227,458$1,270-$434Run numbers
24Portage County, OH4.3%$282,245$1,574-$541Run numbers
25Crawford County, OH4.3%$161,149$893-$312Run numbers
26Hamilton County, OH4.3%$266,241$1,468-$521Run numbers
27Greene County, OH4.2%$300,208$1,610-$616Run numbers
28Wayne County, OH4.2%$264,392$1,416-$544Run numbers
29Medina County, OH4.2%$348,695$1,857-$725Run numbers
30Licking County, OH4.2%$340,409$1,811-$709Run numbers
31Stark County, OH4.1%$218,921$1,141-$471Run numbers
32Franklin County, OH4.0%$292,001$1,511-$635Run numbers
33Geauga County, OH4.0%$398,271$2,049-$874Run numbers
34Ross County, OH4.0%$201,557$1,026-$449Run numbers
35Madison County, OH4.0%$320,250$1,629-$715Run numbers
36Butler County, OH3.9%$313,302$1,566-$717Run numbers
37Miami County, OH3.9%$268,300$1,340-$615Run numbers
38Muskingum County, OH3.9%$211,125$1,051-$487Run numbers
39Warren County, OH3.7%$407,863$1,949-$992Run numbers
40Knox County, OH3.6%$288,681$1,344-$725Run numbers
41Logan County, OH3.6%$253,679$1,164-$649Run numbers
42Clermont County, OH3.6%$326,509$1,492-$839Run numbers
43Tuscarawas County, OH3.5%$218,297$984-$569Run numbers
44Richland County, OH3.5%$198,720$894-$520Run numbers
45Pickaway County, OH3.4%$327,922$1,448-$875Run numbers
46Fairfield County, OH3.4%$361,623$1,562-$987Run numbers
47Clinton County, OH3.3%$253,731$1,075-$707Run numbers
48Auglaize County, OH3.3%$242,461$1,013-$685Run numbers
49Champaign County, OH3.2%$255,719$1,060-$728Run numbers
50Henry County, OH3.1%$218,245$871-$643Run numbers

Showing the top 50 of 54 ranked counties.

Looking for every county in the state, including those without rent data? Browse the full Ohio market directory.

How this ranking is calculated

We scored 54 counties in Ohio and ranked them by capitalization rate, calculated as annual net operating income divided by median home price. Markets without both a median home price and a median rent are excluded, because cash flow cannot be estimated without both.

Every figure assumes a median-priced home rented at the local median rent, financed with 20 percent down on a 30-year loan at 7.40%, with closing costs at 3 percent of price and operating costs at 35 percent of rent. Operating costs cover taxes, insurance, maintenance, vacancy, and management.

These are modeled estimates for comparing markets, not quotes on a specific property. A real deal turns on the individual property, its condition, and the actual rent it can command. Run any market that interests you through the calculator with real numbers before you make an offer.

National rankings

Compare Ohio against the rest of the country.

Other states

States with fewer than 5 counties reporting both price and rent are omitted, because a ranking that short would not be meaningful.

Run the numbers on a Ohio property

Start from Guernsey County median values and replace them with a real listing price and rent to see whether the deal actually works.