Tuscarawas County

Tuscarawas County sits at a median home price of $218,297 against a median rent of $984, producing a gross rent-to-price ratio of 5.41%. The model cap rate comes in at 3.52%, and the all-in cash-on-cash return at 6.85% financing is negative 12.05%, with estimated monthly cash flow of negative $504 on a 20% down purchase. Those numbers place Tuscarawas squarely toward the appreciation end of the spectrum rather than the cash-flow end. The appreciation score of 89 out of 100 and a 6% year-over-year home price gain confirm that the market is being bid up, but current rental rates have not kept pace with acquisition costs at this interest rate environment. The affordability index of 83 and a median price under $220,000 suggest the county is not expensive in absolute terms, but the spread between rent and mortgage cost is wide enough that day-one cash flow is a genuine problem for leveraged buyers.

This market fits an appreciation-oriented investor or a longer-horizon buyer who can tolerate negative carry in the early years while equity builds. The 6% YoY price appreciation is real and ranks well within Ohio's 88 counties (46th overall, 73rd national percentile), but anyone underwriting this on a five-year hold needs to model that negative $504 monthly figure honestly and ensure reserves can absorb it. A cash-flow buyer looking for month-one income should look elsewhere; the cash-flow score of 51 out of 100 and the negative cash-on-cash return say clearly that Tuscarawas does not deliver that at current prices and rates. A value-add operator buying below median, forcing appreciation through renovation, and refinancing into a lower basis could make the math work, but that strategy requires execution skill and deal sourcing discipline, not just market selection.

No economic anchor data was provided for Tuscarawas, so drawing conclusions about specific employers or industries driving rental demand would require data beyond what is available here.

The tax and insurance picture deserves a dedicated line on your underwrite. At Ohio's state-average effective property tax rate of 1.56%, annualized property tax on a $218,297 purchase runs approximately $3,405, and insurance adds another $502 annually, totaling $326 per month combined. That $326 figure alone consumes one-third of the gross rent. The propertyTaxFlag is flagged as "high," and at 1.56% the rate is high enough to deserve its own line on your underwrite before you model anything else. Note that 1.56% is a state-average estimate sourced from Tax Foundation 2024 data; actual Tuscarawas County and township-level rates may differ, and you should pull the county auditor's current millage before finalizing any deal.

The primary risk is concentration. At 92,840 residents, Tuscarawas is a small, rural Ohio county, and small-county rental markets can see meaningful vacancy swings from the loss of even a single large employer or a modest population contraction. The affordability index of 83 indicates the county is affordable relative to income, which can actually suppress rents by keeping homeownership accessible, and that dynamic works against the rent growth needed to close the current cash-flow gap. No vacancy or crime data was provided, so those risks cannot be quantified here, but an investor should pull local vacancy data independently before committing.

Compared to the neighboring counties in the dataset, Tuscarawas has the lowest median home price at $218,297 and the lowest gross rent-to-price ratio at 5.41%. Every neighbor listed outperforms it on that metric: Geauga is at 6.38%, Miami at 6.34%, Hancock at 6.85%, Hamilton at 6.94%, and Lorain at 6.34%. Hancock County in particular, with a ratio of 6.85% and a median price of only $229,447, represents a meaningful improvement in rental yield at a modest price premium. Hamilton County at 6.94% and a $262,214 median is the strongest yield in the group but requires more capital. On overall score, Tuscarawas ties Geauga at 67 and sits one point behind Miami, Hancock, Lorain, and Hamilton, all at 68. Where Tuscarawas does separate itself is on appreciation, scoring 89 compared to the single overall scores reported for neighbors, and its lower absolute price point gives it a lower barrier to entry. An investor should choose Tuscarawas over its neighbors specifically if they are prioritizing price appreciation potential and have the balance sheet to carry negative cash flow, or if they are hunting below-median deals in a market where the median itself is already Ohio's more affordable range. An investor who needs cash flow from day one should seriously consider Hancock or Hamilton first.