Ohio · Free comparisons

Find your Ohio rent vs buy calculator

Choose a city, enter comparable homes, and test the cost of moving sooner or staying longer.

17 city comparisons start from 13 county datasets. Cities in the same county share reference values. These are regional housing indices, not city medians or a statewide average.

Browse all cities ↓Use my own numbers →

17 city pages. Open a location, then replace the starting values with homes you would actually rent or buy.

Start with a city

Cleveland, OHColumbus, OHKettering, OH

Published by RentalCalcs · Content and usability reviewed .

Data periods and program effective dates are shown separately. Report a correction.

City calculators, grouped by their county reference

Home values use Zillow ZHVI; monthly rents use Zillow ZORI. Each has its own observation date. Open a city to adjust price, rent, financing and your time horizon.

Jump to a county (13)

Butler County

Home value · ZHVI
$316,725
Monthly rent · ZORI
$1,559

Source downloads: Zillow ZHVI and ZORI. These are county indices, not matched homes. Coverage and method.

Open a city comparison

Hamilton County

Home value · ZHVI
$269,765
Monthly rent · ZORI
$1,460

Source downloads: Zillow ZHVI and ZORI. These are county indices, not matched homes. Coverage and method.

Open a city comparison

Licking County

Home value · ZHVI
$341,918
Monthly rent · ZORI
$1,882

Source downloads: Zillow ZHVI and ZORI. These are county indices, not matched homes. Coverage and method.

Open a city comparison

Lucas County

Home value · ZHVI
$178,150
Monthly rent · ZORI
$1,180

Source downloads: Zillow ZHVI and ZORI. These are county indices, not matched homes. Coverage and method.

Open a city comparison

Richland County

Home value · ZHVI
$201,774
Monthly rent · ZORI
$934

Source downloads: Zillow ZHVI and ZORI. These are county indices, not matched homes. Coverage and method.

Open a city comparison

Stark County

Home value · ZHVI
$220,399
Monthly rent · ZORI
$1,131

Source downloads: Zillow ZHVI and ZORI. These are county indices, not matched homes. Coverage and method.

Open a city comparison

Summit County

Home value · ZHVI
$229,742
Monthly rent · ZORI
$1,288

Source downloads: Zillow ZHVI and ZORI. These are county indices, not matched homes. Coverage and method.

Open a city comparison

Turn a regional reference into your decision

  1. 1. Compare similar homes. Match bedrooms, property type, condition and location. The home-value and rent indices cover different housing stocks; their ratio alone cannot tell you which option is better.
  2. 2. Check the property's costs. Replace the illustrative tax rate, insurance and HOA assumptions. Use the Ohio county auditor directory to request an estimate after purchase.

    Ask the county auditor for an annual estimate for the parcel, tax district and your ownership. Confirm the tax year and payable year, available credits, exemptions and special assessments. The seller's bill may reflect benefits you will not receive.

    Ohio's county auditor guidance distinguishes appraised value from assessed value. Assessed value is generally 35% of appraised value; a mill is $1 per $1,000 of assessed value. Read the tax-bill terms before using a quoted rate. Enter an annual budget as a percentage of purchase price here, not the district's millage or the 35% assessment fraction.

    For example, an estimated $6,000 annual bill on a $300,000 purchase is 2.00%, or $500 a month. With this conversion, leave Assessed Value at 100% in the full calculator; applying 35% again would understate your budget. This calculator does not determine Ohio tax credits, exemptions or levy changes. Later years use the model's illustrative tax-growth assumption.

  3. 3. Test more than one exit date. Each city calculator compares the monthly budget, cash at closing and wealth after selling costs. Try a shorter stay and less favorable growth assumptions before opening the full calculator.

Coverage and sources

These 13 counties are the starting references for the listed cities; this is not complete coverage of Ohio. City pages include the source series, county FIPS, observation month, retrieval date and download links. Read Zillow's index definitions. Download dates do not make the underlying observations newer.

County references were checked against the U.S. Census Bureau 2020 Ohio place-by-county table. Check your actual address before using a county source.

Cities spanning counties: Columbus starts with Franklin County only; Dayton starts with Montgomery County only; Youngstown starts with Mahoning County only; Kettering starts with Montgomery County only. Each city page explains the boundary and the alternate reference path.

There is no statewide buy-or-rent verdict here. Results depend on the properties and assumptions you enter. The comparisons are free; the full calculator also offers an optional paid report.