The 10 Best Counties To Live In Ohio For 2021


Using science and data, we can tell you which counties in Ohio have the most for people looking to make the move to Ohio.

Chris Kolmar, About HomeSnacks
December 30, 2020
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Some of you might be asking yourself, at this very moment: is Ohio a good place?

The answer is unequivocally yes… if you know where to locate the best places to live in Ohio.

Lucky for you, we’re here to help you identify the best counties to live in the Buckeye State based on the most recently available data from the Census. And this isn’t our first rodeo — we’ve been helping people find the best places to live in America for years.

So, the question becomes, if you wanted to relocate to the best part of Ohio, where would you go? To answer that we looked at crime, cost of living, and demographic data for all 88 counties in the state.

After the analytic dust settled, we identified the 10 best counties to live in Buckeye State for 2021.

Union County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in Ohio. And you might want to avoid Vinton County if you can — at least according to the data.

So if you’re thinking of making the move Ohio, we’ve got you covered. Keep on reading for a detailed methodology.

Or, check out the best places to live in Ohio and the cheapest places to live in Ohio.

The Best Counties To Live In Ohio For 2021

1. Union County

Marysville, OH

Source: Wikipedia User Wiki Historian N OH of En | CC BY-SA 3.0

Biggest Place: Dublin

Population: 56,707
Median Income: $86,715 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $203,800.0 (5th best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.9% (best)
More on Union County: Photos | Data

2. Medina County

Lodi, OH

Source: Wikipedia User Jerrye & Roy Klotz, MD | CC BY-SA 4.0

Biggest Place: Brunswick

Population: 177,980
Median Income: $76,600 (5th best)
Median Home Price: $196,300.0 (6th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.8% (6th best)
More on Medina County: Photos | Data

3. Putnam County

Leipsic, OH

Source: Public domain

Biggest Place: Ottawa

Population: 33,911
Median Income: $64,822 (11th best)
Median Home Price: $155,800.0 (18th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.0% (9th best)
More on Putnam County: Photos | Data

4. Auglaize County

Minster, OH

Source: Public domain

Biggest Place: Wapakoneta

Population: 45,729
Median Income: $64,074 (14th best)
Median Home Price: $147,300.0 (28th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.0% (8th best)
More on Auglaize County: Photos | Data

5. Mercer County

Celina, OH

Source: Public domain

Biggest Place: Celina

Population: 40,884
Median Income: $62,952 (19th best)
Median Home Price: $153,800.0 (2best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.5% (4th best)
More on Mercer County: Photos | Data

6. Lake County

Eastlake, OH

Source: Public domain

Biggest Place: Mentor

Population: 229,954
Median Income: $64,466 (13th best)
Median Home Price: $156,200.0 (17th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.2% (27th best)
More on Lake County: Photos | Data

7. Delaware County

Columbus, OH

Source: Wikipedia User Yassie (talk) | GFDL

Biggest Place: Columbus

Population: 201,135
Median Income: $106,908 (best)
Median Home Price: $308,800.0 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.8% (7th best)
More on Delaware County: Photos | Data

8. Warren County

Blanchester, OH

Source: Wikipedia User Aesopposea | CC BY-SA 3.0

Biggest Place: Middletown

Population: 229,132
Median Income: $87,125 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $222,500.0 (3rd best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.0% (10th best)
More on Warren County: Photos | Data

9. Ottawa County

Genoa, OH

Source: Public domain

Biggest Place: Port Clinton

Population: 40,632
Median Income: $59,099 (27th best)
Median Home Price: $152,000.0 (23rd best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.8% (19th best)
More on Ottawa County: Photos | Data

10. Geauga County

Middlefield, OH

Source: Wikipedia User LeeG7144 | CC BY-SA 3.0

Biggest Place: Chardon

Population: 93,843
Median Income: $82,303 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $240,900.0 (2nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.5% (3rd best)
More on Geauga County: Photos | Data

How do you determine which Ohio county is the best?

To give you the best county in Ohio, we have to look at a handful of metrics that signal the quality of a place. To do that, we need to make some assumptions about what’s a “best county” and what isn’t. And, for reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, don’t take this analysis to court.

With that in mind, we went to two of the best sources of data on the internet; the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent time period.

We paid particular attention to:

  • Violent Crime Rates
  • Property Crime Rates
  • Median Home Values
  • Median Income
  • Unemployment Rates
  • Adult Education Levels
  • Health Insurance Coverage
  • Poverty Rates
Best Places To Retire In Ohio

We then ranked each county in Ohio across each of the criteria from one to 88, with one being the best.

Taking the average rank across all criteria, we created a quality of life score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Best County To Live In Ohio”.

The result is some of the safest, quiet, and best counties to raise a family in the Buckeye State.

Read on to see why Union County is the best county, while Vinton County is probably in contention for being the worst county in Ohio.

There You Have It – The Best Counties In Ohio To Call Home For 2018

It turns out living in Ohio can vary from one part of the state to the next — who woulda thought?

But now you the know the really good parts and the parts to avoid and that’s why you came here to learn at the end of the day. And for that, you are welcome.

Here’s a look at the worst counties in Ohio according to the data:

  1. Vinton County
  2. Scioto County
  3. Ashtabula County

For more Ohio reading, check out:

Detailed List Of The Best Counties In Ohio

County Rank Population Median Income Median Home Price
Union County 1 56,707 $86,715 $203,800.0
Medina County 2 177,980 $76,600 $196,300.0
Putnam County 3 33,911 $64,822 $155,800.0
Auglaize County 4 45,729 $64,074 $147,300.0
Mercer County 5 40,884 $62,952 $153,800.0
Lake County 6 229,954 $64,466 $156,200.0
Delaware County 7 201,135 $106,908 $308,800.0
Warren County 8 229,132 $87,125 $222,500.0
Ottawa County 9 40,632 $59,099 $152,000.0
Geauga County 10 93,843 $82,303 $240,900.0
Fulton County 11 42,253 $63,092 $138,200.0
Henry County 12 27,208 $59,695 $125,200.0
Fairfield County 13 154,457 $67,609 $185,300.0
Wood County 14 130,150 $62,390 $163,600.0
Hancock County 15 75,837 $58,450 $147,600.0
Miami County 16 105,371 $61,041 $151,400.0
Defiance County 17 38,160 $59,931 $119,900.0
Shelby County 18 48,749 $63,806 $145,600.0
Wyandot County 19 22,000 $55,767 $122,200.0
Portage County 20 162,511 $57,618 $159,200.0
Clermont County 21 204,275 $66,968 $170,800.0
Darke County 22 51,513 $55,620 $123,300.0
Champaign County 23 38,845 $60,112 $132,800.0
Greene County 24 166,502 $68,720 $173,000.0
Morrow County 25 35,043 $59,452 $152,800.0
Sandusky County 26 59,029 $54,089 $115,400.0
Logan County 27 45,316 $56,754 $131,900.0
Preble County 28 41,093 $58,957 $125,100.0
Madison County 29 44,135 $68,022 $166,500.0
Licking County 30 173,750 $64,589 $170,200.0
Knox County 31 61,481 $57,749 $155,500.0
Seneca County 32 55,351 $52,500 $106,500.0
Holmes County 33 43,901 $63,753 $208,700.0
Butler County 34 380,019 $66,117 $172,900.0
Erie County 35 74,780 $54,226 $139,900.0
Van Wert County 36 28,261 $54,254 $104,900.0
Washington County 37 60,426 $50,021 $132,400.0
Williams County 38 36,816 $53,183 $105,400.0
Tuscarawas County 39 92,335 $53,243 $132,100.0
Belmont County 40 68,024 $50,904 $100,500.0
Lorain County 41 307,670 $58,427 $150,500.0
Pickaway County 42 57,762 $63,633 $163,300.0
Huron County 43 58,339 $52,560 $124,600.0
Summit County 44 541,334 $57,181 $146,800.0
Ashland County 45 53,536 $52,823 $128,400.0
Paulding County 46 18,809 $55,330 $97,000.0
Brown County 47 43,572 $54,575 $132,400.0
Franklin County 48 1,290,360 $61,305 $175,100.0
Hamilton County 49 813,589 $57,212 $155,400.0
Wayne County 50 116,099 $58,300 $148,900.0
Carroll County 51 27,332 $55,267 $126,500.0
Stark County 52 372,404 $53,860 $134,300.0
Hocking County 53 28,390 $52,363 $132,800.0
Mahoning County 54 229,961 $46,042 $105,400.0
Allen County 55 103,175 $53,131 $118,100.0
Clinton County 56 41,957 $52,815 $128,400.0
Lawrence County 57 60,184 $45,118 $106,500.0
Morgan County 58 14,640 $42,341 $99,900.0
Hardin County 59 31,425 $50,506 $105,300.0
Columbiana County 60 103,190 $48,345 $109,400.0
Crawford County 61 41,821 $44,971 $88,400.0
Jefferson County 62 66,371 $46,581 $93,000.0
Cuyahoga County 63 1,247,451 $50,366 $132,800.0
Perry County 64 36,022 $50,150 $114,100.0
Muskingum County 65 86,131 $47,254 $120,200.0
Montgomery County 66 531,670 $51,542 $119,800.0
Trumbull County 67 200,367 $47,280 $102,600.0
Meigs County 68 23,078 $44,899 $95,000.0
Adams County 69 27,776 $39,079 $105,300.0
Richland County 70 121,100 $49,547 $110,600.0
Clark County 71 134,726 $50,873 $115,500.0
Ross County 72 76,948 $51,092 $123,800.0
Pike County 73 28,000 $42,832 $117,100.0
Athens County 74 65,917 $40,905 $129,600.0
Marion County 75 65,299 $47,498 $100,800.0
Monroe County 76 13,942 $45,289 $110,000.0
Lucas County 77 431,102 $48,736 $116,600.0
Fayette County 78 28,620 $47,308 $113,500.0
Noble County 79 14,416 $46,897 $100,500.0
Highland County 80 43,016 $44,169 $117,400.0
Harrison County 81 15,211 $49,689 $92,700.0
Gallia County 82 30,088 $44,858 $110,200.0
Jackson County 83 32,450 $47,550 $97,400.0
Guernsey County 84 39,111 $45,917 $114,700.0
Coshocton County 85 36,585 $46,606 $99,200.0
Ashtabula County 86 97,830 $46,700 $112,700.0
Scioto County 87 76,040 $41,330 $97,800.0
Vinton County 88 13,083 $45,673 $91,500.0
Download The Entire Ohio Ranking Data
Editor’s Note: We updated this article for 2021. This is our seventh time ranking the best counties to live in Ohio.

About Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.

 Best Counties, Rankings