When we are in high school, we dream of college. In college, we dream of being in the workforce and having our dream jobs. But when we are finally living the work life, we dream about our retirement — in Ohio of course.
Retirement can be full of fun, adventure, and social life. The best cities for retirement in the “heart of it all” have everything you’re looking for at an affordable price.
To find the best places to retire, we considered things that retirees like to do, like visiting museums and libraries, affordable housing near major airports, and safety. From Columbus to Cincinnati, you can find a city that fits your retirement needs.
Ohio has everything you could want. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is in Ohio. Not to mention, you’ll find beautiful state parks near the places on our list.
$1,029 median rent · $72,544 median income · #70 cheapest rent in Ohio
Located in
Stark County, Ohio
North Canton is a city in Stark County in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 17,488 at the 2010 United States Census. It is part of the Canton-Massillon, OH Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,087 median rent · $69,295 median income · #87 cheapest rent in Ohio
Located in
Cuyahoga County, Ohio
Parma is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. Located on the southern edge of Cleveland, it is both an inner-ring and the largest suburb of Cleveland. Parma, as of the 2010 census, is listed as the seventh largest city in the state of Ohio and the second largest city in Cuyahoga County after Cleveland.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,099 median rent · $69,701 median income · #89 cheapest rent in Ohio
Located in
Lorain County, Ohio
Vermilion is a city in Erie and Lorain counties in the U.S. state of Ohio, on Lake Erie. The population was 10,594 at the 2010 census. The current mayor is Eileen Bulan. The Lorain County portion of Vermilion is part of the Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor Metropolitan Statistical Area, while the Erie County portion is part of the Sandusky Micropolitan Statistical Area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$897 median rent · $58,547 median income · #34 cheapest rent in Ohio
Located in
Tuscarawas County, Ohio
New Philadelphia is a city in and the county seat of Tuscarawas County, Ohio, United States. The county’s largest city, New Philadelphia is located on the Tuscarawas River. It is located 71 miles south of Cleveland and 119 miles northeast of Columbus. The population was 17,288 at the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$760 median rent · $62,849 median income · #3 cheapest rent in Ohio
Located in
Mercer County, Ohio
Celina is a city in and the county seat of Mercer County, Ohio, United States. The population was 10,400 at the 2010 census. Celina is situated on the western shores of Grand Lake St. Marys.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,175 median rent · $94,026 median income · #103 cheapest rent in Ohio
Located in
Cuyahoga County, Ohio
Rocky River is a city in western Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. A suburb of Cleveland, it is located along the shore of Lake Erie approximately 9 miles west of downtown Cleveland. The city is named for the Rocky River that forms its eastern border. The population was 20,213 at the time of the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$782 median rent · $47,648 median income · #11 cheapest rent in Ohio
Located in
Lawrence County, Ohio
Ironton is a city in and the county seat of Lawrence County, Ohio, United States. Located in southernmost Ohio along the Ohio River, the city includes the Downtown Ironton Historic District.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,122 median rent · $71,332 median income · #91 cheapest rent in Ohio
Located in
Cuyahoga County, Ohio
Brook Park is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States and a suburb of Cleveland. As of the 2010 Census, the city population was 19,212.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$793 median rent · $44,120 median income · #14 cheapest rent in Ohio
Located in
Ashtabula County, Ohio
Ashtabula ash-t-BEW-l is a city in Ashtabula County, Ohio, United States, and the center of the Ashtabula Micropolitan Statistical Area. It is located at the mouth of the Ashtabula River on Lake Erie, one of the Great Lakes, across from the province of Ontario, Canada. The name Ashtabula is derived from ashtepihle, which means ‘always enough fish to be shared around’ in the Lenape language.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,132 median rent · $90,244 median income · #96 cheapest rent in Ohio
Located in
Summit County, Ohio
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Ohio’s statewide median.
Ohio statewide median: $71,389
Ohio statewide median: $242,141
On the map
Where to retire in Ohio
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How We Determined The Best Places To Retire In the Buckeye State for 2026
To create our ranking of the best places in Ohio to retire, we used Saturday Night Science. We analyzed Census data to find all places in the Buckeye State — 1203 cities and towns.
We then narrowed it down to places with at least 10,000 people that weren’t townships. This left us with 150 places from across the state.
For these 150, we looked at the following criteria taken from the Census, the FBI’s Crime Report, National Weather Service, and OpenFlights:
- Low cost of living as measured by rent
- Low crime
- Things to do (Museums, Colleges, and Libraries in town)
- Nice weather
- Distance to the closest international airport
- Other retirees (High median age)
We then ranked each of these places for each criterion from one to 150, with the lowest number being the best.
Finally, we took the average rank across these criteria. The place, in this case North Canton, with the lowest average rank, was crowned the best of the best, a place for you to start your second career.
The report has been updated for 2026. This list reflects our eleventh time ranking the best places to retire in Ohio.
The full plate
Best Places To Retire In Ohio
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Retire Score | Population | Median Income | Average Home Prices | Median Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Canton | 40.30 | 17,727 | $72,544 | $283,608 | $1,029 |
| 2 | Parma | 42.40 | 79,870 | $69,295 | $210,914 | $1,087 |
| 3 | Vermilion | 44.50 | 10,343 | $69,701 | $260,645 | $1,099 |
| 4 | New Philadelphia | 45.40 | 17,520 | $58,547 | $204,371 | $897 |
| 5 | Celina | 48.90 | 10,903 | $62,849 | $234,400 | $760 |
| 6 | Rocky River | 49.50 | 21,490 | $94,026 | $393,092 | $1,175 |
| 7 | Ironton | 49.80 | 10,768 | $47,648 | $119,423 | $782 |
| 8 | Brook Park | 51.50 | 18,284 | $71,332 | $191,188 | $1,122 |
| 9 | Ashtabula | 51.50 | 17,856 | $44,120 | $151,258 | $793 |
| 10 | New Franklin | 52.30 | 13,843 | $90,244 | $241,578 | $1,132 |
| 11 | Avon Lake | 52.40 | 25,752 | $115,567 | $422,131 | $1,537 |
| 12 | Westlake | 52.80 | 34,104 | $112,200 | $414,010 | $1,570 |
| 13 | Salem | 52.90 | 11,758 | $47,073 | $181,905 | $763 |
| 14 | Galion | 53.40 | 10,339 | $52,176 | $170,645 | $803 |
| 15 | Amherst | 54.00 | 12,906 | $90,725 | $274,430 | $906 |
| 16 | Willowick | 54.30 | 14,162 | $77,228 | $191,619 | $1,053 |
| 17 | Dover | 54.60 | 13,053 | $64,276 | $227,325 | $997 |
| 18 | Broadview Heights | 55.00 | 19,771 | $103,125 | $365,133 | $1,083 |
| 19 | Troy | 55.70 | 26,842 | $68,830 | $280,154 | $1,003 |
| 20 | Brecksville | 55.70 | 13,692 | $135,000 | $437,032 | $1,588 |
| 21 | Tallmadge | 56.20 | 18,335 | $89,410 | $282,064 | $1,067 |
| 22 | Worthington | 56.60 | 14,938 | $127,382 | $478,891 | $1,232 |
| 23 | Medina | 57.40 | 25,950 | $77,385 | $374,184 | $1,077 |
| 24 | London | 57.70 | 10,484 | $60,231 | $280,969 | $916 |
| 25 | Berea | 58.70 | 18,218 | $74,926 | $239,040 | $1,062 |
| 26 | Parma Heights | 59.00 | 20,581 | $61,009 | $214,164 | $1,111 |
| 27 | North Olmsted | 60.00 | 31,924 | $84,363 | $270,520 | $1,141 |
| 28 | Clayton | 60.20 | 13,277 | $92,879 | $253,570 | $1,070 |
| 29 | Youngstown | 60.50 | 59,331 | $34,408 | $70,004 | $728 |
| 30 | Bucyrus | 60.50 | 11,594 | $54,349 | $158,594 | $765 |
| 31 | Richmond Heights | 60.90 | 10,626 | $60,833 | $239,479 | $961 |
| 32 | Cambridge | 61.10 | 10,060 | $42,946 | $167,595 | $788 |
| 33 | Xenia | 62.20 | 25,689 | $56,029 | $252,478 | $931 |
| 34 | Barberton | 63.20 | 24,844 | $52,267 | $152,665 | $848 |
| 35 | Elyria | 63.50 | 53,035 | $54,945 | $181,557 | $906 |
| 36 | Hudson | 63.80 | 23,039 | $171,427 | $542,265 | $2,344 |
| 37 | Massillon | 64.40 | 32,338 | $56,446 | $212,708 | $862 |
| 38 | Norwalk | 64.40 | 17,095 | $60,844 | $211,828 | $836 |
| 39 | East Cleveland | 64.40 | 13,534 | $22,116 | $75,766 | $776 |
| 40 | Norton | 64.50 | 11,524 | $90,464 | $244,015 | $1,059 |
| 41 | Fostoria | 64.90 | 12,344 | $54,151 | $139,393 | $809 |
| 42 | Englewood | 65.00 | 13,356 | $80,030 | $234,832 | $953 |
| 43 | Twinsburg | 65.10 | 19,410 | $99,144 | $354,964 | $1,356 |
| 44 | Bellefontaine | 65.40 | 13,807 | $58,806 | $240,468 | $857 |
| 45 | Bedford | 65.60 | 12,931 | $57,308 | $152,982 | $1,059 |
| 46 | Defiance | 65.80 | 17,276 | $61,439 | $181,260 | $853 |
| 47 | Vandalia | 66.00 | 15,053 | $73,275 | $240,649 | $882 |
| 48 | Seven Hills | 66.40 | 11,603 | $97,222 | $299,505 | $1,586 |
| 49 | Wadsworth | 67.00 | 24,492 | $79,490 | $311,603 | $1,067 |
| 50 | Brunswick | 68.00 | 35,246 | $90,663 | $313,497 | $1,157 |
| 51 | Ravenna | 68.60 | 11,274 | $59,971 | $215,181 | $947 |
| 52 | Van Wert | 68.60 | 10,790 | $55,113 | $179,630 | $765 |
| 53 | Upper Arlington | 69.00 | 36,293 | $155,167 | $632,819 | $1,588 |
| 54 | Strongsville | 69.60 | 45,983 | $103,253 | $360,031 | $1,302 |
| 55 | Eastlake | 70.00 | 17,493 | $62,072 | $204,855 | $973 |
| 56 | Lorain | 70.10 | 65,395 | $48,685 | $150,829 | $887 |
| 57 | Marion | 70.10 | 35,669 | $47,951 | $165,587 | $856 |
| 58 | Wickliffe | 70.20 | 12,659 | $81,750 | $193,210 | $1,207 |
| 59 | Sidney | 70.30 | 20,501 | $60,668 | $210,538 | $869 |
| 60 | Niles | 70.70 | 18,287 | $50,953 | $130,766 | $798 |
| 61 | Kent | 71.30 | 27,116 | $42,964 | $243,706 | $991 |
| 62 | Chillicothe | 72.00 | 21,902 | $54,086 | $196,991 | $887 |
| 63 | Ashland | 72.20 | 18,911 | $60,029 | $229,714 | $893 |
| 64 | Urbana | 72.20 | 11,204 | $68,003 | $201,188 | $935 |
| 65 | Wooster | 72.50 | 26,971 | $66,898 | $259,956 | $918 |
| 66 | Aurora | 72.70 | 17,581 | $127,886 | $428,906 | $1,799 |
| 67 | Westerville | 73.40 | 38,645 | $109,404 | $446,095 | $1,364 |
| 68 | Stow | 73.90 | 34,240 | $93,727 | $284,989 | $1,212 |
| 69 | Euclid | 74.00 | 48,823 | $50,285 | $144,364 | $1,025 |
| 70 | Austintown | 74.00 | 30,164 | $52,978 | $175,688 | $788 |
| 71 | Akron | 74.60 | 189,247 | $48,076 | $137,894 | $955 |
| 72 | Steubenville | 74.60 | 18,124 | $48,172 | $128,222 | $775 |
| 73 | Lakewood | 74.80 | 50,007 | $68,954 | $286,113 | $1,070 |
| 74 | Reading | 75.20 | 10,502 | $61,866 | $231,958 | $940 |
| 75 | Alliance | 75.30 | 21,478 | $56,106 | $158,558 | $836 |
| 76 | Piqua | 75.50 | 20,646 | $67,796 | $180,114 | $922 |
| 77 | Lyndhurst | 75.70 | 13,801 | $91,238 | $230,587 | $1,244 |
| 78 | Mentor | 75.80 | 47,171 | $88,949 | $269,569 | $1,239 |
| 79 | Circleville | 75.80 | 14,142 | $60,296 | $287,499 | $955 |
| 80 | Portsmouth | 76.30 | 17,728 | $34,713 | $89,702 | $747 |
| 81 | Trotwood | 76.40 | 23,041 | $50,113 | $135,963 | $1,031 |
| 82 | Dayton | 76.60 | 136,579 | $45,247 | $136,592 | $918 |
| 83 | Newark | 76.60 | 50,783 | $61,670 | $242,480 | $973 |
| 84 | Cuyahoga Falls | 78.00 | 50,909 | $72,705 | $213,993 | $1,038 |
| 85 | Centerville | 78.10 | 25,205 | $85,492 | $383,031 | $1,270 |
| 86 | Canton | 78.30 | 69,755 | $43,188 | $168,515 | $850 |
| 87 | Perrysburg | 78.30 | 25,181 | $111,643 | $330,761 | $1,198 |
| 88 | Kettering | 78.60 | 57,206 | $74,681 | $243,733 | $1,051 |
| 89 | Fremont | 78.90 | 15,835 | $47,024 | $173,490 | $775 |
| 90 | Willoughby | 79.30 | 24,046 | $71,309 | $239,414 | $1,171 |
| 91 | Avon | 79.60 | 25,317 | $135,915 | $471,403 | $1,796 |
| 92 | Dublin | 80.00 | 49,294 | $160,296 | $559,786 | $1,686 |
| 93 | Mayfield Heights | 80.10 | 20,022 | $66,524 | $228,639 | $1,128 |
| 94 | Cleveland | 80.50 | 366,097 | $40,801 | $115,537 | $945 |
| 95 | Solon | 81.00 | 23,943 | $139,089 | $452,828 | $1,626 |
| 96 | New Albany | 81.00 | 10,896 | $238,250 | $632,192 | $2,355 |
| 97 | Zanesville | 81.20 | 24,740 | $43,280 | $199,154 | $821 |
| 98 | Lebanon | 81.60 | 21,501 | $83,685 | $397,421 | $1,090 |
| 99 | Powell | 81.60 | 14,451 | $195,495 | $567,815 | $2,194 |
| 100 | Washington Court House | 82.00 | 14,439 | $55,998 | $225,284 | $771 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024, FBI UCR, OpenFlights. 150 cities with more than 10,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: Maybe You’re Not Ready To Retire In Ohio Yet…
So there you have it, the best place to retire in Ohio goes to North Canton.
The best places to retire in Ohio are North Canton, Parma, Vermilion, New Philadelphia, Celina, Rocky River, Ironton, Brook Park, Ashtabula, and New Franklin.
If you’re not ready to hang up your office apparel yet, then these places might be up your alley.
