Finding an affordable abode in Ohio is as easy as catching a breeze off Lake Erie in the heart of the heartland.
The cheapest places to live in Ohio are proof positive of the Buckeye State’s reputation for providing quality living at an affordable cost. You don’t need to be raking in the big bucks like the Cincinnati Bengals quarterback to afford a home in these cities.
Our methodology for researching the most affordable cities in Ohio combines Saturday Night Science with Census data on home prices, cost of living, and incomes. We discovered you’ll find affordable places around cities like Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Columbus, to smaller towns.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | FAQs | Summary
The 10 most affordable places to live in Ohio
What is the most affordable place to live in Ohio? The most affordable place to live in Ohio is Galion after crunching data from the US Census in terms of median housing costs, median income, and overall cost of living for cities with over 5,000 residents.
So grab some Skyline Chili and a cold Yuengling, and read on to learn more about Ohio’s cheapest places to live.
Check out some more reading about Ohio and the cheapest places in the country:
The 10 Cheapest Places To Live In Ohio For 2024
/10
Population: 10,378
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 76
Median Income: $44,458
Median Home Price: $144,629
Median Rent: $762
Galion, Ohio’s cheapest city, has a competitive $144,629 average home price and a cost of living index at 76. Located at the junction of Crawford, Morrow, and Richland counties, this city of 10,378 people has an average rent of $762.
Galion’s blend of low expenses and community events like Oktoberfest offers residents cost-conscious camaraderie.
More on Galion: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 60,048
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 77
Median Income: $34,295
Median Home Price: $52,826
Median Rent: $711
Youngstown, halfway between Cleveland and Pittsburgh in Northeast Ohio, ranks as the second cheapest city in Ohio. With an average home price of $52,826, the cost of living index comes in at 77.
Affordable things to do in Youngstown include Mill Creek Wick Recreation Area and Wick Park to fill up a weekend.
More on Youngstown: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
I’ve lived in youngstown or it’s suburbs all my life. I am happy with youngstown but is it just I do not know a different way or is there problems any place you go.
Home is what we made it along with many of success stories came from youngstown also.
/10
Population: 5,420
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 78
Median Income: $51,597
Median Home Price: $91,085
Median Rent: $708
Wellston, a small city located in southeastern Ohio, is a great option for those looking for an affordable place to call home. With a median home value of $91,085 and median rent of $708, the cost of living in Wellston is well below the national average.
Wellston still offers its residents plenty of amenities and attractions like Route 327 Ball Field. The city is home to several parks and outdoor recreational areas, making it a great spot for nature lovers. Additionally, Wellston’s close proximity to major highways and cities like Columbus and Cincinnati make it an ideal location for commuters.
More on Wellston: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 10,087
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 79
Median Income: $39,589
Median Home Price: $104,099
Median Rent: $739
An hour and change east of Columbus, Cambridge placed fourth on our list of the cheapest cities in Ohio. You can save more of the city’s average $39,589 income because the cost of living index is 13.2% cheaper than the state average.
Cambridge might not be as famous as the university in England, but Cambridge, OH, is close to Salt Fork State Park for a free afternoon hike.
More on Cambridge: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 8,360
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 79
Median Income: $55,355
Median Home Price: $160,048
Median Rent: $723
If you’re looking for an affordable place to call home in Ohio, look no further than Shelby. With a median home value of just $160,048 and median rent of $723, living costs are significantly lower compared to other cities in the state.
Shelby is a great place to live. The city boasts a population of 8,360 and a low unemployment rate of 3.16%, meaning there are plenty of job opportunities available. Plus, you can enjoy outdoor activities at Black Fork Commons, which offers amenities like an amphitheater, pavilion, and a walking path. McBride Park is another option with a playground and a Little League Baseball Complex.
More on Shelby: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 370,365
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 80
Median Income: $37,271
Median Home Price: $100,343
Median Rent: $851
It’s always great to see a major city on the list of the most affordable, and Cleveland takes the sixth spot in Ohio. Cleveland offers a ton of economic opportunities mixed with affordable home prices. According to Zillow, the average home price is the ninth lowest in the state at $100,343.
Free things to do in the city include the Cleveland Museum of Art, Public Square, and Edgewater Beach.
More on Cleveland: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
I have lived in Cleveland, OH for five years now and I enjoy the many attractions there are including sporting events, downtown, variety of food places, and the night scene.
Downtown Cleveland, University Circle, and Little Italy are my top 3 favorite places in Cleveland. The things I do not like about Cleveland are the brutal winters due to the lake effect and crime rate in certain areas.
/10
Population: 47,630
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 80
Median Income: $40,996
Median Home Price: $125,649
Median Rent: $733
Mansfield has a $125,649 average home price and a $40,996 income, which leads to a price-to-income ratio of 3.06. A manageable 80 overall cost of living index is 11 points lower than the state average. The overall cost of living index includes low index values for utilities, services, and healthcare.
Mansfield is located halfway between Cleveland and Columbus.
More on Mansfield: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 20,035
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 80
Median Income: $47,879
Median Home Price: $180,015
Median Rent: $1,029
Whitehall, a suburb of Columbus in Franklin County, ranked eighth for affordability in Ohio. It has as the #86.0 cheapest median home price statewide. With an overall cost of living index at 80, the 20,035 residents save 12.1% relative to the Ohio average on groceries, services, and utilities.
Fun things to do in Whitehall include Big Walnut Park and the Whitehall Community Park YMCA.
More on Whitehall: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 19,270
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 80
Median Income: $56,040
Median Home Price: $163,698
Median Rent: $817
Ashland, the ninth most affordable city in Ohio, is situated between Cleveland and Columbus. It offers a cost of living 12.1% below the national and state average. A $163,698 average home price makes it an accessible housing market. The $817 median rent meshes well with a $56,040 average income.
The town has Brookside West Park and Aerohio Skydiving for local fun.
More on Ashland: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 12,768
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 80
Median Income: $45,746
Median Home Price: $150,215
Median Rent: $668
You’ll save green in Greenville, the tenth cheapest city in Ohio. A Dayton suburb, Greenville has an overall cost of living of 80 supported by a home price of $150,215 and a $668. The town has low costs of living for utilities, services, and healthcare.
You can take advantage of Greenville City Park in town and short day trips to Indianapolis and Dayton for more things to do.
More on Greenville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Cheapest places to live in Ohio FAQs
The county in Ohio with the lowest cost of living is Gallia County. The average living wage in Gallia County is $80,340 according to MIT data. Gallia County has the lowest cost of living because it has relatively less expensive childcare and housing costs compared to Ohio as a whole. Childcare costs $12,687 a year in Gallia County for two children compared to the Ohio average of $19,242. Housing costs, defined as a blend of the average rent and average mortgage payment, are $8,808 per year in Gallia County compared to $10,291 on average in Ohio.
The cost of living in Ohio is 0.3% lower than the US average. According to MIT, the required living wage for a family of four with two working parents in Ohio is $89,500 vs the national average for a family of four with two working parents of $89,744. The median income of a Ohio household is $58,116.
The cheapest housing market in Ohio is Youngstown. The average home value in Youngstown is $46,900, the lowest in the state. The average home value in Ohio is $151,400, almost 3.2 times higher than Youngstown.
Methodology: How we determined the most affordable places to live in the Buckeye State for 2024
Determining affordability for places in Ohio boils down to how much it costs to live here.
You need to understand your costs relative to what people in the rest of the state are paying.
With that logic in mind, we derived several cost of living statistics from the latest Census American Community Survey 2018-2022 for Ohio using Saturday Night Science. We indexed the cost of living statistics across the following categories:
- Housing
- Transportation
- Services
- Groceries
- Healthcare
- Utilities
These are then weighted together to produce an overall cost of living index where 100 is the United States average. Anything below 100 is relatively affordable. Anything over 100 is relatively expensive.
We applied the biggest weight to housing as it typically accounts for 25% or more of your budget. Additionally, housing costs are the highest variant cost across a state. We then compare these cost of living metrics for each place in Ohio to figure out which is the least expensive.
The “Cost of Living Index” allows you to rank all of the 253 places in Ohio that have more than 5,000 people from least expensive to most expensive. Any ties went to the larger city.
The place in Ohio with the lowest cost of living according to the data is Galion.
We updated this article for 2024. This report reflects our tenth time ranking the cheapest places to live in Ohio.
Ohio Affordabilility Summary
This is an accurate list of the most affordable places to live in Ohio for 2024, if you’re looking at the cost of living numbers in Ohio.
The cheapest cities in Ohio are Galion, Youngstown, Wellston, Cambridge, Shelby, Cleveland, Mansfield, Whitehall, Ashland, and Greenville.
Here’s a look at the most expensive cities in Ohio according to the data:
- The Village of Indian Hill
- New Albany
- Pepper Pike
For more Ohio reading, check out:
Cheapest Places To Live In Ohio
| Rank | City | Population | Cost Of Living Index | Median Income | Home Prices | Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Galion | 10,378 | 76 | $44,458 | $144,629 | $762 |
| 2 | Youngstown | 60,048 | 77 | $34,295 | $52,826 | $711 |
| 3 | Wellston | 5,420 | 78 | $51,597 | $91,085 | $708 |
| 4 | Cambridge | 10,087 | 79 | $39,589 | $104,099 | $739 |
| 5 | Shelby | 8,360 | 79 | $55,355 | $160,048 | $723 |
| 6 | Cleveland | 370,365 | 80 | $37,271 | $100,343 | $851 |
| 7 | Mansfield | 47,630 | 80 | $40,996 | $125,649 | $733 |
| 8 | Whitehall | 20,035 | 80 | $47,879 | $180,015 | $1,029 |
| 9 | Ashland | 19,270 | 80 | $56,040 | $163,698 | $817 |
| 10 | Greenville | 12,768 | 80 | $45,746 | $150,215 | $668 |
| 11 | Akron | 190,273 | 81 | $46,596 | $115,235 | $887 |
| 12 | Dayton | 137,305 | 81 | $41,443 | $110,664 | $830 |
| 13 | Marion | 35,927 | 81 | $44,879 | $115,335 | $842 |
| 14 | Barberton | 25,167 | 81 | $49,289 | $132,446 | $766 |
| 15 | Sandusky | 24,964 | 81 | $47,375 | $127,796 | $855 |
| 16 | Zanesville | 24,772 | 81 | $40,927 | $172,158 | $777 |
| 17 | Niles | 18,107 | 81 | $48,860 | $112,455 | $759 |
| 18 | Fostoria | 12,904 | 81 | $53,145 | $100,624 | $729 |
| 19 | Bucyrus | 11,643 | 81 | $49,021 | $140,263 | $711 |
| 20 | Kenton | 7,685 | 81 | $46,809 | $155,535 | $718 |
| 21 | Jackson | 6,222 | 81 | $51,864 | $155,178 | $796 |
| 22 | Willard | 6,189 | 81 | $51,846 | $136,776 | $837 |
| 23 | Uhrichsville | 5,238 | 81 | $42,155 | $123,521 | $834 |
| 24 | Canton | 70,589 | 82 | $37,627 | $149,414 | $793 |
| 25 | Warren | 39,204 | 82 | $33,296 | $90,619 | $734 |
| 26 | Alliance | 21,603 | 82 | $51,721 | $144,229 | $773 |
| 27 | Washington Court House | 14,387 | 82 | $51,601 | $181,192 | $740 |
| 28 | East Cleveland | 13,926 | 82 | $23,004 | $46,242 | $721 |
| 29 | Coshocton | 11,054 | 82 | $47,184 | $137,158 | $696 |
| 30 | Struthers | 10,061 | 82 | $48,125 | $111,655 | $830 |
| 31 | Eaton | 8,360 | 82 | $54,860 | $213,970 | $770 |
| 32 | Campbell | 7,819 | 82 | $43,176 | $85,264 | $709 |
| 33 | Garfield Heights | 29,497 | 83 | $49,864 | $119,737 | $1,046 |
| 34 | Maple Heights | 23,473 | 83 | $49,877 | $112,147 | $1,208 |
| 35 | Piqua | 20,441 | 83 | $55,379 | $136,582 | $887 |
| 36 | Girard | 9,565 | 83 | $43,504 | $125,516 | $721 |
| 37 | Logan | 7,168 | 83 | $46,762 | $220,532 | $746 |
| 38 | Ada | 5,088 | 83 | $55,749 | $196,467 | $807 |
| 39 | Riverside | 24,482 | 84 | $56,232 | $147,937 | $943 |
| 40 | Ashtabula | 18,003 | 84 | $39,053 | $129,316 | $785 |
| 41 | East Liverpool | 9,969 | 84 | $34,560 | $97,552 | $663 |
| 42 | Napoleon | 8,888 | 84 | $59,414 | $183,089 | $868 |
| 43 | Bryan | 8,670 | 84 | $51,415 | $175,007 | $781 |
| 44 | Bellevue | 8,210 | 84 | $55,770 | $161,407 | $770 |
| 45 | Hubbard | 7,618 | 84 | $61,064 | $149,517 | $818 |
| 46 | Delphos | 7,153 | 84 | $59,000 | $174,637 | $844 |
| 47 | Port Clinton | 6,024 | 84 | $55,534 | $252,815 | $761 |
| 48 | Obetz | 5,580 | 84 | $77,171 | $240,635 | $1,167 |
| 49 | Toledo | 269,962 | 85 | $45,405 | $114,512 | $854 |
| 50 | Lorain | 65,138 | 85 | $46,562 | $127,413 | $832 |
| 51 | Euclid | 49,279 | 85 | $45,018 | $129,092 | $931 |
| 52 | Lima | 35,555 | 85 | $41,824 | $130,076 | $811 |
| 53 | Trotwood | 23,125 | 85 | $46,442 | $115,023 | $898 |
| 54 | Chillicothe | 22,002 | 85 | $50,839 | $185,408 | $830 |
| 55 | Norwalk | 17,041 | 85 | $58,311 | $176,444 | $781 |
| 56 | Mount Vernon | 16,861 | 85 | $52,286 | $219,414 | $852 |
| 57 | Fremont | 15,900 | 85 | $48,252 | $157,204 | $745 |
| 58 | Circleville | 14,017 | 85 | $51,830 | $204,112 | $853 |
| 59 | Warrensville Heights | 13,659 | 85 | $43,848 | $114,360 | $936 |
| 60 | Salem | 11,861 | 85 | $45,380 | $165,214 | $779 |
| 61 | Ironton | 10,597 | 85 | $43,702 | $102,070 | $729 |
| 62 | Orrville | 8,304 | 85 | $67,388 | $229,110 | $847 |
| 63 | Upper Sandusky | 6,537 | 85 | $61,444 | $166,406 | $723 |
| 64 | Springfield | 58,645 | 86 | $45,113 | $162,148 | $787 |
| 65 | Middletown | 50,514 | 86 | $50,457 | $175,340 | $919 |
| 66 | Newark | 50,062 | 86 | $56,284 | $215,536 | $882 |
| 67 | Massillon | 32,179 | 86 | $53,699 | $189,106 | $778 |
| 68 | Tiffin | 17,894 | 86 | $48,869 | $167,124 | $801 |
| 69 | New Philadelphia | 17,602 | 86 | $55,590 | $181,315 | $810 |
| 70 | Dover | 13,118 | 86 | $62,558 | $202,856 | $997 |
| 71 | Conneaut | 12,372 | 86 | $55,708 | $127,086 | $738 |
| 72 | Franklin | 11,672 | 86 | $52,966 | $208,163 | $899 |
| 73 | Urbana | 11,156 | 86 | $62,628 | $174,663 | $845 |
| 74 | Celina | 10,974 | 86 | $60,060 | $176,625 | $801 |
| 75 | Bedford Heights | 10,933 | 86 | $47,528 | $169,165 | $917 |
| 76 | Van Wert | 10,828 | 86 | $51,412 | $156,850 | $750 |
| 77 | Moraine | 6,484 | 86 | $40,793 | $141,385 | $873 |
| 78 | Geneva | 5,935 | 86 | $47,401 | $185,479 | $832 |
| 79 | Elyria | 52,780 | 87 | $49,569 | $158,172 | $835 |
| 80 | Fairborn | 34,494 | 87 | $53,783 | $178,298 | $937 |
| 81 | Wooster | 27,021 | 87 | $61,608 | $247,514 | $855 |
| 82 | South Euclid | 21,754 | 87 | $75,933 | $158,310 | $1,215 |
| 83 | Portsmouth | 18,130 | 87 | $36,051 | $72,078 | $704 |
| 84 | Defiance | 16,852 | 87 | $58,750 | $169,196 | $809 |
| 85 | Marietta | 13,366 | 87 | $44,401 | $183,370 | $781 |
| 86 | Bedford | 13,043 | 87 | $55,198 | $139,045 | $1,019 |
| 87 | Ravenna | 11,323 | 87 | $48,221 | $185,128 | $870 |
| 88 | Brooklyn | 11,259 | 87 | $59,875 | $172,924 | $940 |
| 89 | London | 10,316 | 87 | $58,040 | $246,284 | $840 |
| 90 | Wapakoneta | 9,879 | 87 | $63,008 | $200,907 | $785 |
| 91 | North College Hill | 9,602 | 87 | $51,971 | $132,501 | $1,023 |
| 92 | St. Marys | 8,323 | 87 | $70,800 | $172,267 | $783 |
| 93 | Belpre | 6,690 | 87 | $47,474 | $175,840 | $797 |
| 94 | Ontario | 6,642 | 87 | $62,313 | $202,490 | $1,013 |
| 95 | Martins Ferry | 6,283 | 87 | $39,195 | $90,353 | $760 |
| 96 | Rittman | 6,058 | 87 | $61,331 | $186,301 | $744 |
| 97 | Groveport | 5,928 | 87 | $85,230 | $290,309 | $1,039 |
| 98 | New Carlisle | 5,579 | 87 | $56,744 | $218,232 | $770 |
| 99 | Columbus | 902,449 | 88 | $62,994 | $237,662 | $1,161 |
| 100 | Kettering | 57,707 | 88 | $69,818 | $218,052 | $942 |