The 45804 zip code in Lima tops our ranking of the most affordable places to live in Ohio.
We looked at 376 zip codes in the state, evaluating home values, rental costs, energy rates, property taxes, and five other affordability indicators. We used the data we gathered to calculate our proprietary Affordability Score for each zip code.
Top 10 most affordable places to live in Ohio
| Rank | City | Affordability Score | Median home value | Rental costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lima 🥇 | 100.0 | $66,181 | $850 |
| 2 | Alliance 🥈 | 99.8 | $151,899 | $908 |
| 3 | Ironton 🥉 | 99.6 | $110,968 | $1,485 |
| 4 | East Liverpool | 99.6 | $98,832 | $1,485 |
| 5 | Toledo | 99.3 | $146,115 | $1,089 |
| 6 | Willard | 96.8 | $153,216 | $1,485 |
| 7 | Lisbon | 96.7 | $153,492 | $1,485 |
| 8 | Wickliffe | 96.2 | $189,088 | $1,128 |
| 9 | Steubenville | 96.2 | $164,903 | $1,485 |
| 10 | Portsmouth | 95.7 | $90,489 | $1,485 |
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1. Lima
Here's why the 45804 zip code in Lima is Ohio's most affordable place to live.
🔎 Key data about Lima
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 376 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 100.0 | No. 1 | N/A |
| Median home value | $66,181[1] | No. 9 | -$183,528.01 |
| Home affordability ratio | 1.6 | No. 4 | -1.9 |
| Home value five-year change | 41.8%[2] | No. 48 | -6.9% |
| Home value one-year forecast | 1.7%[3] | No. 284 | 0.2% |
| Rental costs | $850[4] | No. 1 | -$635 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 2.05% | No. 92 | 0.0% |
| Median household income | $41,536[5] | No. 345 | -$30,368 |
| Property taxes | $1,067[6] | No. 9 | -$2,212 |
| Energy costs | $0.12 kWh[7] | No. 338 | $0.02 |
Lima's 45804 zip code is the cheapest place to live in Ohio, leading the 376 markets we evaluated.
The median home value is $66,181, making it the 9th-cheapest housing market in the state. Forecasts project a 1.7% change in home values in the next year. Rent in the zip code averages $850 per month, which is the 92nd cheapest amount in Ohio.
The median property tax for homeowners in Lima is $1,067 per household, the No. 9 ranked market in Ohio.
Residents pay $0.12 per kWh of electricity, which ranks No. 338 among Ohio markets.
2. Alliance
The 44601 zip code is the 2nd-cheapest place to live in Ohio.
🔎 Key data about Alliance
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 376 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 99.8 | No. 2 | N/A |
| Median home value | $151,899[8] | No. 67 | -$97,810.00 |
| Home affordability ratio | 2.566851227 | No. 42 | -0.9 |
| Home value five-year change | 0.5107655245[9] | No. 209 | 2.4% |
| Home value one-year forecast | 1.9%[10] | No. 326 | 0.4% |
| Rental costs | $908[11] | No. 5 | -$577 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 1.53% | No. 14 | -0.5% |
| Median household income | 59177[12] | No. 247 | -$12,727 |
| Property taxes | $1,466[13] | No. 47 | -$1,813 |
| Energy costs | 0.1081411672 kWh[14] | No. 309 | $0.01 |
Alliance's 44601 zip code has a median home value of $151,899, which is the 326th-cheapest housing market in Ohio. You can rent for an average of $908 per month. That's the 5th-cheapest price in the state.
The average household income in the zip code is 59177, which ranks 247th-highest in the state.
Homeowners in Alliance pay a median property tax of $1,466 per year, making it the 47th-most affordable market in Ohio.
Alliance ranks No. 309 among Ohio energy markets. You'll pay 0.1081411672 per kWh of electricity.
3. Ironton
The 3rd-cheapest place to live in Ohio is Ironton's 45638 zip code.
🔎 Key data about Ironton
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 376 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 99.6 | No. 3 | N/A |
| Median home value | $110,968[15] | No. 31 | -$138,740.64 |
| Home affordability ratio | 2.32335135 | No. 24 | -1.1 |
| Home value five-year change | 0.2271455951[16] | No. 6 | -26.0% |
| Home value one-year forecast | -0.3%[17] | No. 4 | -1.8% |
| Rental costs | $1,485[18] | No. 120 | $0 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 2.07% | No. 95 | 0.0% |
| Median household income | 47762[19] | No. 317 | -$24,142 |
| Property taxes | $1,055[20] | No. 8 | -$2,224 |
| Energy costs | 0.1191320409 kWh[21] | No. 338 | $0.02 |
The No. 31 cheapest housing market in Ohio is Ironton's 45638 zip code, with a median home value of $110,968. Rents in the market average $1,485 per month, making it the 120th-most affordable rental market in the state.
The median property tax for households in Ironton is $1,055, which makes it the 8th-cheapest place in Ohio. Ironton ranks No. 338 among Ohio markets by energy costs. Residents pay 0.1191320409 per kWh of electricity.
4. East Liverpool
The 43920 zip code in East Liverpool comes in at No. 4 on our list of the cheapest places to live in Ohio.
🔎 Key data about East Liverpool
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 376 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 99.6 | No. 4 | N/A |
| Median home value | $98,832[22] | No. 25 | -$150,876.36 |
| Home affordability ratio | 2.090492026 | No. 11 | -1.4 |
| Home value five-year change | 0.3179431209[23] | No. 14 | -16.9% |
| Home value one-year forecast | 0.2%[24] | No. 8 | -1.3% |
| Rental costs | $1,485[25] | No. 120 | $0 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 2.07% | No. 95 | 0.0% |
| Median household income | 47277[26] | No. 320 | -$24,627 |
| Property taxes | $1,405[27] | No. 38 | -$1,874 |
| Energy costs | 0.1081411672 kWh[28] | No. 309 | $0.01 |
The No. 25 cheapest housing market in Ohio is East Liverpool's 43920 zip code, where the median home value is $98,832. Renters here pay an average of $1,485 per month.
When it comes to energy costs, East Liverpool ranks 309th among Ohio markets. Residents pay 0.1081411672 per kWh of electricity.
The median property tax for households in the zip code is $1,405, which makes it the 38th-cheapest market in Ohio.
5. Toledo
The 43613 zip code in Toledo ranks No. 5 among Ohio's most affordable places to live.
🔎 Key data about Toledo
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 376 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 99.3 | No. 5 | N/A |
| Median home value | $146,115[29] | No. 63 | -$103,593.16 |
| Home affordability ratio | 2.357954895 | No. 26 | -1.1 |
| Home value five-year change | 0.5369254238[30] | No. 256 | 5.0% |
| Home value one-year forecast | 1.1%[31] | No. 41 | -0.4% |
| Rental costs | $1,089[32] | No. 23 | -$397 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 1.76% | No. 43 | -0.3% |
| Median household income | 61967[33] | No. 225 | -$9,937 |
| Property taxes | $2,359[34] | No. 150 | -$920 |
| Energy costs | 0.1017581896 kWh[35] | No. 288 | $0.00 |
Toledo's 43613 zip code has a median home value of $146,115, the 63rd-cheapest market in the state. Forecasts project a 1.1% change in home values in the next year.
The median property tax per household in Toledo is $2,359. It's the 150th-cheapest market by tax rate in Ohio.
6. Willard
The No. 6 most affordable place to live in Ohio is the 44890 zip code.
🔎 Key data about Willard
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 376 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 96.8 | No. 6 | N/A |
| Median home value | $153,216[36] | No. 69 | -$96,492.37 |
| Home affordability ratio | 2.498714543 | No. 35 | -1.0 |
| Home value five-year change | 0.4465955312[37] | No. 87 | -4.0% |
| Home value one-year forecast | 0.2%[38] | No. 8 | -1.3% |
| Rental costs | $1,485[39] | No. 120 | $0 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 2.07% | No. 95 | 0.0% |
| Median household income | 61318[40] | No. 229 | -$10,586 |
| Property taxes | $1,319[41] | No. 25 | -$1,960 |
| Energy costs | 0.1081411672 kWh[42] | No. 309 | $0.01 |
The back half of our top 10 kicks off with Willard's 44890 zip code, which has the 69th-cheapest home values in Ohio. The median home value is $153,216. Rents average $1,485 per month, making it the 120th-most affordable rental market in the state.
Residents pay 0.1081411672 per kWh of electricity. It's the 309th-cheapest energy market.
7. Lisbon
Lisbon's 44432 zip code is the 7th-cheapest place to live in Ohio.
🔎 Key data about Lisbon
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 376 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 96.7 | No. 7 | N/A |
| Median home value | $153,492[43] | No. 71 | -$96,216.17 |
| Home affordability ratio | 2.581830021 | No. 45 | -0.9 |
| Home value five-year change | 0.3982548229[44] | No. 28 | -8.8% |
| Home value one-year forecast | 0.2%[45] | No. 8 | -1.3% |
| Rental costs | $1,485[46] | No. 120 | $0 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 2.07% | No. 95 | 0.0% |
| Median household income | 59451[47] | No. 242 | -$12,453 |
| Property taxes | $1,483[48] | No. 51 | -$1,796 |
| Energy costs | 0.1081411672 kWh[49] | No. 309 | $0.01 |
You'll find the 71st-cheapest home values in Ohio in Lisbon's 44432 zip code. The median value: $153,492. Renters in Lisbon pay an average of $1,485 per month.
Homeowners in Lisbon pay a median property tax of $1,483 per year, which is Ohio's 51st-most affordable market.
The average household income is 59451, which ranks 242nd-highest in the state.
8. Wickliffe
The 8th-cheapest place to live in Ohio is Wickliffe's 44092 zip code.
🔎 Key data about Wickliffe
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 376 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 96.2 | No. 8 | N/A |
| Median home value | $189,088[50] | No. 133 | -$60,620.36 |
| Home affordability ratio | 2.730909756 | No. 65 | -0.7 |
| Home value five-year change | 0.4345756485[51] | No. 74 | -5.2% |
| Home value one-year forecast | 1.4%[52] | No. 72 | -0.1% |
| Rental costs | $1,128[53] | No. 36 | -$357 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 1.63% | No. 22 | -0.4% |
| Median household income | 69240[54] | No. 172 | -$2,664 |
| Property taxes | $3,287[55] | No. 241 | $8 |
| Energy costs | 0.1014536515 kWh[56] | No. 244 | $0.00 |
The 133rd-cheapest housing market in Ohio is Wickliffe's 44092 zip code, with a median home value of $189,088. Renters pay an average of $1,128 per month, the No. 36 rental market in the state.
The median property tax for households in Wickliffe is $3,287, which makes it the 241st-cheapest place in Ohio. The average household income of 69240 ranks 172nd.
9. Steubenville
Steubenville's 43953 zip code sneaks into the top ten of Ohio's most affordable places to live.
🔎 Key data about Steubenville
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 376 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 96.2 | No. 9 | N/A |
| Median home value | $164,903[57] | No. 88 | -$84,805.91 |
| Home affordability ratio | 2.401238311 | No. 30 | -1.1 |
| Home value five-year change | 0.3481871218[58] | No. 17 | -13.9% |
| Home value one-year forecast | 0.5%[59] | No. 18 | -1.0% |
| Rental costs | $1,485[60] | No. 120 | $0 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 2.07% | No. 95 | 0.0% |
| Median household income | 68674[61] | No. 178 | -$3,230 |
| Property taxes | $1,478[62] | No. 50 | -$1,801 |
| Energy costs | 0.1191320409 kWh[63] | No. 338 | $0.02 |
The 88th-cheapest housing market in Ohio is Steubenville's 43953 zip code, where the median home value is $164,903. Renters pay an average of $1,485 per month. It's the state's 120th-cheapest rental market.
The median property tax for households within the zip code is $1,478, which makes it the 50th-cheapest property tax rate in Ohio.
10. Portsmouth
The final spot on our list of the most affordable places to live in Ohio goes to the 45662 zip code in Portsmouth.
🔎 Key data about Portsmouth
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 376 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 95.7 | No. 10 | N/A |
| Median home value | $90,489[64] | No. 20 | -$159,219.89 |
| Home affordability ratio | 2.382534426 | No. 28 | -1.1 |
| Home value five-year change | 0.4553811626[65] | No. 111 | -3.1% |
| Home value one-year forecast | 0.4%[66] | No. 16 | -1.1% |
| Rental costs | $1,485[67] | No. 120 | $0 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 2.07% | No. 95 | 0.0% |
| Median household income | 37980[68] | No. 354 | -$33,924 |
| Property taxes | $1,187[69] | No. 14 | -$2,092 |
| Energy costs | 0.1191320409 kWh[70] | No. 338 | $0.02 |
The 20th-most affordable market in Ohio is Portsmouth's 45662 zip code. The median home value is $90,489. Rent in the market costs $1,485 per month on average, making it the 120th-most affordable rental market in Ohio.
The median property tax for households in Portsmouth is $1,187, which is the 14th-cheapest property tax rate in the state.
Portsmouth ranks No. 338 among Ohio markets by energy costs, with households paying 0.1191320409 per kWh of electricity.
How we ranked the most affordable places in Ohio
We evaluated 376 zip codes in Ohio with a population over 10,000 on nine metrics. We then assigned each market an Affordability Score based on its weighted and combined rankings.
Our proprietary Affordability Score is a score on a scale of 0 (worst in state) to 100 (best in state) that estimates the affordability of a particular zip code. It takes into account these key data points for each zip code.
- Median home value: The median home value for each zip code comes from the Zillow Home Value Index. The lower the median home value relative to the median value in Ohio, the higher our score on this component. We assign a weight of 23.8% to median home value.
- Home affordability ratio. The home affordability ratio is the typical median home value divided by the median household income in the zip code, which reveals the number of years of household income needed to afford a home in that zip code. A lower ratio is better because it means more households can afford a home. The data comes from the Zillow Observed Rent Index and the U.S. Census American Community Survey. We assign a weight of 23.8% to the home affordability ratio.
- Home value five-year change: The home value five-year change is the amount that the median home value in the zip code has risen or fallen during the last five years. Our data comes from the Zillow Home Value Index. We assign a weight of 4.8% to the home value five-year change.
- Home value one-year forecast: The home value one-year forecast comes from Zillow Forecast data. It projects how much home values in the zip code are forecasted to change in the next year. We assign a weight of 4.8% to the home value one-year forecast.
- Rental costs. The rental costs are the observed rents in the zip code, sourced from the Zillow Observed Rent Index. The index includes "listed rents that fall into the 40th to 60th percentile range for all homes and apartments in a given region." We assign a weight of 11.9% to rental costs.
- Median household income: The inflation-adjusted median household income figures for the zip code comes from the U.S. Census American Community Survey. We assign a weight of 4.8% to median household income.
- Rent affordability ratio. The rent affordability ratio is the ratio of rental costs divided by median household income, which provides the percentage of household income needed to pay a typical month’s rent in the zip code. The data comes from the Zillow Observed Rent Index and the U.S. Census American Community Survey. We assign a weight of 11.9% to the rent affordability ratio.
- Property taxes: The property tax figures are the median real estate taxes paid in the zip code, sourced from the U.S. Census American Community Survey. The lower the property tax rate relative to the Ohio average, the higher our score on this component. We assign a weight of 7.1% to property taxes.
- Energy costs: The energy costs are the costs of a kilowatt hour (kWh) of residential electricity in the zip code, sourced from the U.S. Department of Energy. The lower the cost of electricity relative to the Ohio average, the higher our score on this component. We assign a weight of 7.1% to energy costs.
✍️ Editor’s note: Our Affordability Score identifies the most affordable places in a state by zip code. Often the zip code we identify will represent an entire city or portion of a city.
Occasionally the zip code we identify will encompass an area that includes one or more small towns. In these cases, the data we’ve gathered applies to the entire zip code, not just the single town we’re using to help identify the zip code's location.
If you’re looking to move to one of these affordable places, we recommend doing additional research to make sure the costs in the area — and the quality of life it offers — meet your specific needs.
