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How Much House Can I Afford in Akron, OH?

TL;DR

In Akron, OH the median home is $155,000 and median household income is $50,800/yr. To afford the median home with 20% down, you need roughly $45,160/yr. Property tax: 1.6% (~$2,480/yr).

Source: Zillow ZHVI · Census ACS · Freddie Mac PMMS, 2026-04-19

The median home price in Akron is $155,000, while the median household income is $50,800 per year. Using the 30% debt-to-income rule with a 6.36% (Freddie Mac PMMS · week of May 14, 2026) mortgage rate and 20% down payment, the typical household can afford the median home, with monthly PITI of $1,129 well within budget. On the median income, you can afford a home up to approximately $177,000.

Akron's cost of living index is 83 (national average = 100). The price-to-income ratio of 3.1x suggests a relatively affordable market compared to national standards. The local property tax rate is 1.6%, adding $2,480/yr to ownership costs.

Written by Jere Salmisto, Founder & Quantitative Systems Builder, CalcFi·Reviewed by CalcFi Editorial·How we verify →
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$155,000
Median Home Price
$50,800
Median Income
1.6%
Property Tax Rate
83
COL Index

Data as of Apr 2026 · Sources: Zillow, Census ACS, Tax Foundation, Freddie Mac

See exactly what $X/mo PITI does to your Akron, OH take-home — open the calc with city defaults.

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Find the max home price you qualify for in Akron, OH given real PITI + DTI rules.

Income Needed to Buy a Home in Akron

Based on 20% down, 6.4% 30-year fixed rate (Freddie Mac PMMS · week of May 14, 2026), and the 30% DTI rule. Includes principal, interest, property taxes, insurance, and PMI where applicable.

Home PriceIncome NeededMonthly PITIDown Payment
$155,000 *$45,160$1,129/mo$31,000
$200,000$56,520$1,413/mo$40,000
$300,000$81,800$2,045/mo$60,000
$500,000$132,320$3,308/mo$100,000
$750,000$195,480$4,887/mo$150,000

* Akron median home price. Assumes 1.6%property tax, $1,800/yr homeowner's insurance.

How Long to Save a 20% Down Payment in Akron

Saving for $31,000 (20% of $155,000) on the median household income of $50,800.

Save 10% of Income
6.1
years
$5,080/yr saved
Save 15% of Income
4.1
years
$7,620/yr saved
Save 20% of Income
3.1
years
$10,160/yr saved

At a 15% savings rate, the typical Akron household can accumulate a 20% down payment in 4.1 years — well within reach for most disciplined savers.

Monthly Mortgage Cost Breakdown in Akron

PITI breakdown for the median home ($155,000) at different down payment amounts.

Down PaymentPrincipalInterestTaxesInsurancePMITotal PITI
3.5% ($5,425)$139$793$207$150$62$1,351/mo
5.0% ($7,750)$137$780$207$150$61$1,335/mo
10.0% ($15,500)$130$739$207$150$58$1,284/mo
20.0% ($31,000)$115$657$207$150$0$1,129/mo

Based on 6.4% 30-year fixed rate (Freddie Mac PMMS · week of May 14, 2026), 1.6% property tax, $1,800/yr insurance. PMI at 0.5% of loan balance for down payments below 20%.

Rent vs. Buy Analysis in Akron

Comparing median rent of $820/mo to owning the median home ($155,000) with 20% down.

Monthly Rent
$820
Monthly PITI (Own)
$1,129
Breakeven Year
Year 3

5-Year Cost Comparison

Total Rent (5 years, 3% annual increase)$52,242
Total Ownership Cost (5 years incl. down + closing)$103,390
Estimated Equity After 5 Years$60,091
Net Cost of Owning (cost minus equity)$43,299

Verdict: Buying is favorable within 3 years in Akron. Owning costs $309/mo more than renting, but builds equity over time.

Nearby Cities by Affordability

Compared by price-to-income ratio (lower is more affordable). All data uses median home prices and household incomes.

CityMedian HomeMedian IncomePrice/IncomeProperty Tax
Akron, OH$155,000$50,8003.1x1.6%
Toledo, OH$145,000$48,4003.0x1.6%
Dayton, OH$170,000$54,6003.1x1.6%
Cleveland, OH$175,000$52,6003.3x1.6%
Cincinnati, OH$235,000$65,6003.6x1.6%
Columbus, OH$265,000$64,6004.1x1.6%

Local context: Akron, OH

Housing economics in Akron, OH. The median home value runs 56.7% below the U.S. baseline for Akron, OH is $155,000 per Zillow's home-value index. Median rent runs $820 a month per Zillow ZORI, cheaper than the national $1,850 baseline. Effective property tax sits at 1.60% of assessed value, meaningfully higher than the 0.99% national average tracked by the Tax Foundation. Lenders in Akron, OH have quoted 6.36% on the 30-year fixed product over the trailing four-week window per Freddie Mac PMMS — the prevailing posted rate before any borrower-specific lock-ins.

Income and tax climate. Median household income in Akron, OH reaches $50,800 per the ACS five-year vintage, trailing the $78,538 U.S. median. OH's top marginal state income tax bracket lands at 3.50% — compared to the volume-weighted national average around 4-5%. BEA's Regional Price Parity scores Akron, OH at 83.0 (national = 100), meaning a dollar in Akron, OH buys 120¢ — more goods and services than the same dollar nationally.

How Akron, OH's numbers shape the calculator. The mortgage payment, refinance, PMI, and home-affordability calculators all run on three local inputs that swing the answer materially: the prevailing 30-year fixed rate, the effective property tax rate as a share of home value, and the homeowners-insurance premium that the average policyholder is paying for the same coverage envelope. Akron, OH-specific values for each of those are pre-loaded above so the calculator's default scenario reflects what an actual buyer would see at closing, not a national average that smooths over the differences. Override any field to test a different scenario; the math reruns instantly in your browser without sending the inputs anywhere.

Local context as of 2026-05-28. Live data sources are listed in the Sources section below; each metric carries its own retrieval date.

Akron, OH versus the U.S. baseline

How does Akron, OH stack up against the national average on the metrics that drive the calculators on this page? The table below pairs the Akron, OH-specific reading against the U.S. baseline so you can see at a glance whether your local scenario runs above or below typical. Three to five percentage points of difference on most of these inputs translates into meaningful changes in calculator output — for example, a 50-basis-point difference in mortgage rate moves the monthly payment on a $400,000 30-year loan by roughly $130.

MetricAkron, OHU.S. baselineDifference
Median home value[zillow]$155,000$358,000-56.7%
Median monthly rent[zillow]$820/mo$1,850/mo-55.7%
Property tax rate (effective)[tax-foundation]1.60%0.99%61.6%
Cost-of-living index[bea-rpp]83.0100.0-17.0 pts

How to use the Home Affordability Calculator

Walk through the home-affordability check with Akron, OH defaults pre-loaded from primary sources.

  1. Pre-fill with local dataEach calculator on this page loads with state- or city-specific defaults pulled live from primary sources (FRED, BLS, Zillow, Freddie Mac PMMS, IRS, BEA). The blue values shown next to each input are the local averages so you can see how your scenario compares to the typical case before changing anything.
  2. Override the inputs you controlChange any field to model your actual situation. The math reruns in your browser the moment you change a value — no signup, no API call, no data transmission. Hover over the small (i) icon next to each label to see the formula that field feeds and where the default came from.
  3. Read the derived valuesThe result panel shows the primary calculation (monthly payment, take-home pay, savings projection, etc.) plus the intermediate values that drive it. Each line item is labeled with the formula component it represents so you can verify the arithmetic against any agency publication, textbook, or competing calculator.
  4. Adjust assumptions and re-runMost calculators have a section for assumption inputs that are easy to overlook — annual raises, expected return, inflation, vacancy rate, depreciation schedule, marginal vs. effective tax treatment. The defaults are conservative; aggressive scenarios usually require explicit overrides.
  5. Save to "My Numbers"When the inputs match your reality, click Save to "My Numbers". The values persist to your device's local storage (IndexedDB) and reload automatically on your next visit. Nothing is transmitted to any CalcFi server — the saved-state feature is deliberately client-side only for privacy.
  6. Compare scenarios side by sideMost calculators offer a comparison view that shows two or more scenarios side by side. Use this to model decision points: 15-year vs 30-year mortgage, Roth vs Traditional IRA, salary vs hourly, lease vs buy. The comparison view also produces a shareable summary you can download as PNG or PDF.

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More Akron Resources

Cost of Living — AkronProperty Tax CalculatorAkron vs. Toledo COLAkron vs. Dayton COLSalary Guides

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the median home price in Akron, OH?

The median home price in Akron is $155,000 as of 2025. The city's cost of living index is 83 (national average = 100), and the median household income is $50,800.

How much income do I need to buy a home in Akron?

To afford the median home of $155,000 in Akron with 20% down and a 6.4% mortgage rate, you need a household income of approximately $45,160 per year. This is based on the 30% debt-to-income rule, where your monthly PITI payment of $1,129 should not exceed 30% of gross monthly income.

How much is property tax in Akron?

The effective property tax rate in Akron is 1.6%. On the median home price of $155,000, that equals approximately $2,480 per year or $207/month.

Should I rent or buy in Akron?

The median monthly rent in Akron is $820, while monthly PITI on the median home (20% down) is $1,129. Buying is favorable within 3 years in Akron. Over 5 years, renting costs approximately $52,242 total, while buying costs $103,390 but builds $60,091 in equity.

What down payment do I need for a home in Akron?

A 20% down payment on the median Akron home ($155,000) is $31,000. FHA loans accept as little as 3.5% ($5,425), though that requires mortgage insurance.

What is the median household income in Akron?

Akron's median household income is $50,800/yr (Census ACS). The cost-of-living index is 83 (US = 100).

How does Akron compare to Ohio statewide?

Akron's median home ($155,000) and rent ($820/mo) sit alongside Ohio statewide medians, which the table on this page benchmarks against.

Where does the data come from?

Akron numbers are pulled from Zillow ZHVI/ZORI (home values, rent), the U.S. Census Bureau ACS (income, demographics), and local assessor data (property tax). Each value is timestamped on the page.

How often is the Akron affordability data updated?

Source feeds (Zillow, Freddie Mac PMMS, Census ACS) refresh on their native cadence — hourly for rates, monthly for ZHVI/ZORI, annually for ACS. Page caches revalidate every 24 hours via Next.js ISR.

Does this affordability check replace mortgage advice?

No. The Akron affordability calculator is educational reference using public data and standard formulas. It is not personalized mortgage, tax, or financial advice. Talk to a licensed loan officer before signing.

Explore Home Affordability in Other Cities

Toledo, OHDayton, OHCleveland, OHCincinnati, OHColumbus, OHAustin, TXDenver, CORaleigh, NC
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Sources & Citations

  1. Zillow Research — ZHVI (home values) & ZORI (rent index) — zillow.com/research/data
  2. HUD Fair Market Rents — 50th-percentile 2-bedroom rent used as affordability floor — huduser.gov/fmr
  3. U.S. Census Bureau — American Community Survey (ACS) for median household income — census.gov/acs
  4. Tax Foundation — effective property tax rates by jurisdiction — taxfoundation.org
  5. Freddie Mac PMMS — weekly national average 30-year fixed mortgage rates — freddiemac.com/pmms
  6. National Association of Realtors — median sales price and affordability data — nar.realtor/research
  7. NAIC Homeowners Insurance Report — state-level average HO-3 premiums — naic.org
Methodology & Assumptions

Median home price uses Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI)[1]. Median rent uses ZORI; where ZORI is unavailable we fall back to HUD Fair Market Rent[2].

Median household income is the Census ACS 5-year estimate[3].

Property tax rate is the effective rate from the Tax Foundation[4]. Actual millage varies by county.

Mortgage calculations use 6.4% (Freddie Mac PMMS · week of May 14, 2026) national average 30-year fixed rate (PMMS)[5], 30-year term, $1,800/yr homeowners insurance[7], and 0.5% PMI when down payment is below 20%.

"Income needed" uses the 30% front-end DTI rule: monthly PITI ≤ 30% of gross monthly income. The price-to-income ratio (P/I) is computed as median home price / median household income; 3x or below is generally considered affordable, 4–6x challenging, 6x+ severely unaffordable.

Rent vs. buy assumes 3% annual rent inflation, 3.5% annual home price appreciation, 3% closing costs, and compares 5-year cumulative cost. "Breakeven year" is where cumulative ownership cost minus equity falls below cumulative rent.

Federal tax in the take-home calculation uses IRS single filer, standard deduction; state tax applies the top-marginal rate after state standard deduction; FICA = 6.2% SS + 1.45% Medicare.

Context for median sales price cross-references the NAR[6] where applicable.

Last reviewed reflects the maximum retrievedAt timestamp across all sourced data feeding this page.

Home price data from Zillow[1] / NAR[6] (2024–2025). Income data from Census ACS[3]. Property taxes from Tax Foundation[4]. Mortgage calculations assume 6.4% 30-year fixed rate[5], $1,800/yr insurance[7], 0.5% PMI. DTI uses 30% front-end rule. Rent vs. buy assumes 3% annual rent increases and 3.5% annual home appreciation. Last reviewed 2026-04-19.