State ranking · HUD FMR + Census ACS

Ohio: County Rent Burden

How much of household income goes to rent in each Ohio county, FY 2026.

19.6%
State avg 2BR burden
0
Counties over 30% (of 88)
0
Severely burdened (>50%)

What rent burden reveals about Ohio

Rent burden measures the share of household income going to rent. The federal standard, used by HUD and the Census Bureau, flags any household paying more than 30% of gross income on rent as "cost-burdened" and any household above 50% as "severely cost-burdened." This page calculates county-level burden by dividing HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rents, 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom, by Census-reported median household income for each county in Ohio. Across the 88 counties with complete data, the weighted average 2-bedroom burden is 19.6%, compared with a national average of 21.7% - meaning Ohio sits 2.1 percentage points lower than the US benchmark.

The distribution matters more than the state average. In Ohio, 0 of 88 counties (0%) have a 2-bedroom burden above 30%, and 0 counties cross the severe-burden threshold of 50%. The most burdened county is Meigs County at 25%, where the FY 2026 2-bedroom FMR of $973 eats that share of the local median income of $46,701. Because HUD's FMR sits at the 40th percentile of gross rents, this calculation understates the reality faced by renters paying market-rate: many higher-quality units in each county rent well above FMR, pushing actual burden rates even higher than the numbers shown below.

Burden data has direct policy stakes. High-burden counties see stronger demand for Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers (which cap tenant contribution at 30% of adjusted income and cover the gap up to FMR) and for Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) units, both of which rely on HUD's FMR as the foundational input. High burden also correlates with longer waitlists for public housing and greater housing instability, eviction filings, doubling up, and homelessness all rise in counties above the 50% threshold. Pair this page with the cheapest-counties ranking and year-over-year rent growth to see which Ohio counties are getting more affordable, which are tightening fastest, and where the burden gap between Ohio and the rest of the country is widening or narrowing.

State Avg Burden
19.6%
National Avg
21.7%
Counties > 30%
0
of 88
Severely Burdened
0
> 50% of income

All Counties by Rent Burden

# County 1 BR Rent 2 BR Rent 1 BR Burden 2 BR Burden
1 Meigs County $758 $973 19.5% 25%
2 Cuyahoga County $1,058 $1,279 20.2% 24.4%
3 Athens County $907 $1,092 20.2% 24.3%
4 Morrow County $1,194 $1,430 20.2% 24.2%
5 Montgomery County $1,009 $1,273 18.8% 23.7%
6 Adams County $785 $973 19% 23.6%
7 Pike County $744 $976 18% 23.6%
8 Scioto County $808 $973 19.6% 23.6%
9 Pickaway County $1,194 $1,430 19.6% 23.5%
10 Franklin County $1,194 $1,430 19.4% 23.3%
11 Hamilton County $1,051 $1,353 17.8% 22.9%
12 Ashtabula County $840 $1,037 18.2% 22.4%
13 Marion County $811 $1,064 17% 22.3%
14 Clark County $843 $1,106 16.6% 21.8%
15 Harrison County $749 $973 16.7% 21.7%
16 Lorain County $1,058 $1,279 18% 21.7%
17 Vinton County $792 $973 17.7% 21.7%
18 Lucas County $820 $1,076 16.4% 21.5%
19 Allen County $844 $1,108 16.3% 21.4%
20 Coshocton County $824 $973 18.1% 21.4%
21 Summit County $985 $1,268 16.6% 21.4%
22 Lawrence County $853 $973 18.7% 21.3%
23 Noble County $749 $983 16.2% 21.3%
24 Licking County $1,194 $1,430 17.7% 21.2%
25 Ross County $882 $1,057 17.7% 21.2%
26 Trumbull County $771 $973 16.8% 21.2%
27 Crawford County $811 $973 17.5% 21%
28 Mahoning County $771 $973 16.6% 21%
29 Guernsey County $742 $973 16% 20.9%
30 Morgan County $875 $973 18.8% 20.9%
31 Portage County $985 $1,268 16.2% 20.9%
32 Gallia County $871 $973 18.5% 20.7%
33 Madison County $1,194 $1,430 17.2% 20.6%
34 Miami County $1,009 $1,273 16.3% 20.6%
35 Jefferson County $757 $973 15.9% 20.5%
36 Belmont County $816 $991 16.8% 20.4%
37 Richland County $773 $973 16.1% 20.3%
38 Carroll County $846 $1,086 15.7% 20.1%
39 Hardin County $811 $973 16.8% 20.1%
40 Butler County $1,051 $1,353 15.5% 20%
41 Columbiana County $779 $973 16% 20%
42 Jackson County $762 $973 15.7% 20%
43 Fayette County $836 $992 16.7% 19.8%
44 Monroe County $742 $973 15.1% 19.8%
45 Stark County $846 $1,086 15.4% 19.8%
46 Fairfield County $1,194 $1,430 16.5% 19.7%
47 Lake County $1,058 $1,279 16.3% 19.7%
48 Muskingum County $820 $973 16.6% 19.7%
49 Clermont County $1,051 $1,353 15.2% 19.5%
50 Erie County $886 $1,106 15.5% 19.4%
51 Hancock County $859 $1,127 14.8% 19.4%
52 Hocking County $742 $973 14.5% 19%
53 Tuscarawas County $780 $1,023 14.5% 19%
54 Washington County $760 $973 14.9% 19%
55 Williams County $761 $973 14.8% 18.9%
56 Highland County $845 $973 16.4% 18.8%
57 Sandusky County $799 $973 15.3% 18.7%
58 Seneca County $767 $1,007 14.2% 18.6%
59 Clinton County $838 $1,029 14.8% 18.1%
60 Darke County $806 $973 15% 18.1%
61 Ashland County $779 $973 14.4% 18%
62 Perry County $790 $973 14.6% 18%
63 Greene County $1,009 $1,273 14.2% 17.9%
64 Van Wert County $762 $973 14% 17.9%
65 Logan County $783 $1,027 13.6% 17.8%
66 Fulton County $820 $1,076 13.5% 17.7%
67 Huron County $742 $973 13.5% 17.7%
68 Wood County $820 $1,076 13.5% 17.7%
69 Knox County $862 $1,078 14% 17.5%
70 Ottawa County $843 $1,106 13.4% 17.5%
71 Wayne County $816 $1,041 13.6% 17.4%
72 Brown County $802 $1,008 13.8% 17.3%
73 Paulding County $780 $973 13.7% 17.1%
74 Shelby County $787 $1,033 13% 17%
75 Champaign County $818 $1,046 13.2% 16.9%
76 Medina County $1,058 $1,279 13.7% 16.6%
77 Preble County $742 $973 12.5% 16.4%
78 Wyandot County $800 $973 13.4% 16.2%
79 Defiance County $799 $980 13% 16%
80 Auglaize County $762 $1,000 12% 15.7%
81 Union County $1,125 $1,433 12.3% 15.7%
82 Holmes County $742 $973 11.9% 15.6%
83 Putnam County $808 $1,053 11.7% 15.3%
84 Geauga County $1,058 $1,279 12.6% 15.2%
85 Mercer County $788 $987 12.1% 15.2%
86 Warren County $1,051 $1,353 11.7% 15.1%
87 Henry County $766 $982 11.6% 14.9%
88 Delaware County $1,194 $1,430 11% 13.2%
National burden rankings → All Ohio rents → Cheapest counties →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the rent burden in Ohio? ▼
The average 2-bedroom rent burden in Ohio is 19.6% of household income. 0 of 88 counties exceed the 30% affordability threshold.
Which counties in Ohio are most rent burdened? ▼
The most rent-burdened county is Meigs County at 25% of income. No counties exceed the 50% severe burden threshold.
How does Ohio compare to the national average? ▼
Ohio's average rent burden is 19.6% vs the national average of 21.7%. That's 2.1 percentage points lower than average.

Data sources: HUD FY 2026 Fair Market Rents and U.S. Census Bureau median household income. Rent burden = (annual FMR ÷ median income) × 100.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.