Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Canton earns a D, 944th among Ohio's 987 graded towns, mostly because of health and safety. Residents are less healthy than 98% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. Its crime rate is higher than 98% of U.S. towns, with 751 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. In its favor, a typical home costs about $174K, 2.6 years of the Canton metro’s $68K median household income. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 97% of U.S. towns, with 41 places on the National Register. 27% of residents live below the poverty line in Canton, against 9.1% in Ohio’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Its National Register listings include William McKinley Tomb and First Ladies National Historic Site. On walkability, just 80 of Ohio’s 1,718 towns do better.
Where Canton beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
William McKinley Tomb is a National Historic Landmark, the National Register’s top tier. Its 41 National Register listings are more than in 98% of Ohio towns with a listing.
Census counts: 1,257 in 1830, a peak of 116,912 in 1950, 70,872 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1815 and 6 maps from 1901 on.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Ohio), ordered by how far Canton is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Canton, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Canton.
Canton reports violent crime at 4 times the Ohio rate, but it has poverty well above the Ohio rate and trails North Canton and its other neighbors on schools.
24% of adults smoke cigarettes in Canton. Canton beats the Ohio average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 21. 37% of adults get no exercise outside work in Canton.
| Canton | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 16% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 47% | 38% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 28% | 25% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 20% | 19% |
| What stands out | Canton | OH |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 7.5% | 8.7% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 16.3% | 8.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Each of its 7 graded neighbors has a higher School Grade than its C, North Canton highest at A.
Its public schools are run by the Canton City school district. Three of its 32 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glenwood Intermediate SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 5–6 | Grades 5–6 | 817 | B+ |
| McKinley High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 2,047 | D |
| Ransom H Barr Elementary SchoolTop results in townGrades K–4 | Grades K–4 | 362 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OH on state tests and graduation
Violent crime runs at 10.9 per 1,000 residents, 4 times the Ohio rate; the Safety Grade counts each violent crime four times, so this weighs most on its D−. Property crime runs at 33.8 per 1,000 residents, about twice the Ohio rate, most of it theft.
The violent crime rate in Canton is 10.9 per 1,000 residents. Canton reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 98% report less. The property crime rate in Canton is 33.8 per 1,000 residents.
| Canton | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 10.9 per 1,000 residents | 1.2 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 33.8 per 1,000 residents | 9.4 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
10 miles of trail in 46 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Stadium Park, at 83 acres.
| Canton | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 6.1% | 3.7% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Fairhope Nature Preserve | 0.7 mi | 56 |
| 2. Harmont Park | 0.5 mi | 23 |
| 3. Westbrook Veterans Memorial Park | 0.5 mi | 12 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 76% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 32 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Canton.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The median property tax bill is $1,227, against $2,822 across Ohio, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
49% of Canton households own their home. The typical Canton home is worth about $174,000, up 4.3% in a year, 29% below the Ohio typical home. Canton’s median rent is $850 a month.
| Canton | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 49% | 77% | 73% |
| Median rent | $850 a month | $944 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 48% | 42% | 48% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Canton has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 20° and about 32 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
About one in 5 of Canton’s working residents works in town. Jobs based in Canton fell to 38,202 in 2023, 3,579 fewer than in 2013. The top destinations are Jackson Township (12%), Akron (6%) and Massillon (6%).
| Canton | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 22% | 6.8% | 8% |
| Median household income | $43,000 | $75,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 8.8% | 9.7% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Canton. Close and well known come first.
Big drawin town MuseumPro Football Hall of Fame192K visitors a year
in town Stadium & arenaTom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium
21 mi National ParkCuyahoga Valley National Park3.0M visitors a year
in town LandmarkMcKinley National Memorial
37 mi Theme parkSeaWorld Ohio
in town MuseumWilliam McKinley Presidential Library and MuseumPro Football Hall of Fame: Erik Drost, CC BY 2.0 · Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium: Harrier233 at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Cuyahoga Valley National Park: Unknown, Public domain · McKinley National Memorial: CoolRockC, CC BY-SA 4.0 · SeaWorld Ohio: Jeremy Thompson from Los Angeles, California, CC BY 2.0 · William McKinley Presidential Library and Museum: Tim Evanson from Cleveland Heights, Ohio, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
6 within 15 miles of the center of Canton
About 4 of every 100 Canton residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Ohio.
2 colleges in town.
41 places in Canton on the National Register of Historic Places.
45 notable people were born in Canton.
City in Ohio, United States
Canton () is a city in Stark County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. The population was 70,872 at the 2020 census and estimated at 69,001 in 2025, making it the eighth-most populous city in Ohio. The Canton–Massillon metropolitan area had an estimated 400,551 residents in 2024. Canton is located approximately 60 miles (97 km) south of Cleveland and 20 miles (32 km) south of Akron in Northeast Ohio, on the edge of Ohio's Amish Country. Founded in 1805 alongside Nimishillen Creek, Canton became a center of heavy industry because of its numerous railroad lines. As shifts in the manufacturing industry led to the relocation or downsizing of many factories and workers during the late 20…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
10 towns share a border with Canton.
All 6 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its D; Reedurban (B) is closest. North Canton next door grades higher for schools (A to Canton’s C) and lower for cost of living (C+ to A−).
| Town | OH rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canton | #944 | D | A− | D− | C | D− |
| Canton Township | #629 | B− | B+ | — | B | D− |
| Plain Township | #157 | A | B− | — | A− | B− |
| Osnaburg Township | #226 | A− | A | — | B | C |
| Jackson Township | #467 | B | C | C | A | B− |
| North Canton | #76 | A | C+ | B+ | A | B+ |
| Nimishillen Township | #212 | A− | B | — | A− | C+ |
| East Canton | — | — | A | — | B | C |
East Canton has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Canton Township, Plain Township, Osnaburg Township, Nimishillen Township and East Canton report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Canton with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Canton grades D overall, better than 12% of U.S. towns and #944 of 987 in Ohio. It grades D− for health, D− for safety and C for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D−.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A−.
45 notable people were born here, including Marilyn Manson and Macy Gray.
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}