Photo: JonRidinger · CC BY-SA 4.0Measured against area pay, Rootstown Township costs more to live in than 56% of U.S. towns
It ranks #678 of 993 in Ohio for affordability. Up 6.3% in a year, 13% above the Ohio typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of the Akron, OH metro area ($72K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
The grade compares costs with what households across the Akron metro earn ($72K, Census 2020–24). Even so, the typical home costs 3.6 years of metro income, and 44% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $278Ktypical home, 13% above the Ohio typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $1,250a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
- 93prices across the Akron metro, where the U.S. is 100 (housing 77)BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
In paychecks the grade
- 3.6 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$72K, Akron-area income
- 18%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 44%of renters pay 30%+ of income for housing; across Ohio: 46%Census 2020–24
- 16%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
What stands out about housing in Rootstown Township
What’s behind Rootstown Township’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Rootstown Township is more affordable than 44% of U.S. towns, #678 of 993 in Ohio. Property tax pulls the grade down most; the share of households paying 30%+ for housing holds it up.
Prices here have kept pace with Ohio: up 32.7% in five years, against 29.8% statewide (Zillow).
Up 6.3% in a year
Faster than Ohio (3.2%).
Show as a table
| January | Rootstown Township | Ohio |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $152,000 | $131,000 |
| 2018 | $162,000 | $139,000 |
| 2019 | $170,000 | $148,000 |
| 2020 | $174,000 | $156,000 |
| 2021 | $196,000 | $175,000 |
| 2022 | $209,000 | $193,000 |
| 2023 | $229,000 | $208,000 |
| 2024 | $238,000 | $221,000 |
| 2025 | $255,000 | $234,000 |
| 2026 | $268,000 | $242,000 |
| September 2026 | $278,000 | $246,000 |
A typical Rootstown Township home worth $151K in October 2016 is worth about $278K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A typical home costs 3.6 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Rootstown Township’s own median, or type yours.
That’s $10K short of a typical Rootstown Township home.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,250 a month here, $490 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Rootstown Township’s typical property tax (1.22% of value a year, from the Census) and insurance of about 0.35%. Mortgage insurance, HOA fees and other debts aren’t included.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,250
Renters already here pay a median of $1,101, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put.
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (Akron, OH MSA): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
High tax bills, but a low tax rate
The median bill is $3,153 (Ohio: $2,822), because homes cost more. As a share of value it’s 1.22% a year, against 1.31% statewide.
Census American Community Survey 2020–24: the median real-estate tax bill homeowners report, and that bill ÷ the median home value. Bills include town, school and county taxes. The Census reports bills over $10,000 only as “$10,000+”.
The rest of a budget near Rootstown Township
Only figures published free for the whole country, each labeled with the area it covers: the Akron, OH metro area, or Ohio. Groceries follow the goods price level; nobody publishes them town by town.
| Cost | Here | Compared with | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prices overall U.S. = 100 | 93 | OH 93 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
| Goods (groceries, clothing, cars…) U.S. = 100 | 94 | OH 94 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
| Utilities U.S. = 100 | 96 | OH 96 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
| Other services U.S. = 100 | 99 | OH 99 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
Price levels: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities 2024 (metro area and state). Electricity: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, table 5.6.A.
Rootstown Township vs. its neighbors
Of the 1 towns here with a Zillow value, Rootstown Township has the lowest. Edinburg Township and Brimfield Township and Randolph Township and Ravenna Township and Charlestown Township have no Zillow value, so they are in the table only.
Cost next door · one source per column
| Town | Cost | Typical home Zillow, September 2026 | Median value Census 2020–24 | Tax rate bill ÷ value | 2-bed rent HUD 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rootstown Township | C+ | $278K | $259K | 1.22% | $1,250 |
| Brimfield Township | C | — | $235K | 1.31% | $1,270 |
| Ravenna Township | B+ | — | $162K | 1.71% | $1,200 |
| Edinburg Township | B+ | — | $248K | 1.29% | $1,250 |
| Randolph Township | C+ | — | $210K | 1.29% | $1,290 |
| Charlestown Township | A | — | $109K | 1.24% | $1,200 |
“—” under Zillow: Zillow publishes no value for that town, so it’s left blank rather than mixed with Census figures.
Questions about the cost of living in Rootstown Township
Is Rootstown Township expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Rootstown Township costs more than 56% of U.S. towns: a C+ for cost of living, #678 of 993 in Ohio. The typical home costs 3.6 years of the median household income of the Akron, OH metro area ($72K).
How much does a house cost in Rootstown Township?
About $278K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, up 6.3% in a year. The Ohio typical home is $246K.
What salary do you need to live in Rootstown Township?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $75,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $1,740 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $50,000.
How much is rent in Rootstown Township?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $1,250 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $1,101 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Rootstown Township?
The median bill is $3,153 a year, 1.22% of the median home value (Ohio: $2,822, 1.31%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Rootstown Township going up?
Yes: up 6.3% in the past year and 32.7% in five years, against 29.8% across Ohio (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Rootstown Township buyers, sellers and renters are saying.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, September 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The calculator is an estimate, not a loan offer. Regional price levels: BEA; electricity: EIA. How TownRatings grades cost of living.