Photo: Art Anderson · CC BY-SA 3.0Measured against area pay, Van Wert costs less to live in than 95% of U.S. towns
It ranks #14 of 993 in Ohio for affordability. Up 3.7% in a year, 25% below the Ohio typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of the Van Wert, OH micro area ($68K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
The grade compares costs with what households across the Van Wert-area micro earn ($68K, Census 2020–24). The typical home costs 1.8 years of area income, and 38% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $184Ktypical home, 25% below the Ohio typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $970a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 1.8 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$68K, Van Wert-area income
- 14%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 38%of renters pay 30%+ of income for housing; across Ohio: 46%Census 2020–24
- 13%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
What stands out about housing in Van Wert
What’s behind Van Wert’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Van Wert is more affordable than 95% of U.S. towns, #14 of 993 in Ohio. The share of households paying 30%+ for housing pulls the grade down most; home prices hold it up.
Values have outpaced Ohio: the typical Van Wert home is up 41.7% in five years, against 29.8% statewide (Zillow).
Up 41.7% in five years
Faster than Ohio (29.8%).
Show as a table
| January | Van Wert | Ohio |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $89,000 | $131,000 |
| 2018 | $91,000 | $139,000 |
| 2019 | $100,000 | $148,000 |
| 2020 | $104,000 | $156,000 |
| 2021 | $119,000 | $175,000 |
| 2022 | $134,000 | $193,000 |
| 2023 | $144,000 | $208,000 |
| 2024 | $159,000 | $221,000 |
| 2025 | $171,000 | $234,000 |
| 2026 | $183,000 | $242,000 |
| September 2026 | $184,000 | $246,000 |
A typical Van Wert home worth $88K in October 2016 is worth about $184K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
Too few sales to read the market
Only 19 homes sold in May 2026, the latest month in Redfin’s figures: too few to describe the market or quote a median sale price.
A typical home costs 1.8 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Van Wert’s own median, or type yours.
That covers a typical Van Wert home, with $77K to spare.
A two-bedroom rents for about $970 a month here, $150 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Van Wert’s typical property tax (0.99% 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 $970
Renters already here pay a median of $765, 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 (Van Wert County, OH): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
16 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 16 new homes in Van Wert in 2025, all single-family houses, worth about $3.8 million to build. That's 1.5 per 1,000 residents, slower than across Ohio (3.3). Over the past 10 years, Van Wert has permitted 145 homes in all.
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Van Wert gained 246 residents while 113 new homes were permitted: about 2.2 new residents per new home, more than across Ohio (1.3): growth outpaced building.
Every year as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 19 | 11 | 8 | $2.8 million |
| 2025 | 16 | 16 | 0 | $3.8 million |
| 2024 | 23 | 23 | 0 | $7.6 million |
| 2023 | 20 | 20 | 0 | $5.5 million |
| 2022 | 19 | 19 | 0 | $5.6 million |
| 2021 | 14 | 14 | 0 | $4.4 million |
| 2020 | 26 | 21 | 5 | $5.8 million |
| 2019 | 8 | 8 | 0 | $1.7 million |
| 2018 | 6 | 6 | 0 | $1.2 million |
| 2017 | 9 | 7 | 2 | $1.3 million |
| 2016 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $602,000 |
| 2015 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $580,000 |
| 2014 | 7 | 7 | 0 | $1.5 million |
| 2013 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $708,000 |
| 2012 | 38 | 6 | 32 | $3.7 million |
| 2011 | 18 | 4 | 14 | $1.1 million |
| 2010 | 15 | 3 | 12 | $1.2 million |
| 2009 | 15 | 15 | 0 | $1.8 million |
| 2008 | 10 | 8 | 2 | $1.3 million |
| 2007 | 10 | 10 | 0 | $1.7 million |
| 2006 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $836,000 |
| 2005 | 9 | 9 | 0 | $1.4 million |
| 2004 | 11 | 9 | 2 | $1.8 million |
| 2003 | 10 | 10 | 0 | $1.8 million |
| 2002 | 14 | 14 | 0 | $2.1 million |
| 2001 | 12 | 10 | 2 | $1.7 million |
| 2000 | 17 | 15 | 2 | $2.1 million |
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey.
Property tax runs below the Ohio norm
The median bill is $1,231 (Ohio: $2,822), 0.99% of a home’s value 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+”.
Van Wert vs. its neighbors
Of the 1 towns here with a Zillow value, Van Wert has the lowest. Ridge Township and Pleasant 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Van Wert | A+ | $184K | $124K | 0.99% | $970 |
| Pleasant Township | A+ | — | $133K | 0.96% | $980 |
| Ridge Township | A | — | $177K | 0.97% | $970 |
“—” 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 Van Wert
Is Van Wert expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Van Wert costs less than 95% of U.S. towns: an A+ for cost of living, #14 of 993 in Ohio. The typical home costs 1.8 years of the median household income of the Van Wert, OH micro area ($68K).
How much does a house cost in Van Wert?
About $184K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, up 3.6% in a year. The Ohio typical home is $246K.
What salary do you need to live in Van Wert?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $48,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $1,120 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $39,000.
How much is rent in Van Wert?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $970 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $765 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Van Wert?
The median bill is $1,231 a year, 0.99% of the median home value (Ohio: $2,822, 1.31%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Van Wert going up?
Yes: up 3.6% in the past year and 41.7% in five years, against 29.8% across Ohio (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Van Wert 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, May 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits 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.