Can a typical household afford a home in Central Ohio?
Franklin County is the reference market below.
is one number: whether the median household earns enough to buy the median home at today’s . When the index reads 100, the median-income household exactly qualifies for the median-priced home. Above 100 it has room to spare; below 100 it falls short.
The median Franklin County household can't quite afford the median home at today's rate.
How Franklin County stacks up against the country.
The national line is the Fixed Housing Affordability Index published through FRED, a long-running federal read where 100 means the median U.S. family earns exactly the income needed to buy the median-priced existing home. The Franklin County line is the same idea, computed locally from Central Ohio prices and incomes.
The two series don’t start on the same day. The national index reaches back to June 1, 2025, while the Franklin County series began January 1, 2019, so read the county line as a recent snapshot rather than a long trend for now. It lengthens every week.
Affordability index: Franklin County vs. national
Above 100 = affordableA reading of 100 is the break-even line. Higher means more affordable.
How far a paycheck stretches in each county.
Clark County is the most affordable market in the Central Ohio footprint right now at an index of 118.6; Hocking County is the tightest at 56.9. A higher index means the local median household clears the bar with more room to spare.
Median income, price, estimated payment, and as of October 30, 2026. Estimated payment is monthly principal and interest at 20% down; qualifying income is the annual income a lender wants behind it.
| Rank | Read | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Clark | $60,846 | $195,000 | $1,068 | $51,285 | 118.6 | Affordable |
| 02 | Marion | $57,306 | $201,000 | $1,101 | $52,863 | 108.4 | Affordable |
| Break-even line · index 100 | |||||||
| 03 | Champaign | $74,239 | $286,700 | $1,571 | $75,402 | 98.5 | Stretched |
| 04 | Fayette | $60,047 | $234,900 | $1,287 | $61,778 | 97.2 | Stretched |
| 05 | Clinton | $68,125 | $270,000 | $1,479 | $71,010 | 95.9 | Stretched |
| 06 | Licking | $81,033 | $329,260 | $1,804 | $86,595 | 93.6 | Stretched |
| 07 | Knox | $73,988 | $301,250 | $1,651 | $79,228 | 93.4 | Stretched |
| 08 | Fairfield | $87,069 | $360,000 | $1,972 | $94,679 | 92.0 | Stretched |
| 09 | Delaware | $130,088 | $546,150 | $2,992 | $143,637 | 90.6 | Stretched |
| 10 | Union | $109,506 | $460,000 | $2,520 | $120,979 | 90.5 | Stretched |
| 11 | Logan | $69,183 | $299,000 | $1,638 | $78,636 | 88.0 | Stretched |
| 12 | Morrow | $71,047 | $315,000 | $1,726 | $82,844 | 85.8 | Stretched |
| 13 | Franklin | $73,795 | $329,500 | $1,805 | $86,658 | 85.2 | Stretched |
| 14 | Perry | $64,737 | $291,725 | $1,598 | $76,723 | 84.4 | Stretched |
| 15 | Madison | $83,229 | $383,338 | $2,100 | $100,817 | 82.6 | Stretched |
| 16 | Muskingum | $59,203 | $282,500 | $1,548 | $74,297 | 79.7 | Stretched |
| 17 | Pickaway | $72,927 | $361,593 | $1,981 | $95,098 | 76.7 | Stretched |
| 18 | Ross | $59,819 | $299,000 | $1,638 | $78,636 | 76.1 | Stretched |
| 19 | Athens | $53,837 | $269,500 | $1,477 | $70,878 | 76.0 | Stretched |
| 20 | Hocking | $61,366 | $410,000 | $2,246 | $107,829 | 56.9 | Stretched |
- 01Clark118.6Affordable
- 02Marion108.4Affordable
- 03Champaign98.5Stretched
- 04Fayette97.2Stretched
- 05Clinton95.9Stretched
- 06Licking93.6Stretched
- 07Knox93.4Stretched
- 08Fairfield92.0Stretched
- 09Delaware90.6Stretched
- 10Union90.5Stretched
- 11Logan88.0Stretched
- 12Morrow85.8Stretched
- 13Franklin85.2Stretched
- 14Perry84.4Stretched
- 15Madison82.6Stretched
- 16Muskingum79.7Stretched
- 17Pickaway76.7Stretched
- 18Ross76.1Stretched
- 19Athens76.0Stretched
- 20Hocking56.9Stretched
County incomes are U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey five-year estimates, which move slowly, so week-to-week shifts in the ranking come from prices and rates.
What the median home actually costs each month.
Principal and interest only. Taxes, insurance, and HOA not included.
This is the same arithmetic behind the affordability index, shown in full. We take the , put 20% down, and amortize the rest over 30 years at the rate below. Lenders generally want the payment to sit near a quarter of gross income, which is where the qualifying-income figure comes from.
Median sold price is from the week ending October 25, 2026; the rate is seeded from the Mortgage News Daily 30-year average from October 29, 2026. Change the rate or down payment to see the payment move. Taxes, insurance, and PMI aren’t included, so a real monthly payment runs higher.
See how this payment weighs on the typical household →Worked example
median home, 20% down, 30-year fixed| Median sold price | $339,000 |
| Down payment (20%) | −$67,800 |
| Loan amount | $271,200 |
| 30-year fixed rate | 7.29% |
| Monthly principal & interest | $1,857 |
| Annual income to qualify | $89,156 |
Principal and interest only. A full payment adds property tax, homeowner’s insurance, and, under 20% down, mortgage insurance.
Home prices, mortgage rates, and household income.
Home prices
easingThe median Central Ohio home last sold for $339,000. Prices have eased over the last quarter, which lifts affordability.
Mortgage rates
fallingThe sits at 7.29%. Rates have come down recently, which lowers the monthly payment and helps buyers.
Household income
slow anchorIncomes are the slow-moving anchor. We use Census American Community Survey five-year estimates, so they barely shift week to week, meaning almost all the short-term movement in affordability comes from prices and rates, not paychecks.
The numbers that changed, who gained leverage, and the strongest submarkets across Central Ohio. One email each Monday.
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