Where is the best place to buy a house in Ohio Canton

The Canton-Massillon area remains a popular destination for house hunters looking to save money.

The Wall Street Journal/Realtor.com Emerging Housing Market Index ranked Canton second in the U.S. for summer 2024. It’s the second time this year the area has held that position.

In addition to the Canton-Massillon area, four other Ohio cities made the summer list: Akron was No. 3, Columbus was No. 12, Toledo was No. 13 and Dayton was No. 18. All five cities were also named in the spring, with Akron, Columbus and Toledo moving up in the rankings while Dayton dropped.

Canton-Massillon scored highly overall, but did particularly well in the affordability stakes, as the area’s average listing price of $255,000 is well below the national median of $445,000. Columbus was the only city in Ohio to come close to the national median, but still well below it at $400,000.

Canton-Massillon stands strong and remains number 2 in the country

Canton-Massillon was ranked No. 2 last spring, but has climbed since last year, when it was ranked No. 8, according to the Wall Street Journal/Realtor.com.

“Many of the top-ranked markets have received a lot of attention because they offer buyers affordable housing options in desirable areas. That is, these markets have the amenities that many buyers are looking for, but at an affordable price,” the website states.

High demand observed in top markets

The summer report found that inventory increased year-over-year in all top 20 markets, but the number of homes currently for sale remains below pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels.

“Nationally, there were 36.7% more homes for sale in June 2024 compared to a year ago,” the site said. “While some markets have seen substantial year-over-year inventory growth, all 20 markets have significantly fewer homes for sale than before the pandemic.”

Ohio performs well in averting climate risks

Twelve of the top 20 Midwest markets were listed, and the data shows that these markets are likely to be more resilient to climate risks such as extreme heat, wind, air quality, flooding and wildfires over the next 30 years.

“Nationally, more than 2 in 5 homes face at least severe or extreme exposure to at least one of these climate risks,” the site says. “Areas in the Midwest tend to be less affected by these risks, giving buyers some peace of mind when purchasing a home.”