Housing in Akron: The Lowdown
What this page is for
This page explains how housing works in Akron. It shows:
how homes get built
how homes are kept safe, and
how homes are paid for and improved.
The goal of this page is to help the Civic Assembly gain a fuller understanding of housing in Akron before beginning the deliberation.
Our Shared Goal
Akron residents have greater access to safe, well-maintained, and affordable housing.
To reach this goal, Akron needs:
Enough homes for different people, including people with different incomes and at different stages of life. City rules should make it easier, not harder, to build housing.
Steady investment in homes and neighborhoods, with funding to build homes, fix existing homes, and improve streets, sewers, and other basics that support housing.
Homes that are safe and in good shape, with repairs made when possible and unsafe buildings fixed or removed quickly. Property owners and residents both play a role in keeping housing safe.
Key takeaways
Here are a few main points to keep in mind:
Akron’s housing is mostly older, single-family homes. Many homes need repairs, and older housing increases health risks.
Costs are rising faster than many residents can keep up with. This shows up differently for renters and homeowners.
Akron is not one housing market. Some neighborhoods are “strong markets” with higher prices and competition. Others struggle with low values, aging homes, and years of limited investment.
Households have changed. More people live alone or in smaller households, while many homes have more bedrooms than today’s households need.
Rules and funding shape what is possible. Some tools are local, but many limits are set by state law and state/federal housing programs.
What Housing Looks Like in Akron Today
To understand housing in Akron today, it helps to know how the city got here.
How Akron got here
Most homes in Summit County were first built in and around older cities. These include Akron, Barberton, and Cuyahoga Falls.
Housing and population grew steadily until about 1970. After that, population growth slowed, but homebuilding continued.
Over time, households became smaller. Most new housing was built farther away from Akron.
Homes tend to be newer and more expensive farther from the county center. This is one reason housing conditions vary across the region.1
Past housing discrimination
In the 1930s, banks and governments used a practice called redlining. Redlining denied home loans in neighborhoods where many Black residents, immigrants, and low-income families lived.
Redlining was outlawed in 1968, but its effects remain.2
Homes in formerly redlined areas are about 35 years older on average and worth less than homes in other parts of the county.
In Akron, home values differ by area. Homes in formerly redlined neighborhoods are valued at $88,000 on average, compared to $113,000 on average in other areas.3
Housing today
Akron’s housing stock is mostly single-family homes, and many are aging. More than 60% of occupied homes were built before 1960.4
Home prices and rents are below national averages, but they are rising quickly. They are often rising faster than wages.
Some neighborhoods are strong markets, while others struggle. Struggling areas often have low home values, older homes, and years of limited investment.5
Households have changed, but many homes have not. Many Akron households are smaller, but many homes still have more bedrooms than today’s households need.6 7
Akron’s population has declined slightly. The county is expected to keep shrinking.8 9
Akron residents are generally younger than the county as a whole.10
Most households in the city earn less than households in the rest of the county.11
Together, these trends shape today’s housing challenges:
A large supply of older homes
Rising costs
Uneven neighborhood conditions
A need to better match housing to the people who live in Akron now
Housing Costs, Renters, and Homeowners
Housing costs in Akron have risen quickly in recent years, and many residents are struggling to keep up.
Rent and affordability
Rent has risen about 40% in six years. Typical two-bedroom rent increased from $868 to $1,218 per month.12
Minimum wage does not stretch far enough. A minimum-wage worker would need to work about 62 hours per week to afford a one-bedroom apartment, or nearly two full-time jobs to afford a two-bedroom.13
When rent rises faster than wages, more households are stretched thin.
Housing assistance and wait times
About one in four renters relies on housing assistance to help pay rent.
Need is greater than what is available. People applying for Housing Choice Vouchers often wait close to three years before receiving assistance.14
During that wait, families must find ways to stay housed in a tight rental market.
Evictions and legal help
Eviction is a serious concern. In 2024, more than 3,000 eviction cases were filed in Akron. That’s about 7% of renter households. Akron has roughly 42,000 renter-occupied homes.15 16
Most tenants go to court without legal help. Only about 3% of tenants have an attorney, while around 88% of landlords do.17
Home repairs and access to financing
Homeowners face different challenges, especially repairs. Many low-income homeowners and seniors struggle to afford major fixes like roofs, furnaces, plumbing, or accessibility upgrades.
Delayed repairs can lead to bigger problems. Homes can fall into poor condition, and some families lose homes passed down for generations.18
Repair loans are not always available. In Summit County, about 16% of home repair loan applications are denied, even though loans to buy homes are approved at normal rates.19
This makes it harder to keep homes in good shape, especially in older or lower-value neighborhoods.
Health risks from older homes
Older housing brings health risks. Nearly 85% of Akron’s homes were built before 1978, when lead paint was still widely used.20
Common hazards include lead paint, mold, pests, and poor air quality. These can cause serious health problems, especially for children.
Together, these facts show how housing costs, renter stability, home repairs, and health are closely connected. When rent rises too fast, repairs are unaffordable, or homes are unsafe, families and neighborhoods feel the impact.
Homes, Prices, and Who Is Buying in Akron
Housing prices in Akron have risen quickly, even though the city’s population has not grown.
Home prices and neighborhood differences
Home values across Akron have increased about 75% since 2017. In some neighborhoods—especially in East and South Akron—prices have more than doubled.21
The typical home in Akron sells for about $103,000. But prices vary widely by neighborhood.22
In stronger markets, homes often sell for over $250,000. The northwest section of the city is one example.23
In weaker markets, many homes sell for under $60,000. Downtown is one example, though prices there are rising too.24
Market speed
Homes sell faster than they used to. On average, a home in Akron sells in 34 days.25
That means buyers have less time to decide, and competition is stronger, especially for lower-priced homes.26
Investor buying
Many of Akron’s most affordable homes are being bought by investors. Local realtors report that since early 2022, nearly every single-family home listed for under $100,000 has been purchased with cash by investors rather than people planning to live in the home.
This reduces the number of starter homes available for first-time buyers and often turns those homes into rentals.
Foreclosures
Foreclosures have dropped by about half since 2017.27
Housing distress remains common in some neighborhoods, including parts of East Akron, Summit Lake, and Middlebury.
Population and household trends
Akron’s population has declined slightly, and the county is expected to shrink more over the next 25 years.28
Households are getting smaller. In 2023, more than one in three households in Akron was made up of just one person.29
Many homes are larger than today’s households need. About 72% of occupied homes have two or three bedrooms, and nearly 15% have four or more bedrooms.30
This mismatch can raise costs. People may be paying to heat, cool, and maintain more space than they use.
Vacancy
Akron has a higher share of vacant homes than the rest of the county. About 10% of housing units in the city are vacant, compared to about 7% countywide.31
Some vacant homes can be repaired and reused. Others need major work or removal before they can support new housing.
Together, these trends show a housing market under pressure: prices are rising, affordable homes are harder to buy, and the types of homes available don’t always match the people who live in the city today.
1. Summit County Public Health
2. Mapping Inequality Project
3. Summit County Public Health
4. https://data.census.gov/table/ACSST5Y2023.S2504?q=Akron+city,+Ohio&t=Year+Structure+Built&moe=false
5. https://cms2.revize.com/revize/akronoh/Departments/Planning%20And%20Urban%20Development/Plans%20Reports%20And%20Maps/akron_mva_final_2024.pdf
6. https://data.census.gov/table/ACSST5Y2023.S2504?q=Akron+city,+Ohio&t=Year+Structure+Built&moe=false
7. https://data.census.gov/table/ACSST5Y2023.S1101?q=Akron+city,+Ohio&t=Families+and+Household+Characteristics
8. https://data.census.gov/table/ACSST5Y2023.S0101?q=Akron+city,+Ohio&moe=false. Accessed on 12 Dec 2025
9. https://development.ohio.gov/wps/wcm/connect/gov/4293fdc4-22dc-4494-a568-71e6feb09ffb/Projected-2050-Ohio-County-Populations.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CONVERT_TO=url&CACHEID=ROOTWORKSPACE.Z18_K9I401S01H7F40QBNJU3SO1F56-4293fdc4-22dc-4494-a568-71e6feb09ffb-oTi9px6
10. https://data.census.gov/table/ACSST5Y2023.S0101?t=Age+and+Sex&g=040XX00US39_160XX00US3901000&moe=false
11. https://data.census.gov/table/ACSST1Y2024.S1901?q=Akron+city,+Ohio&t=Income+and+Poverty&g=050XX00US39153&moe=false. Accessed on 12 Dec 2025
12. Housing Research Collaborative Summary, 2025
13. National Low Income Housing Coalition, Congressional District Housing Profile, p.13
14. akronhousing.org – How to Apply for Housing Choice Voucher
15. Signal Akron, June 24, 2025
16. Point2Homes
17. Signal Akron, June 24, 2025
18. Housing Action Plan for Akron (p. 11)
19. Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, 2021
20. SpectrumNews1, 2025, Akron Beacon Journal, 2015
21. Housing Plan for Akron Executive Summary 2024, p.i
22. Housing Plan for Akron, p. 25
23. Housing Plan for Akron, p. 25
24. Housing Plan for Akron, p. 25
25. Akron Cleveland Association of Realtors
26. Housing Action Plan for Akron, 2024, p.11
27. Housing Plan for Akron Appendix II, pp. 25, 45
28. Ohio Department of Development
29. U.S. Census 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
30. U.S. Census 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
31. U.S. Census 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates