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Buying a home in Lake County, Ohio

The typical owner-occupied home in Lake County is worth about $214,100, about the same as the Ohio median of $214,800 and 36% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $3,475 a year in property taxes, about 1.62% of their home's value, higher than the Ohio rate of 1.31%. The median household earns $80,925 a year, so the median home costs 2.6 times the median income (3.0 times for Ohio). 76% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 62% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Lake County at a glance

Lake County Ohio U.S.
Median home value $214,100 $214,800 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $3,475 $2,822 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 1.62% 1.31% 0.94%
Median household income $80,925 $71,389 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 76% 67% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 62% 61% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $1,500 $1,517 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 18.4% 18.6% 21.0%
Median rent $1,113 $1,034 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 28.0% 28.3% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1972 1970 1980
Vacant homes 4.9% 8.1% 10.1%
Population 232,216 11,810,293 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Lake County

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Lake County home of $214,100 with 20% down costs about $1,530 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $1,887, because the loan is bigger and FHA adds mortgage insurance.

Lenders usually want housing costs under about 28% of gross income, which means an income of roughly $65,591 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 23% of the median Lake County household income of $80,925; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $264,000.

The median rent here is $1,113 a month, so owning the median home costs about $417 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$42,820
Loan amount$171,280
Principal and interest$1,152
Property taxes (1.62% a year)$289
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$89
PMI$0
Total per month$1,530

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$7,494
Loan amount$210,222
Principal and interest$1,414
Property taxes (1.62% a year)$289
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$89
FHA mortgage insurance$95
Total per month$1,887

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Questions about home buying in Lake County

What is the median home value in Lake County?

About $214,100 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Lake County?

Homeowners pay a median $3,475 a year, which is about 1.62% of the median home value. Your bill depends on your home's assessed value and local rates.

What income do you need to buy a home in Lake County?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $1,530 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $65,591 a year.

More about Lake County

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates; Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, week of November 12, 2026. Estimates for small places have wide margins of error. About our data