What it's like to live in Aurora
Aurora is a small city in Ohio with household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, a highly educated workforce, and schools with class sizes near the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Aurora deals with rent well above the national average, cold winters, and heavy snowfall.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Highly educated workforce
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- Cold winters
- Heavy snowfall — 63" per year
How Aurora compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Aurora
Based on Aurora's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,598
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $71,960 a year
- 48% of Aurora renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$77,560
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $38,780
- Homes cost 3.0× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 27% above US
$1,799/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,799 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices run above average, with a median around $387,800. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $387,800 · 48% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.8% county unemployment
Unemployment in Portage County is 4.8%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Portage County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 85% below US
50 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 369/100k · Aurora Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
28 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 27.9 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 21% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are comfortable, with highs around 79°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 18°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 70% above US
61% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.
Schools
5 public schools inside the boundary
There are 5 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 18:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Cuyahoga Valley National Park (12 miles away). There are 4 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Aurora's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and cold winters. A year of median rent ($1,799/mo) equals 17% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime, remote workers (21% of workers here already work from home), and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.
Other places near Aurora
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