Moving to
Centerville.

All Centerville data Compare Centerville

25,205people live here $85,492median household incomeNear US average $1,270median rent per month▼ 10% below US $287,200median home value▼ 14% below US

What it's like to live in Centerville

Centerville is a small city in Ohio with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, crime rates well below the national average, and commutes that run shorter than most cities. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.

The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Centerville deals with air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, larger class sizes than the national average, cold winters, and fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city.

The good

Rent below the national average
Affordable home prices
Low crime rates
Short commutes
Highly educated workforce

The not so good

Air quality concerns
High student-teacher ratio
Cold winters
Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
Car-dependent — few commuters use transit

How Centerville compares

Median household income

Centerville$85,492

Ohio avg$71,389

US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

Centerville$1,270

Ohio avg$1,034

US$1,413

Median home value

Centerville$287,200

Ohio avg$214,800

US$332,700

What it takes to move to Centerville

Based on Centerville's median rent, home value and household income

To rent

$2,540

up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit

Income to keep rent under 30%: $50,800 a year
43% of Centerville renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$57,440

a 20% down payment on the median home

With 10% down: $28,720
Homes cost 3.4× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of living▼ 10% below US

$1,270/mo median rent

Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,270 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $287,200. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.

Median home value $287,200 · 43% of renters cost-burdened

Job marketNear US average

4.2% unemployment

Unemployment here is 4.2%, close to the national average of 4.3%.

City-level (BLS)

Safety▼ 89% below US

37 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 759/100k · Centerville Police Department · 2025 data

Getting around▼ 22% below US

20 min average commute

Commutes are reasonable, averaging 20.4 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 17% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone

77%

Work from home

17%

Carpool

3.5%

Walk

1.4%

Other

0.8%

Public transit

0.6%

Climate

Summers are warm, with highs around 85°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 25°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Education & workforce▲ 31% above US

47% bachelor's degree or higher

The population is well-educated, with 47% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.

Schools

6 public schools inside the boundary

There are 6 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 19:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.

Parks & recreation

The nearest national park or historic site is Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park (11 miles away). There are 4 national parks and sites within a day's drive.

Bottom line

Centerville's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are air quality that falls short of national benchmarks and cold winters. A year of median rent ($1,270/mo) equals 18% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, anyone prioritizing low crime, and remote workers (17% of workers here already work from home). It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.

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