What it's like to live in Dublin

Dublin is a small city in Ohio with unemployment below the national average, household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, and a highly educated workforce. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.

The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Dublin deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, and cold winters.

The good

  • Low unemployment
  • Higher-than-average incomes
  • Low crime rates
  • Highly educated workforce
  • Strong hospital ratings
  • Average class sizes

The not so good

  • Rent well above the national average
  • High home prices
  • Air quality concerns
  • Cold winters

How Dublin compares

Median household income

Dublin$160,296
Ohio avg$71,389
US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

Dublin$1,686
Ohio avg$1,034
US$1,413

Median home value

Dublin$563,500
Ohio avg$214,800
US$332,700

What it takes to move to Dublin

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

To rent

$3,372

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

  • Income to keep rent under 30%: $67,440 a year
  • 33% of Dublin renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$112,700

a 20% down payment on the median home

  • With 10% down: $56,350
  • Homes cost 3.5× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of living▲ 19% above US

$1,686/mo median rent

Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,686 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices are steep, with a median around $563,500. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.

Median home value $563,500 · 33% of renters cost-burdened

Job market▼ 14% below US

3.7% unemployment

Unemployment here is 3.7%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.

City-level (BLS)

Safety▼ 67% below US

109 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 705/100k · Dublin Police Department · 2025 data

Getting around▼ 11% below US

23 min average commute

Commutes are reasonable, averaging 23.2 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 32% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone
63%
Work from home
32%
Carpool
4.0%
Walk
0.6%
Other
0.4%

Climate

Summers are warm, with highs around 83°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 24°F and snow a regular occurrence.

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)
10°30°50°70°90°4.5"Jan: 2.22" precipitationFeb: 1.94" precipitationMar: 2.99" precipitationApr: 3.54" precipitationMay: 3.85" precipitationJun: 4.05" precipitationJul: 3.72" precipitationAug: 3.05" precipitationSep: 3.00" precipitationOct: 2.52" precipitationNov: 2.36" precipitationDec: 2.52" precipitation21°JJan: high 36°F, low 21°FFFeb: high 40°F, low 23°FMMar: high 50°F, low 31°FAApr: high 63°F, low 41°FMMay: high 73°F, low 51°FJJun: high 81°F, low 60°F84°JJul: high 84°F, low 64°FAAug: high 83°F, low 62°FSSep: high 77°F, low 55°FOOct: high 65°F, low 43°FNNov: high 51°F, low 34°FDDec: high 40°F, low 26°F

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Healthcare

3 hospitals

There are 3 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 4.0 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.

Medicare-certified hospitals

Education & workforce▲ 104% above US

73% 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

17 public schools inside the boundary

There are 17 public schools inside the boundary and 8 private schools. 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 Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument (48 miles away). There are 4 national parks and sites within a day's drive.

Bottom line

Dublin's strongest points are unemployment below the national average and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,686/mo) equals 13% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime, remote workers (32% of workers here already work from home), and college-educated professionals.

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