What it's like to live in Heath
Heath is a small city in Ohio with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, and crime rates well below the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Heath deals with larger class sizes than the national average, cold winters, and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low crime rates
The not so good
- High student-teacher ratio
- Cold winters
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Heath compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Heath
Based on Heath's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,258
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $45,160 a year
- 37% of Heath renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$47,140
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $23,570
- Homes cost 3.3× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 20% below US
$1,129/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,129 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $235,700. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $235,700 · 37% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.4% county unemployment
Unemployment in Licking County is 4.4%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Licking County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 55% below US
147 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 3409/100k · Heath Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
24 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 23.7 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 16% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 85°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 24°F and snow a regular occurrence.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 34% below US
24% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 24%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
4 public schools inside the boundary
There are 4 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 Hopewell Culture National Historical Park (60 miles away). There are 5 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Heath's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are cold winters and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit. A year of median rent ($1,129/mo) equals 19% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, anyone prioritizing low crime, and remote workers (16% of workers here already work from home). It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Heath
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