What it's like to live in Mentor
Mentor is a small city in Ohio with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, unemployment below the national average, and household incomes running above the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Mentor deals with cold winters, heavy snowfall, and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low unemployment
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Short commutes
The not so good
- Cold winters
- Heavy snowfall — 114" per year
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Mentor compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Mentor
Based on Mentor's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,478
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $49,560 a year
- 38% of Mentor renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$49,540
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $24,770
- Homes cost 2.8× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 12% below US
$1,239/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,239 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $247,700. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $247,700 · 38% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 19% below US
3.5% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.5%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 64% below US
119 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 1025/100k · Mentor Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 17% below US
22 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 21.6 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 15% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 81°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 26°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforceNear US average
37% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 37% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
12 public schools inside the boundary
There are 12 public schools inside the boundary and 4 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 James A Garfield National Historic Site (2 miles away). There are 4 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Mentor's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are cold winters and heavy snowfall. A year of median rent ($1,239/mo) equals 17% 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 people who want short commutes. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Mentor
All Ohio guides →Not sure Mentor is the one?
Put it side by side with another city.