What it's like to live in Norton
Norton is a small city in Ohio with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, household incomes running above the national average, 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. Norton deals with air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, cold winters, fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city, and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Air quality concerns
- Cold winters
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Norton compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Norton
Based on Norton's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,118
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $42,360 a year
- 32% of Norton renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$40,160
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $20,080
- Homes cost 2.2× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 25% below US
$1,059/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $1,059 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $200,800. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $200,800 · 32% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.9% county unemployment
Unemployment in Summit County is 4.9%, 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.
Summit County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 65% below US
114 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 1540/100k · Norton Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 10% below US
23 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 23.4 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 83°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 23°F and snow a regular occurrence.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 27% below US
26% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 26%. 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 13:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Cuyahoga Valley National Park (16 miles away). There are 4 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Norton'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 ($1,059/mo) equals 14% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and anyone prioritizing low crime. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Norton
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