What it's like to live in Norwood
Norwood is a small city in Ohio with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, commutes that run shorter than most cities, and a highly educated workforce. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Norwood deals with air quality that falls short of national benchmarks and cold winters.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Short commutes
- Highly educated workforce
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Air quality concerns
- Cold winters
How Norwood compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Norwood
Based on Norwood's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,962
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $39,240 a year
- 48% of Norwood renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$51,740
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $25,870
- Homes cost 3.6× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 31% below US
$981/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $981 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $258,700. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $258,700 · 48% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.6% county unemployment
Unemployment in Hamilton County is 4.6%, 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.
Hamilton County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 12% below US
291 violent crimes per 100k
Crime runs about typical for a city this size. Some neighborhoods are safer than others, and one overall rate doesn't tell the whole story, so a neighborhood-level look matters more than the headline stat.
Property crime 3097/100k · Norwood Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 17% below US
22 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 21.7 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 26°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 15% above US
41% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 41% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
7 public schools inside the boundary
There are 7 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, close to 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 William Howard Taft National Historic Site (4 miles away). There are 5 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Norwood'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 ($981/mo) equals 16% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, remote workers (16% of workers here already work from home), and people who want short commutes.
Other places near Norwood
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