What it's like to live in Pickerington
Pickerington is a small city in Ohio with household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, a highly educated workforce, and a population that has grown fast since 2020. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Pickerington deals with larger class sizes than the national average and cold winters.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Highly educated workforce
- Fast-growing population
The not so good
- High student-teacher ratio
- Cold winters
How Pickerington compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Pickerington
Based on Pickerington's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,210
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $64,200 a year
- 46% of Pickerington renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$67,920
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $33,960
- Homes cost 3.0× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 14% above US
$1,605/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,605 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices run above average, with a median around $339,600. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $339,600 · 46% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
3.9% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.9%, close to 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 1068/100k · Pickerington Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
27 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 26.9 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 21% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 85°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 22°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 31% above US
47% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 47% 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. The student-to-teacher ratio is 21:1, above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Hopewell Culture National Historical Park (43 miles away). There are 4 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Pickerington's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoff is cold winters. A year of median rent ($1,605/mo) equals 17% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime, remote workers (21% of workers here already work from home), and college-educated professionals.
Other places near Pickerington
All Ohio guides →Moving to Reynoldsburg →
5 mi away · pop. 41,224
Rent $1,259/mo · Income $72,972
Compare with Pickerington →Moving to Whitehall →
8 mi away · pop. 20,019
Rent $1,145/mo · Income $51,759
Compare with Pickerington →Moving to Pataskala →
9 mi away · pop. 18,223
Rent $1,387/mo · Income $92,033
Compare with Pickerington →Moving to Bexley →
10 mi away · pop. 13,114
Rent $1,268/mo · Income $157,841
Compare with Pickerington →Not sure Pickerington is the one?
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