What it's like to live in Piqua
Piqua 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 schools with class sizes near the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Piqua deals with household incomes below the national average, college degree attainment below the national average, a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin, and cold winters.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Short commutes
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Low college degree attainment
- High rent burden for renters
- Cold winters
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Piqua compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Piqua
Based on Piqua's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,844
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $36,880 a year
- 51% of Piqua renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$27,720
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $13,860
- Homes cost 2.0× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 35% below US
$922/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $922 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 $138,600. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $138,600 · 51% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.4% county unemployment
Unemployment in Miami 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.
Miami County (county-wide)
Safety▲ 20% above US
394 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 2240/100k · Piqua Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 27% below US
19 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 19.1 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 7% 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. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 58% below US
15% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a working-class city, and college degree rates reflect that. Trades, manufacturing, and service industries tend to dominate the local economy, which is a strength for some fields and a real constraint for others.
Schools
5 public schools inside the boundary
There are 5 public schools inside the boundary and 2 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 Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park (26 miles away). There are 4 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Piqua's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and college degree attainment below the national average. A year of median rent ($922/mo) equals 16% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and people who want short commutes.
Other places near Piqua
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