What it's like to live in Tallmadge
Tallmadge 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. Tallmadge deals with air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, larger class sizes than the national average, cold winters, and snowy winters.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
The not so good
- Air quality concerns
- High student-teacher ratio
- Cold winters
- Snowy winters — 45" per year
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Tallmadge compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Tallmadge
Based on Tallmadge's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,134
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $42,680 a year
- 40% of Tallmadge renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$46,500
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $23,250
- Homes cost 2.6× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 24% below US
$1,067/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,067 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $232,500. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $232,500 · 40% 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▼ 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 912/100k · Tallmadge Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
25 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 25 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 13% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 81°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 21°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforceNear US average
34% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 34% 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
3 public schools inside the boundary
There are 3 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 19:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Cuyahoga Valley National Park (13 miles away). There are 4 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Tallmadge'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 ($1,067/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 Tallmadge
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