What it's like to live in Wooster
Wooster is a small city in Ohio with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, crime rates well below the national average, and commutes that run shorter than most cities. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Wooster deals with household incomes below the national average, larger class sizes than the national average, cold winters, and fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low crime rates
- Short commutes
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- High student-teacher ratio
- Cold winters
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Wooster compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Wooster
Based on Wooster's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,836
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $36,720 a year
- 38% of Wooster renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$42,840
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $21,420
- Homes cost 3.2× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 35% below US
$918/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $918 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 $214,200. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $214,200 · 38% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.0% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.0%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 32% below US
223 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 1438/100k · Wooster Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 33% below US
17 min average commute
Commutes run short here, averaging 17.4 minutes. That's an underrated perk of living in a smaller or well-planned city, where time isn't lost sitting in traffic. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 9% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 82°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
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 4.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforceNear US average
37% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 37% 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
7 public schools inside the boundary
There are 7 public schools inside the boundary and 3 private schools. 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 First Ladies National Historic Site (29 miles away). There are 4 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Wooster'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 cold winters. A year of median rent ($918/mo) equals 16% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, anyone prioritizing low crime, and people who want short commutes.
Other places near Wooster
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