What it's like to live in Xenia
Xenia 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 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. Xenia deals with household incomes below the national average, college degree attainment below 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
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Low college degree attainment
- Cold winters
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Xenia compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Xenia
Based on Xenia's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,862
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $37,240 a year
- 47% of Xenia renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$32,480
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $16,240
- Homes cost 2.9× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 34% below US
$931/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $931 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 $162,400. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $162,400 · 47% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▲ 19% above US
5.1% unemployment
Unemployment here is 5.1%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 46% below US
179 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 1201/100k · Xenia Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
25 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 24.6 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; 6% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 82°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 25°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 5.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 39% below US
22% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 22%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
10 public schools inside the boundary
There are 10 public schools inside the boundary and 2 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 17:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument (3 miles away). There are 4 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Xenia'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 ($931/mo) equals 20% of the median household income here, about the same as 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 Xenia
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