CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

39.70° N · 84.15° W · GEOID 3940040

Kettering

Greene County, Ohio · part of the Dayton, OH metro

OhioKettering, OHKetteringKettering

The short answer

Kettering is home to 57,206 people. Median household income is $74,681 a year and median rent is $1,051 a month, 16.9% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $208,500, about 2.8x annual median household income.

What sets Kettering apart is how tight household budgets are. The median rent takes 16.9% of the median household's income, a smaller share than in 93% of places its size. Also notable: The median home costs 2.8 years of the median household's income, fewer than in 92% of places its size.

85OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Strong

Kettering scores better than 85% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 92nd of 290 in Ohio.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%80
Economy 20%58
Safety 20%62
Amenities 15%51
Education 10%68
Commute 10%79
Growth 5%32
Median gross rent
$1,051
23% below the median place
Median household income
$74,681
7% below the median place
Median home value
$208,500
35% below the median place
Unemployment
3.8%
21% below the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Kettering

  • Affordability44% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a lower share than in 85% of the 529 places of 50,000 to 100,000 people we track.
01

Moving to Kettering

Greene County gains about 4.7 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in10,709
Moved out10,049
Net+660

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Within Ohio, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within OhioOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$61K
Leavers$65K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Greene County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
4.5% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 1.5% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Greene County report $60,800 a year in income on average; those leaving, $65,300, so leavers earn more than newcomers.
Income you would need
$42,000 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,051 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,467 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $208,500.
Getting to work
20 minutes each way on average; 12.6% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Effingham, IL matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
4.5%
21% below the median place
Moved from another state1
1.5%
24% below the median place
Net movers per 1,000 people8
4.7
above the median place (median -0.6)
All 5 moving measures
MeasureKetteringAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year14.5%21% below
Moved from another state11.5%24% below
Net movers per 1,000 people8County figure4.7above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in8County figure$60,76414% below
Income of households moving out8County figure$65,3077% below
02

What it costs to live here

Homeowners pay a median of about 1.8% of home value a year in property tax, more than in 89% of the 502 places of 50,000 to 100,000 people we track.

Kettering16.9%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$42,040
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
16.9%
17% below the median place
Home price to income
2.8x
27% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
17%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$64,500
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Kettering, $1,051 a month, and local prices for everything else (96.8 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Kettering, but easier on the budget

Places that match Kettering on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Effingham, IL8712.0% vs 16.9%n/aCompare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Kettering.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Kettering? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Property tax rate1
1.8%
101% above the median place
Median year built1
1961
1% below the median place
Vacant homes1
4.4%
37% below the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureKetteringAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,05123% below
Rent to income116.9%17% below
Property tax rate11.8%101% above
Home price to income12.8x27% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure92.78% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,24823% below
HUD area median income4County figure$103,0004% below
Property tax paid (median)1$3,80917% above
Median home value1$208,50035% below
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure3.8%18% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure56.9%10% above
Homeownership164.9%2% below
Renters paying 30%+144.1%13% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,46722% below
Vacant homes14.4%37% below
Median year built119611% below
03

Work and pay

Mean commute is 20 min, 18% below the median place.

Mean commute1
20 min
18% below the median place
Unemployment1
3.8%
21% below the median place
Poverty rate1
8.3%
23% below the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Income per person$43,234 +8%
Median household income$74,681 −7%
Works from home12.6% +1%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureKetteringAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$74,6817% below
Income per person1$43,2348% above
Unemployment13.8%21% below
Average annual pay6County figure$73,36811% above
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure1.5%59% below
Jobs6County figure80,45447% below
Poverty rate18.3%23% below
Mean commute120 min18% below
Works from home112.6%1% above
Commutes by transit1County figure0.3%60% below
04

Who lives here

Households average 2.18 people, smaller than than in 91% of the 529 places of 50,000 to 100,000 people we track.

Household size1
2.2
13% below the median place
High school or higher1
95.3%
3% above the median place
Born abroad1
5.4%
39% below the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Bachelor's or higher41.7% +30%
Homes with broadband94.0% +2%
No health insurance5.6% −13%
Median age38.5 −1%
All 9 people measures
MeasureKetteringAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population157,206753rd largest
Population change since 20207-0.8%below (median 1.1%)
Median age138.51% below
Bachelor's or higher141.7%30% above
High school or higher195.3%3% above
Household size12.213% below
Born abroad15.4%39% below
No health insurance15.6%13% below
Homes with broadband194.0%2% above
05

Life in Kettering

The nearest National Park Service site is Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park, about 8 miles away.

Founded or incorporated in 1955. 4 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, one of them a National Historic Landmark. Its history on Wikipedia

  • Kettering, Charles F., House listed 1977Landmark
  • Deeds' Barn listed 1979
  • Trailsend listed 1979
  • Long-Mueller House listed 1987

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents8.9 −12%
Playgrounds per 10k18.4 +95%
Grocery stores per 10k2.1 −1%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k12.6 +13%
Libraries per 10k0.7 −20%
Named paths and bike trails14 km 7.0×
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.2 +0%

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park 8 miles
  • Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument 14 miles
  • William Howard Taft National Historic Site 44 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars21.3 +2%
Shops30.2 −0%
Arts, recreation and fitness2.7 −34%
Doctors' offices and clinics16.9 −16%
Child care centers1.6 −30%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Nearest National Park Service site11
7.6
75% below the median place
Students per teacher14
17.1
11% above the median place
Public school students14
8,315
70% above the median place
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureKetteringAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools141233% above
Public school students148,31570% above
Students per teacher1417.111% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k9County figure21.32% above
Shops per 10k9County figure30.20% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k9County figure2.734% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k9County figure16.916% below
Child care centers per 10k9County figure1.630% below
Parks per 10k108.912% below
Playgrounds per 10k1018.495% above
Grocery stores per 10k102.11% below
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k1012.613% above
Libraries per 10k100.720% below
Named paths and bike trails1014.1above (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi100.20% above
Nearest National Park Service site117.675% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles11350% above
National Register listings12469% below
06

Safety, weather and risk

The city police department reported 72 violent offenses per 100,000 residents, fewer than in 91% of the 455 places of 50,000 to 100,000 people we track.

Violent crime per 100k
72
62% below the median place
Property crime per 100k
1,367
13% above the median place
Months reported
12 of 12
by the city police department to the FBI

Counts only offenses reported by the city police department. Sheriff, state and campus police are not included, and some departments do not report to the FBI at all, so compare with care.

Good air days17
85.3%
25% above the median place
Wildfire risk16
30.8
50% below the median place
Heat wave risk16
65.3
27% below the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureKetteringAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high15County figure84°F3% below
January average low15County figure21°F15% below
Average temperature15County figure53°F4% below
Annual precipitation15County figure42.5 in3% below
Natural hazard risk16County figure75.718% below
Hurricane risk16County figure37.647% below
Tornado risk16County figure81.30% below
Wildfire risk16County figure30.850% below
Heat wave risk16County figure65.327% below
Median air quality index17County figure407% below
Good air days17County figure85.3%25% above
08

Kettering in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 17% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 17% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, Kettering does better than 79% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 63%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,051/mo (2024)$1,350/mo$1,110 to $1,640/mo+4.2%
Median household income$74,681 (2024)$94,500$80,000 to $112,000+4.0%
Median home value$208,500 (2024)$302,000$219,000 to $415,000+6.3%
Population57,396 (2025)57,59055,240 to 60,040+0.1%

The median home would be worth 3.2 years of the median income in 2030, against 2.8 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Kettering

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Midland, MI$1,048$73,325Compare
Scotia, NY$1,031$76,525Compare
Cuyahoga Falls, OH$1,038$72,705Compare
Mayfield Heights, OH$1,128$66,524Compare
Mayfield Heights, OHCuyahoga Falls, OHScotia, NYMidland, MIKettering, OHKetteringMidlandScotiaCuyahoga FallsKetteringMidlandScotiaCuyahoga Falls

Places built like Kettering

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how Kettering performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Kettering, OH16.9%4.8%/yr-0.8%
Cuyahoga Falls, OH17.1%5.0%/yr-0.2%Compare
Midland, MI17.2%2.8%/yr0.3%Compare
Appleton, WI15.4%6.7%/yr-0.3%Compare
Wausau, WI18.8%6.6%/yr0.5%Compare
Belleville, IL19.2%5.7%/yr-5.0%Compare
Findlay, OH19.0%3.8%/yr0.2%Compare

Common questions

Is Kettering a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 85 out of 100, better than 85% of the places we rate and 92nd of 290 in Ohio. 44% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a lower share than in 85% of the 529 places of 50,000 to 100,000 people we track. On cost, space and class size it scores 57 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Kettering expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 16.9% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $208,500.

What salary do you need to live in Kettering?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $42,040 a year. Work it out from your current city.

Is Kettering safe?

There were 72 reported violent crimes per 100,000 residents, against 192 in the typical place.

What places are similar to Kettering?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Midland, MI, Scotia, NY, Cuyahoga Falls, OH and Mayfield Heights, OH.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
  8. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  9. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  10. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  11. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  12. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  13. Crime Data Explorer · Federal Bureau of Investigation · 2025 data
  14. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  15. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  16. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  17. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Kettering with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Kettering itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/kettering-ohio

Citytistics. “Kettering, Ohio.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/kettering-ohio/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.