How every metric on the data page is defined, sourced, and calculated.
Every metric on the Ohio Housing Market Data page comes from a primary data provider — Zillow, Realtor.com, Redfin, PropStream, MLS, or the U.S. Census Bureau — covering all 88 Ohio counties, Ohio metro areas, and Ohio zip codes (some metrics, like new construction data, are limited to counties and zip codes with active coverage). Definitions below are sourced directly from each provider, followed by a plain-English explanation of what the number actually tells you about the Ohio housing market.
Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI): a smoothed, seasonally adjusted measure of the typical single-family home value across a given region. It reflects the full distribution of home values — not just those that sold — and is reported for the middle tier of the market (33rd–67th percentile). Single-family only; condos and co-ops are excluded.
The median (middle) asking price across all active for-sale listings in the given area for that month, as reported by Realtor.com. Unlike ZHVI, this reflects what sellers are currently asking — not an estimate of underlying home value — and can move with the mix of homes listed in a given month.
Year-over-year percent change in single-family ZHVI, calculated by comparing the current month's value to the same month 12 months prior.
Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI): a smoothed, seasonally adjusted measure of the typical condo or co-op value across a given region. It reflects the full distribution of condo values — not just those that sold — and is reported for the middle tier of the market (33rd–67th percentile). Condos and co-ops only; single-family homes are excluded.
Year-over-year percent change in condo ZHVI, calculated by comparing the current month's value to the same month 12 months prior.
Realtor.com defines active listings as properties listed for sale that are not yet under contract as of month-end. This count reflects available supply in the market at that point in time.
Year-over-year percent change in the active listing count compared to the same month in the prior year.
Realtor.com defines pending listings as homes with an accepted offer that have not yet closed as of month-end. Pending sales lead closed sales by approximately 30–60 days.
Year-over-year percent change in pending sales count compared to the same month in the prior year.
Realtor.com defines the pending ratio as the share of pending listings to active listings in a given market during the specified month.
Year-over-year percent change in the pending ratio compared to the same month in the prior year. Published by Realtor.com as part of their Housing Inventory Core Metrics.
Realtor.com defines median days on market as the median number of days from a listing's active date to the date it went under contract, for all homes that went pending that month.
Year-over-year percent change in median days on market compared to the same month in the prior year.
Realtor.com defines price reduced listings as the share of active listings that have received at least one price reduction from their original list price as of month-end.
Year-over-year change in the share of active listings with a price reduction, compared to the same month in the prior year.
U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates: median annual real estate taxes paid by owner-occupied housing units. The 5-year estimate pools responses over a 60-month period to produce reliable county-level data.
Year-over-year percent change in median annual property tax from one ACS 5-year release to the next.
Median annual property tax (ACS 5-year estimate, table B25103) divided by median home value (ACS 5-year estimate, table B25077) for that same geography and year, expressed as a percentage. Both figures come from the same Census ACS release — this is not compared against Zillow ZHVI. Covers Ohio counties (2009–2024) and Ohio zip codes (2011–2024, where ACS ZCTA-level data is available).
Year-over-year percent change in the effective tax rate (ACS median tax ÷ ACS median home value) compared to the prior annual period.
A standard 30-year fixed monthly mortgage payment estimate, calculated fresh every time the page loads — never stored, since home values and rates change. Principal & interest is calculated using the standard amortization formula on the home's Zillow ZHVI, financed at 80% of value (20% down, so no PMI applies). Where county or zip-level property tax data is available (Census ACS, see above), monthly tax is added; Ohio metro areas and the statewide figure have no property tax source, so those payment estimates are principal, interest, and insurance only, clearly noted on the chart. This is a conventional-loan estimate only — we don't publish an FHA or low-down-payment figure, since there is no reliable public historical rate series specific to FHA loans (they typically price somewhat below conventional rates, but by a variable amount).
For illustration purposes only. Consult a mortgage professional before making a purchase or investment decision.
The current-value Est. Payment figure uses the national average 30-year fixed conventional mortgage rate from Freddie Mac's Primary Mortgage Market Survey (published weekly, sourced via the Federal Reserve's FRED database), refreshed automatically each week, and a flat national average monthly homeowners insurance estimate. These are shared inputs applied uniformly across every Ohio county, zip code, and metro — not location-specific rate quotes or insurance premiums.
The historical Est. Payment chart recalculates the same formula for each year using that year's actual July-specific average 30-year fixed conventional mortgage rate (Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, via FRED) and that year's actual national average homeowners insurance premium (National Association of Realtors / industry annual estimate), combined with that year's actual July Zillow home value and, for counties and zips, that year's actual Census ACS property tax figures. Coverage: counties 2009–2026, zip codes 2011–2026 (varies by zip, see Property Tax above), state and metro areas 2007–2026 (principal, interest & insurance only — no tax data source at those geography levels). The most recent year (current calendar year) shows today's live figure rather than a July snapshot, so it matches the map exactly. 2025–2026 property tax is carried forward from the latest available (2024) Census data.
Redfin defines home purchase cancellations as the number of home-purchase agreements that were cancelled in a given month. A cancellation occurs when a buyer and seller had a signed purchase agreement but the deal did not close.
Cancellation rate is the number of cancelled home-purchase agreements in a given month divided by the total number of homes that went under contract (pending) in that month, expressed as a percentage.
Year-over-year percent change in the cancellation rate compared to the same month in the prior year.
Redfin defines "homes delisted" as the total number of unsold home listings that were removed from the market during a given time period. A home is counted as delisted when it goes off the market without selling or going under contract. Delisted % expresses this as a share of that month's active listings.
PropStream defines tax delinquent properties as parcels with unpaid property taxes past their due date as recorded in county tax records. Data is aggregated at the county level from PropStream's nationwide property database.
Tax delinquent property count divided by total property count for that county, as reported by PropStream, expressed as a percentage. Both figures come from PropStream's property database for the same reporting month.
PropStream defines pre-foreclosure properties as parcels where the lender has filed a Notice of Default (NOD) or equivalent public pre-foreclosure filing because the borrower is behind on mortgage payments, but the property has not yet been foreclosed on or sold at auction. Data is aggregated at the county level from PropStream's nationwide property database.
Pre-foreclosure count divided by total properties in the county, from PropStream's nationwide property database.
PropStream defines underwater (negative equity) properties as parcels where the estimated current mortgage balance exceeds the estimated current market value of the home. Data is aggregated at the county level from PropStream's nationwide property database.
Underwater property count divided by total properties in the county, from PropStream's nationwide property database.
Median sold price and median sold price per square foot for new-construction homes only, calculated from closed MLS sales over the trailing 12 months. Updated monthly as new closings occur. Coverage is limited to counties and zip codes with active new-home construction — most Ohio counties have little to no new construction activity and will show no data, which is expected and not a data gap. Zip codes with fewer than 5 closed sales in the trailing 12-month window are excluded to avoid an unreliable median from too small a sample. Not available at the metro or statewide level.