Ohio Real Estate in 2026: Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati, Scored

Ohio does not generate the real estate headlines that Texas or Florida do. It does not have the growth narrative or the weather. What it has, as of February 2026, is three major metros scoring consistently above the national average -- and one of them may be the most undervalued major market in the country.

Here is how Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati compare on the PropertyIQ index as of February 28, 2026.

The Scores

• Cleveland, OH: 88 out of 100 (B+)
• Cincinnati, OH: 73 out of 100 (C)
• Columbus, OH: 71 out of 100 (C-)

Cleveland is the story. Let's start there.

Cleveland: The Undervalued Outlier

PropertyIQ score: 88. Median listing price: $241,220. Median home value: $238,501. As of February 2026, Cleveland is approximately 29% below fundamental value relative to local income and rent levels -- meaning homes are trading at a significant discount to what the economic base can support.

That is rare. Most markets with high PropertyIQ Scores are at or above fundamental value because strong demand pushes prices up. Cleveland's score reflects strong demand fundamentals without the price inflation that typically accompanies them.

Demand score: 88.6 out of 100 as of February 2026. Pending ratio: 0.74. Days on market: 64. Average rent: $1,382 per month as of December 2025.

5-year home value appreciation: 27.02% as of February 2026. Zillow near-term forecast: +3.4% as of December 2025. Homes sell at exactly asking price (100% sale-to-list as of November 2025).

Only 12.5% of Cleveland listings have seen price cuts as of February 2026 -- lower than Cincinnati (14.2%) and well below Austin (20%).

The caveat: Cleveland's job growth was -1.25% as of June 2025 -- a data point worth watching. Strong property fundamentals paired with softening employment is a risk factor that the score partially reflects.

Cincinnati: Rising Prices, Solid Demand

PropertyIQ score: 73. Median listing price: $338,841. Home values up 4.27% year over year as of February 2026 -- the strongest appreciation of the three Ohio metros in this comparison.

Demand score: 75.3. Days on market: 52 -- the fastest of the three. Inventory is up 20.68% year over year, which is the main drag on the score. More supply relative to demand means less urgency for buyers, which is reflected in the lower score versus Cleveland.

Overvalued by 6.3% as of February 2026. Average rent: $1,521 per month as of December 2025. Zillow forecast: +2.7% near-term.

Columbus: Steady Demand, Moderate Valuation

PropertyIQ score: 71. Median listing price: $349,900. Home values essentially flat year over year (+0.06%) as of February 2026. Demand score: 84.6 -- the highest demand reading of the three, with homes moving in 55 days.

The drag on Columbus's score is valuation: 13.5% overvalued as of February 2026. Prices ran ahead of fundamentals and have not fully corrected. Inventory is up 8.91% year over year.

Average rent: $1,484 per month as of December 2025. Zillow forecast: +2.7% near-term.

Ohio at a Glance (as of February 2026)

| Market | Score | Listing Price | Values YoY | Overvalued | Demand Score | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | Cleveland | 88 | $241,220 | -0.21% | -29% (undervalued) | 88.6 | | Cincinnati | 73 | $338,841 | +4.27% | +6.3% | 75.3 | | Columbus | 71 | $349,900 | +0.06% | +13.5% | 84.6 |

PropertyIQ scores as of February 28, 2026. Listing and inventory data as of February 1, 2026. Rent and forecast data as of late 2025. All data for informational purposes only.