Places › Ohio › Stow

Living in Stow, OH

Suburb in Ohio

Stow is a suburb in Ohio, home to about 34,000 people, with 2.1 million living within 31 mi. Day to day, most trips are by car. Life moves at a moderate pace, and homes are a mix of apartments and houses.

Is Stow a good place to live? Pros and cons

👍 Pros

  • Strong healthcare: 14 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
  • Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $271k and rents for $1,550 a month
  • Safe: violent crime is 0.1× the US rate (FBI 2019)
  • Low natural disaster risk: 5 federally declared disasters since 2000

👎 Cons

  • Cloudier than most places

Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Stow ranks against your own priorities.

Key facts

Population
34,000
2.1 million within 31 mi
Winter / summer highs
36°F / 81°F
Average daily highs · 45″ snow a year
3-bedroom home
$271k
Typical value (Zillow)
3-bedroom rent
$1,550/mo
Incl. utilities (HUD)
Cost of living
93
US average = 100 (BEA)
Taxes
$932
State income tax per resident · 1.55% property tax
Safety
0.1× US
Violent crime vs US (FBI 2019)
Natural disasters
5 since 2000
Declared in the county · mainly flooding, hail
Top-rated hospitals
14
4–5★ within 31 mi (CMS)
Public schools
Good
Tests above US average · 19 students per teacher
Adults with a degree
48%
4 research universities within 31 mi
Nearest major airport
CLE
27 mi away

Living in Stow: common questions

What is the cost of living in Stow?

A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $271k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $1,550 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are below the US average (index 93, where the US is 100).

What are taxes like in Stow?

Ohio collects about $932 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 1.55% of their home's value in property tax each year.

Is Stow safe?

Violent crime is well below the national rate (0.1× in FBI 2019 data).

How are the schools in Stow?

Public schools in Stow test above the US average in math and reading (2018–19 state tests, put on one national scale with NAEP), with about 19 students per teacher.

What is the weather like in Stow?

Stow has cold winters: winter days average around 36°F and summer days around 81°F, with roughly 45″ of snow a year.

Does Stow get natural disasters?

Natural disaster risk is low, mainly from flooding and hail: 5 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.24 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.

What is the nearest major airport to Stow?

The nearest major airport is CLE, about 27 mi away.

How Stow scores

Each bar compares Stow with the other 1,990 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).

🏙️City sizeMid-size Major metroSmall town
🏘️Urban or quietUrban & suburban mix Dense & urbanQuiet / rural
🚶Getting aroundMostly car Walk & transitCar essential
🌲Culture or natureCulture & nature Culture & nightlifeNature on the doorstep
🌡️ClimateCold winters Warm all yearLong, snowy winters
💰Cost of livingAffordable Very expensiveVery affordable
⏱️PaceModerate pace Very fast-pacedSlow & calm
🤝CommunityFriendly community AnonymousTight-knit community
🏡HousingApartments & houses ApartmentsHouses with yards
🏷️Affordable housingExcellent
💸Low taxesAverage
💼Job marketAverage
🏥HealthcareExcellent
🏫SchoolsGood
🎓EducationGood
🧸Kids & familyAverage
🐕Dog-friendlyGood
⛰️OutdoorsAverage
🎭CultureAverage
👮SafetyVery safe
🌪️Few natural disastersExcellent
☀️SunnyPoor
🌤️Mild summersExcellent
✈️AirportExcellent

Places like Stow

These places have the most similar overall profile across all 24 aspects.

The circle is each place's all-round score out of 100: the average of its 15 quality scores, from red (poor) to green (excellent).

Cuyahoga Falls, OHSuburb66 $220k$1,550/moVery safe Brunswick, OHSuburb65 $293k$1,650/moVery safe Shelby, MISuburb68 $234k$1,720/moVery safe North Royalton, OHSuburb63 $303k$1,650/moVery safe Strongsville, OHSuburb64 $321k$1,650/moVery safe North Olmsted, OHSuburb62 $266k$1,650/moVery safe

Nearby

Cuyahoga Falls, OHSuburb · 3 mi away66 $220k$1,550/moVery safe Kent, OHSuburb · 4 mi away69 $246k$1,550/moVery safe Akron, OHMid-size city · 8 mi away54 $146k$1,550/moHigher crime Green, OHSuburb · 15 mi away65 $313k$1,550/moVery safe North Royalton, OHSuburb · 19 mi away63 $303k$1,650/moVery safe Garfield Heights, OHSuburb · 19 mi away57 $141k$1,650/moNo crime data

See all the best places to live in Ohio.

Is Stow right for you?

Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.

Take the free quiz →

Sources: US Census ACS 2019–2023, Census State Tax Collections FY2025, Zillow 3-bedroom ZHVI, HUD Fair Market Rents, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, FBI 2019, FEMA National Risk Index v1.20, OpenFEMA disaster declarations, NOAA Normals 1991–2020, NASA POWER, CMS, NCES IPEDS 2023, IMLS, OpenStreetMap. How scores work.