Lima, OH — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Ohio·Lima

Allen County · Lima · population 34,690

AffordabilityShrinking
Lima, OH
Image: Wikipedia · Lima, Ohio
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
73
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Lima stands

At or near all-time high. home values up 6.0% in the last year. population shrinking 0.6% per year. rents up 15.6% in the last year.

Median home $151,247
1-year +6.0%
5-yr CAGR +6.4%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population -0.6%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$151k$69k$99k$128k$157k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
32/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
22/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
79/100
Strong remote-work fit
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$1,153/mo$900$1,061$1,22220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent10911610012020242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 10.9
Buy

At a 10.9 price-to-rent ratio, buying generally beats renting in Lima on a long-enough horizon. The headline math is that one year of mortgage payments approximates 10.9 years of rent — well below the 15+ threshold where ownership starts to dominate.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
79 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
71 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
36 · w16%
Rent YoY
85 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
77 · w10%
Long thesis

Lima offers a $151,247 median home with +6.4% annualized 5-year appreciation. Affordability + positive trend is one of the better risk/reward setups in US residential — small downside, room to compound.

Short thesis

Lima's population is shrinking 0.6% per year. Housing demand has to come from somewhere — if people are leaving, the buyer pool is shrinking faster than the inventory. That eventually shows up in price.

About Lima

Lima is a city in Allen County, Ohio, with an estimated population of 34,690. The population has contracted 0.6% per year on average since 2020. The median home value in Lima is $151,247 as of 2026-04, up 6.0% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +6.4% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Lima average $1,153 per month, up 15.6% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 73 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Trend still working: prices up 6.0% in the last 12 months — buyers are still chasing inventory.
●Affordable AND rising: median home $151,247 with positive recent direction — rare combination most of the country can’t offer.
●Healthy 5-year run: +6.4% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
●Held the highs: currently +0.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.
●Hot rental market: rents up 15.6% YoY — landlords have pricing power, supports new investment math.

▼ Bear case

●Flat or shrinking population: -0.6% per year. Housing demand has to come from somewhere — verify the source.
●Rental squeeze: rents up 15.6% YoY — tenants face tough renewals. Affordability deteriorating fast.

About Lima (Wikipedia)

Lima is a city in Allen County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It had a population of 35,579 at the 2020 census. The city is located in northwest Ohio along Interstate 75, approximately 72 miles (116 km) north of Dayton, 78 miles (126 km) southwest of Toledo, and 63 mi (101 km) southeast of Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Allen County right now.

NWS active alerts (OH)Ohio Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Allen County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Cities like Lima

Parma Heights, OH72 · RisingBerea, OH70 · RisingSteubenville, OH72 · RisingMarion, OH74 · Rising

Run the numbers for Lima

ToolCan I afford Lima?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Lima rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Lima to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolLima cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
36° / 21°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
83° / 64°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
178
~49% of year
Annual precip
39″ rain
28″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very low
Tornado
High
Wildfire
Very low
Earthquake
Low
Flood
Moderate

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Lima listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Lima area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
72%
Humid climate
Median household income
$67,800
Ohio state median
Top industries (state-level)
ManufacturingHealthcareFinance

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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