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

All states·Ohio·Westerville

Franklin County · Columbus · population 38,612

Westerville, OH
Image: Wikipedia · Westerville, Ohio
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
62
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Westerville stands

At or near all-time high.

Median home $450,607
1-year +1.4%
5-yr CAGR +5.4%
vs 5-yr peak -0.3%
Population -0.4%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-02$451k$227k$308k$389k$470k201620182020202220242026

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
$1,613/mo$1,115$1,418$1,721202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent130136100120140202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 23.3
Lean rent

At a 23.3 price-to-rent ratio, the math is starting to lean toward renting in Westerville. Owner-occupier ROI requires longer holds and the assumption that prices keep appreciating roughly at the rate of rent.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
57 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
67 · w22%
Distance from peak
88 · w18%
Population growth
39 · w16%
Rent YoY
50 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
70 · w10%
Long thesis

Westerville has held up across the cycle: home values at $450,607 with +5.4% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Westerville's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Westerville

Westerville is a city in Franklin County, Ohio, with an estimated population of 38,612. It anchors the Columbus metro area. The median home value in Westerville is $450,607 as of 2026-04, up 1.4% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +5.4% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Westerville average $1,613 per month, roughly flat year-over-year (+0.7%). The composite momentum score is 62 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Healthy 5-year run: +5.4% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
●Held the highs: currently -0.3% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

▼ Bear case

●Flat or shrinking population: -0.4% per year. Housing demand has to come from somewhere — verify the source.
○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Westerville (Wikipedia)

Westerville is a city in Franklin and Delaware counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. A northeastern suburb of Columbus, its population was 39,190 at the 2020 census. The city is home to Otterbein University. It was once known as the "Dry Capital of the World" for its strict laws prohibiting sales of alcohol and for being the home of the Anti-Saloon League, one of the driving forces behind the Prohibition era at the beginning of the 20th century.

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 Franklin County right now.

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

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

Neighborhoods of Westerville

3 tracked · ranked by median home value
1Preston Commons$378,104+2.3%
2West Albany$364,819+0.6%
3Little Turtle$226,582+0.2%

Cities like Westerville

Dublin, OH60 · StableOxford, OH65 · RisingCleveland Heights, OH65 · RisingFindlay, OH69 · Rising

Run the numbers for Westerville

ToolCan I afford Westerville?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Westerville rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Westerville to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolWesterville 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.

Local sports teams

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

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Westerville 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 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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