Athens, OH housing market
Homes typically sell in 31 days, below asking.
Home values, sales, trends and how Athens compares with the towns next door — updated as new data is published.
Athens at a glance
A seller's market
Supply is tight — about 3.2 months of homes for sale at the current pace. Buyers should expect competition on well-priced homes.
Home prices up 48% in 5 years
The federal house price index for the ZIP code around Athens rose 48% over the past 5 years, slower than across Ohio (53%). Last year prices rose 6.3%. Carrying the Census median home value forward with that index puts the typical Athens home at roughly $384,000 today.
Show as a table
| Year | Change that year | Since 2000 | Ohio since 2000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | +6.3% | +123% | +106% |
| 2024 | +8.5% | +110% | +97% |
| 2023 | +8.9% | +94% | +84% |
| 2022 | +8.6% | +78% | +70% |
| 2021 | +8.7% | +64% | +50% |
| 2020 | +2% | +51% | +35% |
| 2019 | +2.8% | +48% | +29% |
| 2018 | −2.1% | +44% | +23% |
| 2017 | +6.2% | +47% | +16% |
| 2016 | +1.3% | +38% | +11% |
| 2015 | +3.3% | +36% | +6.7% |
| 2014 | +2.3% | +32% | +3.1% |
| 2013 | +1.6% | +29% | −0.2% |
| 2012 | −0.5% | +27% | −0.4% |
| 2011 | −1% | +28% | +1.3% |
| 2010 | −0.4% | +29% | +5.1% |
| 2009 | +0.5% | +29% | +8.9% |
| 2008 | +0.3% | +29% | +12% |
| 2007 | +1.6% | +28% | +15% |
| 2006 | +3.2% | +26% | +17% |
| 2005 | +8.5% | +22% | +16% |
| 2004 | +3.4% | +13% | +12% |
| 2003 | +3.2% | +9.2% | +8.5% |
| 2002 | +2.2% | +5.8% | +6.7% |
| 2001 | +3.5% | +3.5% | +4.3% |
| 2000 | — | — | — |
How Athens ranks on rising home prices →
Federal Housing Finance Agency House Price Index (annual, developmental) for ZIP code 45701, weighted by land area. It tracks repeat sales and appraisals of the same homes, so it shows how prices changed, not what homes cost. The estimated value scales the Census (ACS 2020-2024) median home value by that change.
68 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 68 new homes in Athens in 2025: 9 single-family houses and 59 in buildings with two or more homes, worth about $13.3 million to build. That's 2.9 per 1,000 residents, about the pace of Ohio as a whole. Over the past 10 years, Athens has permitted 332 homes in all.
Homes vs. people, 2010–2020
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Athens gained 17 residents while 171 new homes were permitted: about 0.1 new residents per new home. Building outpaced population growth, which usually means smaller households or homes used part of the year. Across Ohio: 1.3 new residents per new home.
Residents: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 and 2020 censuses. New homes: permits issued 2010–2019.
Show as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 3 | 3 | 0 | $470,000 |
| 2025 | 68 | 9 | 59 | $13.3 million |
| 2024 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $2.1 million |
| 2023 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $1 million |
| 2022 | 85 | 1 | 84 | $14 million |
| 2021 | 110 | 3 | 107 | $16.2 million |
| 2020 | 11 | 11 | 0 | $2.8 million |
| 2019 | 10 | 10 | 0 | $2.6 million |
| 2018 | 5 | 3 | 2 | $610,000 |
| 2017 | 22 | 16 | 6 | $5.1 million |
| 2016 | 15 | 11 | 4 | $4.5 million |
| 2015 | 77 | 7 | 70 | $21.8 million |
| 2014 | 13 | 13 | 0 | $4.6 million |
| 2013 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $575,000 |
| 2012 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $850,000 |
| 2011 | 14 | 5 | 9 | $2.4 million |
| 2010 | 8 | 2 | 6 | $921,000 |
| 2009 | 23 | 6 | 17 | $2 million |
| 2008 | 270 | 31 | 239 | $23.7 million |
| 2007 | 69 | 69 | 0 | $9.8 million |
| 2006 | 22 | 20 | 2 | $4.2 million |
| 2005 | 20 | 15 | 5 | $3.1 million |
| 2004 | 26 | 12 | 14 | $3.1 million |
| 2003 | 21 | 17 | 4 | $2.6 million |
| 2002 | 23 | 23 | 0 | $2.1 million |
| 2001 | 20 | 20 | 0 | $2.7 million |
| 2000 | 41 | 38 | 3 | $3 million |
How Athens ranks on new homes being built →
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, through August 2026.
6.5 years of income
The typical Athens home costs about 6.5 years of the town's median household income, more than across Ohio (3.5 years).
How Athens ranks on affordability →
Home value ÷ ACS median household income.
Owners, rent & taxes
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,260
HUD's Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Athens is $1,260 a month, utilities included: roughly what a modest, recently rented unit costs. Renters already in Athens pay a median of $1,011, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put. A two-bedroom takes about 40% of the town's median household income, above the 30% guideline for affordable housing.
Studio $1,040 · 4 bedrooms $1,720
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, FY2026 Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (45701; Athens County, OH), weighted by land area. A Fair Market Rent is the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, May 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Price trend: Federal Housing Finance Agency House Price Index. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Listings link to their publishers.