5 Best Affordable Ohio Suburbs Just Outside Columbus

A dollar stretches a bit further in Ohio compared to elsewhere in America. According to RentCafe, the state's cost of living is 8% below the national average. Additionally, a report ranks Ohio the third most affordable state to buy a house, with a median single-family home price of $248,600. That's significantly below the national average of $398,400. Visitors can get a lot of bang for their buck in Ohio, too — whether they're touring one of its affordable and artsy cities or taking a free hike to the most stunning waterfall views at Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

One factor that makes Ohio so budget-friendly is that its metro areas are as affordable as its smaller towns. Columbus is a prime example. It has everything you'd expect from an urban center (a world-class university, pro sports teams like the Columbus Blue Jackets and Columbus Crew, museums, and an extensive park system featuring 25 nature preserves with a combined 230 miles of trails) all for a cost of living 6% cheaper than the U.S. average. Despite this, Ohio's capital city is often left out of conversations about America's best places to live, making it a hidden gem for both travelers and prospective residents.

As affordable as Columbus is, some of its suburbs are even easier on your bank account. Many of these communities feel like small, self-contained towns and offer quaint main streets, unique museums, local festivals, and peaceful parks to enjoy.

Located about 14 miles north of downtown, the independent village of Minerva Park has one of the most interesting origin stories of any Columbus suburb. It was first developed in 1895 as Minerva Park Casino, an amusement park built to bolster train ridership to the city's northeastern side. The attraction only lasted seven seasons before shutting down in 1902, but in 1927, it was repurposed into a subdivision that officially incorporated in 1940.

Today, Minerva Park is a tranquil residential area home to just over 2,000 people. It's also ranked among the best places to raise a family in the Columbus area, thanks to the highly rated public school system. In terms of affordability, the cost of living here is about 8.6% lower than the national average (per Bestplaces), largely because housing prices are very reasonable for both buyers and renters.

Another draw of Minerva Park lies right there in the name. There are lots of parks and outdoor recreation opportunities close at hand. Right in the village, the Mary Yost Garden is a tranquil place to enjoy nature. Meanwhile, the Minerva Park Community Pool is ideal for fun in the sun from late May through early September. For hiking trails and birdwatching, you can head a couple of miles west to Woodward Nature Preserve, which has access to the Central Ohio Greenways trail system that runs throughout the city.

About 5 miles north of Minerva Park and roughly 25 minutes from downtown Columbus is the city of Westerville, one of Columbus' most scenic suburbs as well as one of its most affordable. The cost of living in Westerville is 8.6% below the U.S. average, with monthly expenses about 17% lower (per Bestplaces). With a population of over 38,000, Westerville has a small city atmosphere with a vibrant commercial corridor in its Uptown shopping district. Westerville's independent shops offer everything from fashionable apparel at Stone & Sparrow to vintage finds at A Gal Named Cinda Lou and handcrafts from local artisans at Pure Roots Boutique. Creative travelers will also find several art galleries (including the Ohio Art Market in the heart of the Uptown shopping district) to peruse in the area.

Westerville is also home to Otterbein University, which was one of the first co-ed colleges in America when it was founded in 1847. Many early university officials were active in the Underground Railroad, with Westerville serving as a major station for formerly enslaved people fleeing north. Explore that history at spots like the Stoner House and Sharp family homes or the Hanby House. The latter was once the home of abolitionist and Otterbein co-founder Bishop William Hanby. Today, it operates as a museum and opens for tours on weekends from June through September or by appointment year-round.

Affordable restaurants and cafes close to Otterbein's campus are another reason this suburb is great for travelers on a budget. At Uptown Deli and Brew, you can get gourmet sandwiches and salads in the $10-15 price range and craft beers from the Westerville-based Temperance Row Brewing Company. For wallet-friendly Mediterranean fare, visit Koblé Grill, where you can get a gyro, spanakopita, or falafel for $10 or less.

Roughly 14 miles northwest of Columbus, the charming and walkable city of Hilliard is a hidden gem. Its cost of living is comparable to Westerville's and it's especially affordable for single individuals, whose estimated monthly expenses are over 27% below the national average (per Bestplaces). It has a bustling downtown packed with independent shops and restaurants, some of which serve international fare you might not expect to find in an Ohio suburb. At Qamaria Yemeni Coffee, you can order date lattes or pistachio frappes. Dumplings of Fury offers Asian fusion dishes like Nashville hot chicken bao buns, and Local Cantina has budget-friendly specials like $2.22 Taco Tuesdays. 

Hilliard's variety of attractions puts it among the best Columbus suburbs for visitors. The Early Television Museum is one highlight, with over 150 TVs dating back to the earliest 1920s models as well, as a display of vintage video games. Visitors can peruse the exhibits for free when it's open on weekend afternoons. The Historical Village is another free attraction history buffs, with several buildings from the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries, as well as an antique car barn and Historical Museum. The Historical Village is adjacent to the Franklin County Fairgrounds, which hosts the week-long Franklin County Fair every July.

You can enjoy the outdoors in Hilliard, too. The 7-mile Heritage Rail-Trail starts in the Old Hilliard Historic District. It connects to parks like Homestead Park, where there's a fishing pond and unique sights like a covered bridge and replica train station. Station Park, built on the old town square downtown, is especially popular in the summer, when local kids enjoy its splash pad and the Celebration at the Station concert series brings free live music to its amphitheater on Thursday nights.

Many people know Obetz for its summer food festivals. Late July is the Ohio Eggfest, a competitive cooking event where teams grill, smoke, and barbecue on Big Green Egg grills. The Eggfest schedule also includes cooking demos, a dog show, and an all-day lineup of live music. Early September is time for Zucchinifest, a free four-day celebration of all things zucchini with carnival rides, live music, a parade, and a car show. Both festivals take place at Fortress Obetz, a sports and entertainment venue that also hosts events like Full Throttle Thursdays, a weekly summer festival of food trucks, vendors, and classic cars.

Obetz has been growing steadily in recent years. It was classified as a village until 2021, when its population officially exceeded the 5,000-person threshold to be considered a city. The low cost of living is part of the city's appeal, especially when it comes to housing. The median home value in Obetz is $191,700 (per Niche), which is about 37% lower than the national average. It's also less than 10 miles from downtown Columbus, giving folks who live here an easy commute into the city.

Like Hilliard and Minerva Park, Obetz has lots of spots to enjoy the outdoors. Dixon Quarry has a six-acre pond stocked with bass, trout, and catfish for fishing, along with walking trails and an archery range. The 39-acre Braehead Nature Preserve is a popular spot for birding and has a kayak and canoe launch on Big Walnut Creek. You can also play disc golf on the 18-hole course at Area 51 or head to Junction Park for bocce courts and a splash pad that turns into an ice rink in the winter.

If you're looking for the most affordable place to buy a home in the Columbus area, Whitehall should be on your radar. The median home value here is around $164,000, which is less than half the U.S. average and low even by Ohio standards. The overall cost of living in Whitehall is quite affordable too, roughly 14% cheaper than the national average and 6% below the Ohio average.

Whitehall is a small city of about 20,000 people located about nine miles east of downtown Columbus. This puts it in close proximity to the John Glenn International Airport and makes it a convenient destination for visitors. Because it's near the airport, there are lots of hotels and motels to choose from, including budget-friendly options like the Holiday Motel and Days Inn with rates under $100 per night.

Golfers will find an abundance of courses to play on in this area. There are 10 courses within a 10-mile radius of Whitehall, many of which are open to the public. The closest is the Airport Golf Course, which is an 18-hole, par-72 course that's open seven days a week. To the north is Champions Golf Course, whose terrain makes it one of the most challenging public courses in Central Ohio. Turnberry and Blacklick Woods are to the south-east, and between them have three full courses plus practice areas, catering to a range of skill levels. You can even keep practicing your swing in the winter on the indoor golf simulators at Swing Space. Conversely, if you just want to get outside without the balls and clubs, there are seven parks across Whitehall. Nature lovers will especially enjoy Whitehall Community Park, which has a six acre wildflower meadow and the Kim Maggard Arboretum where you can learn more about local trees.

This list of Ohio's best affordable suburbs focuses on communities that are within 20 miles of downtown Columbus and have a commute time of 25 minutes or less under normal traffic conditions. To assess each neighborhood's affordability, we considered cost of living data from BestPlaces and median home values listed on Prop:Metrics. This information helped us craft a shortlist of candidates. From this shortlist, we chose our top five picks by reviewing each area's Niche.com score card, paying attention to factors like safety, schools, outdoor recreation, and local options for shopping, dining, and entertainment.

Of course, there are plenty of other places worth exploring in Ohio, too. Dive into a few of them by checking out the state's most charming small towns for a Midwestern getaway. Or, discover the region's best hike — a scenic national park trail through stunning rock formations.