Ohio Is Struggling in Affordability and Homebuilding: Can Governor DeWine Keep the Market Moving?

"Ohio's housing market reflects the country's broader affordability divide-prices that remain moderate by national standards but a pace of construction that isn't quite fast enough to meet demand. The Realtor.com® State-by-State Housing Report Card gave the Buckeye State a C+, placing it in the middle of the pack. The report-part of the Let America Build campaign-evaluates how states balance homebuilding and affordability, and Ohio's results suggest a market with potential that's being held back by underbuilding."

"In a post on his Truth Social platform in early October, he accused major builders of hoarding lots to prop up prices-likening them to OPEC, which restricts oil output to maintain high prices. "They're my friends ... but now, they can get Financing, and they have to start building Homes. They're sitting on 2 Million empty lots, A RECORD," Trump wrote. He urged Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to intervene and "get Big Homebuilders going" to "restore the American Dream.""

"Realtor.com's analysis gave Ohio a total score of 58.2. The state's median listing price was $269,130 in 2024, paired with a median household income of $68,488-making it one of the more affordable states in raw dollar terms. The Realtors Affordability Score came in at a strong 0.89, one of the highest in the country, showing that many listings remain accessible for middle-income buyers. But on the construction side, the story is less encouraging. Ohio accounted for 2.1% of national housing permits in 2024, compared with its 3.5% share of the U.S. population. That results in a permit-to-population ratio of about 0.6-well below the level needed to keep up with growth."

Ohio's housing market combines moderate prices with insufficient new construction, producing a C+ Realtor.com State-by-State Housing Report Card score of 58.2. The state's median listing price was $269,130 in 2024, with median household income of $68,488 and a Realtors Affordability Score of 0.89. Ohio produced 2.1% of national housing permits in 2024 despite holding 3.5% of the U.S. population, creating a permit-to-population ratio near 0.6 that lags needed levels. Nationally, major builders face criticism for holding about 2 million empty lots and there are calls for Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and local governments to spur more homebuilding.

Read at SFGATE