RANK #332 / 1001 NAT · #28 / 49 OH · POP 373,713
1YR FORECAST: +2.2%
5YR OUTLOOK: +31%
Known as the "Birthplace of Professional Football," Stark County, Ohio, is home to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, its county seat. Located in northeastern Ohio, Canton is approximately 24 miles south of Akron and 60 miles south of Cleveland. The county offers a mix of rural and urban areas, with communities like North Canton, Massillon, and Alliance providing varied living experiences. Residents have access to over 9,300 acres of parks and more than 100 miles of trails for biking, hiking, and other outdoor activities, including Quail Hollow State Park and Sippo Lake Park.
Life in the county offers a balance of community and accessibility. Public transportation, provided by Stark Area Regional Transit Authority (SARTA), connects major county locations and extends to Akron and Cleveland, with discounted fares for older adults and individuals with disabilities. The area's economy, historically rooted in manufacturing, has diversified into education, finance, healthcare, retail, and service sectors. Recent economic developments include investments in commercial and residential projects, data centers, and the energy sector, contributing to job growth and capital investment. The county also features 17 public K-12 school districts and six colleges and universities.
Stark County is one of 145 U.S. counties in this market profile — weaker than typical on the BoomTown Index. Within this cohort, its recent home-price change of +4.5% matches the profile's typical +4.9%.
See all 145 Heartland Steady Growth counties →Overvalued relative to economy
Below-average climate & terrain
Below national median (15x)
Housing looks overvalued at 7.7x — home prices are high relative to local economic output. The typical U.S. county is 4–6x.
Estimated local headcount ranges. Larger employers shown as floor + "+"; smaller employers show exact counts where reported.
Bars show trailing 12-month growth. The dashed Forecast bars are the model's next-12-month projection; the whisker marks the ±1% range (cooling–accelerating).
Source: Redfin · Census BPS — Browse sales on Redfin →
Source: CDC/NCHS vital statistics via County Health Rankings (2020–2022 avg). Rates per 100,000 population. Grade based on homicide rate relative to national average (~6.3). Learn more →
Source: EPA Air Quality System (2021–2023). Grade based on 3-year average median AQI. Learn about AQI →
| PROJECT | AMOUNT | STATUS |
|---|---|---|
|
Hall of Fame Village Entertainment Complex
Johnson Controls Hall of Fame Village
|
$900M | Under Construction |
|
Bridal Energy Storage (Battery Energy Storage System)
NextEra Energy Resources
|
$300M | Proposed |
|
Bitdeer Massillon Data Center
Bitdeer Technologies Group
|
$221M | Under Construction |
|
Stark Solar PV Project
Stark Solar, LLC (owned by Samsung C&T)
|
$150M | Planned |
Source: public records, news, corporate announcements. Amounts are estimates where noted.
Bars show percentile rank among all 1001 counties.
With a Boom Town Index score of 67/100, Stark County sits in the upper half of all 1001 ranked counties. and median household income stands at $67,934 — indicators that suggest solid fundamentals even if it's not among the fastest-growing counties in OH.
By national standards, Stark County is quite affordable. Homes here have a median value of $186,400, and the income-to-home-value ratio of 0.36 is well above the U.S. average — especially with median rent at just $909/month. Residents can generally buy a home without being cost-burdened.
Population and employment in Stark County are both close to flat — population -0.0% YoY and jobs -0.6%. Home values shifted +4.5% over the past 12 months. A steady-state county, neither expanding quickly nor shrinking.
There's a moderate stream of newcomers. About 2.08% of residents moved from another state, which is above average and suggests Stark County has appeal as a relocation destination — though it's not among the highest-inflow counties nationally.