In Fostoria, a typical home is worth $87,200 and typical rent is $809 a month. Compared with all of Seneca County, the typical home value is 44% lower, typical household income is 18% lower, and the share of households that own their home is 7 points lower.
Typical home value from Zillow, September 2021 to September 2026: from $110,156 to $143,644.
From Zillow (ZHVI), September 2026. The Census figures above are 5-year averages (2020–2024).
Fostoria is in Seneca County. The FHA loan limit ($541,287 for a one-unit home), the fair market rents and the help on this page are those of all of Seneca County. See the county
What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.
1
Fostoria has the 6th lowest typical home value of the 292 cities in Ohio with more than 5,000 people ($87,200).
2
The typical household income in Fostoria is $54,151,18% less than in Seneca County as a whole ($66,025).
3
66% of households in Fostoria own their home, against 73% in Seneca County.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024).
The homes here
Housing in Fostoria
What homes there are in Fostoria, what they cost, how that changed and how people live, from Census figures (2020–2024).
What homes there are
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024
Kind of home
Detached houseAttached houseBuilding of 2 to 4Apartments (5 or more)Mobile homeBoat, RV and otherUnreliable estimate
Fostoria
Seneca County
Ohio
United States
Kind of home: Fostoria and its comparisons
Measure
Fostoria
Seneca County
Ohio
United States
Detached house
72%
79%
69%
61%
Attached house
4%
3%
5%
6%
Building of 2 to 4
10%
7%
8%
8%
Apartments (5 or more)
7%
7%
15%
19%
Mobile home
7%
4%
3%
6%
Boat, RV and other
Unreliable estimate
Unreliable estimate
0%
0%
Detached houses are the majority in Fostoria (72%), but less so than in Seneca County (79%).
Year built
Before 19601960–19791980–19992000–20092010 or laterUnreliable estimate
Fostoria
Seneca County
Ohio
United States
Year built: Fostoria and its comparisons
Measure
Fostoria
Seneca County
Ohio
United States
Before 1960
60%
51%
38%
26%
1960–1979
25%
24%
26%
24%
1980–1999
10%
16%
20%
25%
2000–2009
4%
6%
10%
14%
2010 or later
Unreliable estimate
3%
7%
11%
Homes in Fostoria are older: the typical year built is 1952; in Seneca County, 1959.
What it costs here
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024
Value of owner-occupied homes
Unreliable estimate
Under $100K59%
$100K–$200K30%
$200K–$300K7%
$300K–$500KUnreliable
$500K–$750KUnreliable
$750K–$1MUnreliable
$1M or moreUnreliable
Value of owner-occupied homes: Fostoria and its comparisons
Measure
Fostoria
Under $100K
59%
$100K–$200K
30%
$200K–$300K
7%
$300K–$500K
Unreliable estimate
$500K–$750K
Unreliable estimate
$750K–$1M
Unreliable
$1M or more
Unreliable
Monthly rent with utilities
Under the limitOver the limitUnreliable estimate
Under $50016%
$500–$99967%
$1,000–$1,49917%
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms: $1,057
$1,500–$1,999Unreliable
$2,000–$2,499Unreliable
$2,500–$2,999Unreliable
$3,000 or moreUnreliable
Monthly rent with utilities: Fostoria and its comparisons
Measure
Fostoria
Under $500
16%
$500–$999
67%
$1,000–$1,499
17%
$1,500–$1,999
Unreliable
$2,000–$2,499
Unreliable
$2,500–$2,999
Unreliable estimate
$3,000 or more
Unreliable
By rent, most homes in Fostoria cost less than HUD's 2-bedroom fair market rent ($1,057): about 84%.
With a mortgage
$1,013 a month
Seneca County: $1,206 a month
Without a mortgage
$439 a month
Seneca County: $492 a month
Owners with a mortgage
47%
Seneca County: 52%
The typical cost for an owner with a mortgage in Fostoria is $1,013 a month, less than in Seneca County ($1,206); without one, $439.
How it changed
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024
Change since 2015–2019
Typical home value
Fostoria+31%
Seneca County+45%
Ohio+47%
United States+53%
Typical rent
Fostoria+21%
Seneca County+23%
Ohio+28%
United States+33%
Typical household income
Fostoria+36%
Seneca County+26%
Ohio+26%
United States+29%
Change since 2015–2019: Fostoria and its comparisons
Measure
Fostoria
Seneca County
Ohio
United States
Typical home value
+31%
+45%
+47%
+53%
Typical rent
+21%
+23%
+28%
+33%
Typical household income
+36%
+26%
+26%
+29%
The typical home value in Fostoria rose 31% since 2015–2019, less than in Seneca County (45%).
Rents in Fostoria rose at about the same pace as in Seneca County: 21% since 2015–2019, against 23%.
The typical household income in Fostoria rose 36%: more than home values (+31%) and rent (+21%).
How people live
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024
How people live: Fostoria and its comparisons
Measure
Fostoria
Seneca County
Ohio
United States
Rental vacancy
Unreliable estimate
5.8%
4.4%
5.5%
Homeowner vacancy
Unreliable estimate
Unreliable estimate
0.8%
0.9%
More than one person per room
Unreliable estimate
1.8%
1.5%
3.4%
People per household
2.36
2.34
2.37
2.53
Drive alone
79%
82%
75%
69%
Carpool
13%
7%
8%
9%
Public transit
Unreliable estimate
Unreliable estimate
1%
3%
Walk or bike
Unreliable estimate
4%
2%
3%
Work from home
Unreliable estimate
6%
13%
15%
Other means
Unreliable estimate
1%
1%
2%
Typical commute
20 to 29 minutes
10 to 19 minutes
20 to 29 minutes
20 to 29 minutes
By size, households in Fostoria look like those in Seneca County: 2.36 people on average.
Carpooling is common in Fostoria: 13% of workers get to work that way, against 7% in Seneca County.
Do the math
What would you pay each month for a home in Fostoria?
A typical home is within reach of the typical income
We start with a typical home in Fostoria, worth $87,200, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 17% of the typical household income in Fostoria, which is $54,151 a year.
The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Seneca County.
Change the price, the down payment or the loan: the payment updates right away.
Your numbers
Local data
$
Starts at the typical home value in Fostoria. Change it to the price you have in mind.
Your score changes which loans apply and FHA's minimum down payment. Your real rate also depends on your credit.
Down payment
%
That is $3,052 (3.5% of the price). The usual minimum for this loan is 3.5%.
This week's average ± a quarter or half point.
National average as of November 5, 2026 (Freddie Mac); your rate may be different.
Adjust advanced details⌄
Estimated monthly payment
Local data
$755
at 7.18% · 30 years
Loan amount
$85,621
Total interest
$123,188
Paid off in
November 2056
Includes $1,473 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.
Does it fit the income?
Comfortable
up to $1,264 a month
Your payment · 17%
Tight
$1,264 to $1,625 a month
Hard
more than $1,625 a month
Compared with the typical household income in Fostoria ($54,151 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.
Monthly payment breakdown
Principal & interest
$580
Property tax
$100
Home insurance
$36
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)
$39
You need at least $3,052 for the down payment, plus closing costs.
This is an estimate to give you an idea, not a loan offer. Your real payment depends on your rate, your credit, and the insurance and taxes on the home you buy.
Total monthly payment $755; principal and interest $580.
The city and its county
Fostoria and Seneca County
Fostoria is in Seneca County, Ohio. The U.S. Census Bureau publishes its own numbers for the city: home values, rent, household income, how many households own their home and the property tax. They are American Community Survey estimates (average 2020–2024).
Fostoria
Map of Seneca County, Ohio, with Fostoria marked. Around it, the neighboring counties.
Fostoria
Seneca County
Other cities with a page
Fostoria's own numbers
Typical home value
$87,200
Typical monthly rent
$809
Typical yearly household income
$54,151
Households that own their home
66%
Effective property tax rate
1.38%
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).
Numbers for all of Seneca County
FHA limit, one-unit home
$541,287
Conventional limit, one unit
$832,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$1,057
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+51%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
1.3%
HUD, FHFA and FEMA don't publish these numbers by city.
Other numbers are not published by city, only for the whole county: FHA and conventional loan limits, HUD’s fair market rents, FHFA’s price index and FEMA’s flood data. On this page, those numbers always say they are for all of Seneca County.
A typical home in Fostoria is worth $87,200: 44% below the county and 59% below Ohio. With the typical household income in Fostoria ($54,151 a year), a typical home costs 1.6 times what the household earns in a year.
Years of income to pay for a typical home
The typical home value divided by the typical household income for one year. The lower it is, the less buying weighs.
Fostoria1.6 years
Seneca2.3 years
Ohio3.0 years
United States4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024
How prices have changed in Seneca County
According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Seneca County rose 84% in the 10 years through 2025.
FHFA does not publish this index by city: these are the numbers for all of Seneca County.
Yearly change in FHFA’s price index in Seneca County, 2016 to 2025
2016: +1.7% +1.7% 2016
2017: +5.6% +5.6% 2017
2018: +3.4% +3.4% 2018
2019: +4.8% +4.8% 2019
2020: +4.9% +4.9% 2020
2021: +8.7% +8.7% 2021
2022: +14.6% +14.6% 2022
2023: +6.5% +6.5% 2023
2024: +9.6% +9.6% 2024
2025: +3.8% +3.8% 2025
Change in FHFA’s price index in Seneca County, Ohio and the United States
Period
County
Ohio
U.S.
Last year (2025)
+3.8%
+4.8%
+2.9%
5 years (2020–2025)
+51%
+53%
+47%
10 years (2015–2025)
+84%
+93%
+85%
The index follows the price of the same homes over time (sales and appraisals with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans). It is not the average price of a home. FHFA considers its annual county indexes experimental. Source: FHFA, 2025 data
Fostoria next to Seneca County, Ohio and the U.S.
Three numbers side by side. “Typical” means the median: half are above it and half below.
Typical home value
Fostoria$87,200
Seneca$154,700
Ohio$214,800
United States$332,700
Typical monthly rent
Fostoria$809
Seneca$856
Ohio$1,034
United States$1,413
Typical yearly household income
Fostoria$54,151
Seneca$66,025
Ohio$71,389
United States$80,734
See the full table
Fostoria next to Seneca County and Ohio
Measure
Fostoria
Seneca County
Ohio
U.S.
Typical home value
$87,200 ▼44% below the county
$154,700
$214,800
$332,700
Typical monthly rent
$809 ▼5% below the county
$856
$1,034
$1,413
Typical yearly household income
$54,151 ▼18% below the county
$66,025
$71,389
$80,734
Households that own their home
66% ▼7 points below the county
73%
67%
65%
Typical yearly property tax
$1,205 ▼25% below the county
$1,599
$2,822
$3,119
Effective property tax rate
1.38% ▲0.35 points above the county
1.03%
1.31%
0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income
40% ▼1 points below the county
41%
46%
51%
“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Seneca County. “High rent” is the Census measure: renter households that pay 30% or more of their income in rent.
Four ways to pay for a typical home in Fostoria
For a typical $87,200 home in Fostoria, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Fostoria's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.
FHA, 3.5% down$755a month
Least cash to close
Down payment
$3,052
Cash to close
$5,668
Rate
7.18%
Mortgage insurance
FHA MIP · $39
Conventional, 5% down$739a month
Down payment
$4,360
Cash to close
$6,976
Rate
7.18%
Mortgage insurance
PMI · $41
Conventional, 20% down, no PMI$609a month
Down payment
$17,440
Cash to close
$20,056
Rate
7.18%
Mortgage insurance
None
ITIN, 15% down (example)$690a month
Down payment
$13,080
Cash to close
$15,696
Rate
8.18%
Mortgage insurance
None
Four ways to pay for a typical home in Fostoria
Loan
Monthly payment
Down payment
Loan amount
Rate
Mortgage insurance
Cash to close
Minimum score
FHA, 3.5% down Least cash to close
$755
$3,052
$85,621
7.18%
FHA MIP · $39
$5,668
580
Conventional, 5% down
$739
$4,360
$82,840
7.18%
PMI · $41
$6,976
620*
Conventional, 20% down, no PMI
$609
$17,440
$69,760
7.18%
None
$20,056
620*
ITIN, 15% down (example)
$690
$13,080
$74,120
8.18%
None
$15,696
Set by the lender
The option that asks for the least cash to close is FHA, 3.5% down.
Cash to close = down payment plus 3% of the price in closing costs (example).
Minimum score: FHA requires 580 or higher for the minimum down payment (HUD Handbook 4000.1). * Fannie Mae requires 620 when a loan is underwritten by hand; its automated system has no fixed minimum.
The ITIN row is an example with a rate 1 percentage point higher: ITIN loans follow no federal rule and each lender sets its own down payment and rate. Nothing in this table promises an approval.
Typical rent in Fostoria is $809 a month: 5% below the county. In Fostoria, 40% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.
HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Seneca County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($1,057 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $20.33 an hour working full time.
What you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income, working full time.
HUD fair market rent in Seneca County (Fiscal year 2027)
Size
Fair rent a month
Hourly wage
Yearly income
Studio
$803
$15.44
$32,120
1 bedroom
$808
$15.54
$32,320
2 bedrooms
$1,057
$20.33
$42,280
3 bedrooms
$1,267
$24.37
$50,680
4 bedrooms
$1,389
$26.71
$55,560
Includes basic utilities. It isn't the lowest or highest rent: it's a reference point. Source: HUD, Fiscal year 2027
By ZIP code
Fair market rent by ZIP code in Fostoria
HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Fostoria is in ZIP code 44830.
For 2 bedrooms it is $1,020: $37 less than the fair market rent for Seneca County ($1,057).
Fair market rent by ZIP code and size in Fostoria, fiscal year 2027.
ZIP code
Studio
1 bd
2 bd
3 bd
4 bd
44830
$750
$780
$1,020
$1,340
$1,530
ZIP code2 bd3 bd
44830 $1,020$1,340
1 of these ZIP codes crosses the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for Fostoria when at least 50% of its land is inside the city or it covers at least 15% of the city (Census 2020 boundaries). Source: Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD)Fiscal year 2027Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) (external site)Source: Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship fileData from 2020 dataCensus Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file (external site)
You do not have to do this alone. A HUD-approved housing counseling agency helps for free or at low cost: getting ready to buy, understanding your credit, or solving a problem with your rent.
We found no HUD-approved agencies with an office in Seneca County. The nearest ones are below; many serve by phone or online.
No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for Fostoria or Seneca County. The ones below are statewide in Ohio: they work in Fostoria the same as in the rest of the state.
Ohio state agency help of 2.5% or 5% of the price for the down payment, closing costs or other costs before closing, forgiven after seven years; if you sell sooner, you repay all of it.Offered by Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OHFA).
Ohio state agency certificate that turns part of your mortgage interest into a credit on your federal tax return, up to $2,000 a year: 40% with an OHFA mortgage (MTC Plus) or 15% to 20% with another mortgage (MTC Basic).Offered by Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OHFA).
No legal help resource on our list is for Fostoria or Seneca County in particular.
If you have a problem with your landlord, an eviction notice or a scam, the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) search shows the free legal aid offices that serve your area.
Short answers with the numbers for Fostoria and all of Seneca County. If your case is different, a HUD-approved counseling agency can guide you for free or at low cost.
How much does a typical home cost in Fostoria?
The typical home value in Fostoria is $87,200, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Seneca County it is $154,700.
How much does it cost to rent in Fostoria?
Typical rent in Fostoria is $809 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Seneca County is $1,057.
What is the FHA loan limit in Fostoria?
Fostoria uses the FHA limit for all of Seneca County (2026): $541,287 for a one-unit home and $1,041,125 for a four-unit home.
How much property tax do owners pay in Fostoria?
The typical homeowner in Fostoria pays $1,205 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 1.38% of the home’s value; in Seneca County, the rate is 1.03%.
Where can I find free help to buy or rent in Fostoria?
We found no HUD-approved counseling agencies with an office in Seneca County; the nearest ones are on this page. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.
