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City · 47,171 residents · Lake County, Ohio

Mentor , Ohio

In Mentor, a typical home is worth $247,700 and typical rent is $1,239 a month. Compared with all of Lake County, the typical home value is 16% higher, typical rent is 11% higher, and the share of households that own their home is 9 points higher.

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  • Typical home value

    $247,700

    16% above the county

    15% above Ohio

    • Mentor
    • Lake
    • Ohio

  • Typical rent

    $1,239a month

    11% above the county

    20% above Ohio

    • Mentor
    • Lake
    • Ohio

  • Typical household income

    $88,949a year

    10% above the county

    25% above Ohio

    • Mentor
    • Lake
    • Ohio

  • Households that own their home

    85%

    9 points above the county

    17 points above Ohio

    • Mentor
    • Lake
    • Ohio

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

Market now, with Zillow data

Zillow data
Typical home value
$275,597
3.5% more than 12 months ago
Typical rent
$1,690 a month
5% more than 12 months ago

From Zillow (ZHVI/ZORI), September 2026. The Census figures above are 5-year averages (2020–2024).

Mentor is in Lake 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 Lake County. See the county

Data updated: October 1, 2026 11 official sources

Only here

What sets Mentor apart

What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.

  1. Nearby, in Painesville, the typical home value is $158,800: 36% less than in Mentor ($247,700).

  2. Nearby, in Kirtland, the typical rent is $874: 29% less than in Mentor ($1,239).

  3. The typical home in Mentor is worth $247,700, 16% more than in Lake County as a whole ($214,100).

  4. 85% of households in Mentor own their home, against 76% in Lake County.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024).

The homes here

Housing in Mentor

What homes there are in Mentor, 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 houses, standing on their own, make up 76% of homes here, against 72% in Lake County.

Year built

In Mentor, half of the homes were built before 1974; in Lake County, before 1972.

Homes in Mentor are bigger: 79% have 3 bedrooms or more; in Lake County, 70%.

All homes, occupied or empty. A figure the Census cannot measure precisely enough here is not shown.

Census tables: B25024, B25034, B25035, B25041

What it costs here

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Value of owner-occupied homes

The FHA loan limit for Lake County is $541,287, and about 97% of owner-occupied homes in Mentor are worth less than that.

Monthly rent with utilities

With a mortgage

$1,487 a month

Lake County: $1,500 a month

Without a mortgage

$647 a month

Lake County: $635 a month

Owners with a mortgage

61%

Lake County: 62%

Owning costs about the same in Mentor as in Lake County: with a mortgage, $1,487 a month; without one, $647.

Value: what owners think their home is worth. Rent: rent plus utilities, for homes of every size. The FHA limit is the most an FHA loan (Federal Housing Administration) lends for a one-unit home; the fair market rent (FMR) is the one HUD uses for housing vouchers.

Census tables: B25075, B25063, B25088, B25081

How it changed

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024

Change since 2015–2019

The typical home value in Mentor rose 44% since 2015–2019, more than in Lake County (37%).

Rents in Mentor rose faster than in Lake County: 29% since 2015–2019, against 24%.

The typical household income in Mentor rose 23%: less than home values (+44%) and rent (+29%).

Change between two 5-year periods that do not overlap, in each period's dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

Census tables: B25077, B25064, B19013

How people live

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

MeasureMentorLake CountyOhioUnited States
Rental vacancy Unreliable estimate3.3%4.4%5.5%
Homeowner vacancy Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate0.8%0.9%
More than one person per room Unreliable estimate1.0%1.5%3.4%
People per household 2.302.272.372.53
Drive alone 78%77%75%69%
Carpool 6%7%8%9%
Public transit Unreliable estimate1%1%3%
Walk or bike Unreliable estimate1%2%3%
Work from home 15%14%13%15%
Other means Unreliable estimate1%1%2%
Typical commute Unreliable estimate20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes

By size, households in Mentor look like those in Lake County: 2.30 people on average.

To get to work, 78% of workers in Mentor drive alone; in Lake County, 77%.

Vacancy: empty homes offered for rent or for sale. Rooms: every room in the home, not only bedrooms. Commute: the minute range of the typical worker.

Census tables: B25004, B25003, B25014, B25010, B08301, B08303

Do the math

What would you pay each month for a home in Mentor?

A typical home is tight for the typical income

We start with a typical home in Mentor, worth $247,700, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 29% of the typical household income in Mentor, which is $88,949 a year. For that payment to be 28% of income, a household would need to earn about $92,204 a year.

The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Lake County.

Your numbers

Local data
$

Starts at the typical home value in Mentor. Change it to the price you have in mind.

Loan type
Your credit score

Your score changes which loans apply and FHA's minimum down payment. Your real rate also depends on your credit.

Down payment
%

That is $8,670 (3.5% of the price). The usual minimum for this loan is 3.5%.

This week's average ± a quarter or half point.

Term

National average as of November 5, 2026 (Freddie Mac); your rate may be different.

Adjust advanced details

Estimated monthly payment

Local data

$2,151

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$243,213
Total interest
$349,926
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $4,183 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

  • Comfortable

    up to $2,075 a month

  • Tight

    $2,075 to $2,668 a month

    Your payment · 29%

  • Hard

    more than $2,668 a month

Compared with the typical household income in Mentor ($88,949 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.

Show the result as
per month$2,151
Principal & interest$1,648
Property tax$291
Home insurance$103
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$110

You need at least $8,670 for the down payment, plus closing costs.

Next step

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.

The city and its county

Mentor and Lake County

Mentor is in Lake 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).

Mentor's own numbers

Typical home value
$247,700
Typical monthly rent
$1,239
Typical yearly household income
$88,949
Households that own their home
85%
Effective property tax rate
1.41%

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).

Numbers for all of Lake County

FHA limit, one-unit home
$541,287
Conventional limit, one unit
$832,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$1,274
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+47%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
0.8%

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 Lake County.

Everything about Lake County

Buying

Buying a home in Mentor

A typical home in Mentor is worth $247,700: 16% above the county and 15% above Ohio. With the typical household income in Mentor ($88,949 a year), a typical home costs 2.8 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.

  • Mentor 2.8 years
  • Lake 2.6 years
  • Ohio 3.0 years
  • United States 4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

How prices have changed in Lake County

According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Lake County rose 77% in the 10 years through 2025.

FHFA does not publish this index by city: these are the numbers for all of Lake County.

Period County Ohio U.S.
Last year (2025) +4.9% +4.8% +2.9%
5 years (2020–2025) +47% +53% +47%
10 years (2015–2025) +77% +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

Mentor next to Lake 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
  • Mentor $247,700
  • Lake $214,100
  • Ohio $214,800
  • United States $332,700
Typical monthly rent
  • Mentor $1,239
  • Lake $1,113
  • Ohio $1,034
  • United States $1,413
Typical yearly household income
  • Mentor $88,949
  • Lake $80,925
  • Ohio $71,389
  • United States $80,734
See the full table
Mentor next to Lake County and Ohio
Measure Mentor Lake County Ohio U.S.
Typical home value $247,700 $214,100 $214,800 $332,700
Typical monthly rent $1,239 $1,113 $1,034 $1,413
Typical yearly household income $88,949 $80,925 $71,389 $80,734
Households that own their home 85% 76% 67% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $3,481 $3,475 $2,822 $3,119
Effective property tax rate 1.41% 1.62% 1.31% 0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income 42% 45% 46% 51%

“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Lake 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 Mentor

For a typical $247,700 home in Mentor, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Mentor's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $2,151a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $8,670
    Cash to close
    $16,101
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $110

  • Conventional, 5% down $2,106a month

    Down payment
    $12,385
    Cash to close
    $19,816
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $118

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $1,737a month

    Down payment
    $49,540
    Cash to close
    $56,971
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $1,966a month

    Down payment
    $37,155
    Cash to close
    $44,586
    Rate
    8.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

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.

How much house can I afford? Estimate closing costs

Taxes and floods

Two costs that change from place to place

Property tax and flood insurance raise or lower what you pay each month. Here are the numbers for Mentor and for Lake County.

Property tax

Effective rate in Mentor

1.41%of the home’s value each year

$3,481 a year for the typical owner in Mentor.

  • Mentor 1.41%
  • Lake 1.62%
  • Ohio 1.31%

What Ohio publishes Homestead exemption for seniors and people with disabilities (Ohio Department of Taxation)

Exemptions and deadlines in Ohio

Flood risk in Lake County

FEMA does not publish these numbers by city: they are for all of Lake County.

Homes in the high-risk zone
0.8%
756
Of those, with NFIP insurance
32%
County Ohio U.S.
Homes in the high-risk zone 0.8% 1.7% 3.5%
Of those, with NFIP insurance 32% 16% 48%

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage.

Look up your address on FEMA’s map

Renting

Renting in Mentor

Typical rent in Mentor is $1,239 a month: 11% above the county. In Mentor, 42% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Lake County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($1,274 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $24.50 an hour working full time.

HUD fair market rent for all of Lake County

What you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income, working full time.

Size Fair rent a month Hourly wage Yearly income
Studio $924 $17.77 $36,960
1 bedroom $1,050 $20.19 $42,000
2 bedrooms $1,274 $24.50 $50,960
3 bedrooms $1,628 $31.31 $65,120
4 bedrooms $1,756 $33.77 $70,240

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 Mentor

HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Mentor is in ZIP code 44060.

For 2 bedrooms it is $1,430: $156 more than the fair market rent for Lake County ($1,274).

  • 44060 $1,430$1,830

1 of these ZIP codes crosses the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for Mentor 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 2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Source: Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file Data from 2020 data Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file

Is your rent high for your ZIP?

Free help

Help to buy or rent in Mentor

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.

There is 1 HUD-approved agency with an office in Lake County; 1 says it serves in Spanish.

Two women and a girl laugh together at the bus stop.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in Mentor

No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for Mentor or Lake County. The ones below are statewide in Ohio: they work in Mentor the same as in the rest of the state.

Which programs do I qualify for? All programs in Ohio

  • Your Choice! Down Payment Assistance

    Statewide in Ohio

    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).

    Forgivable

    See the program Official page

  • Mortgage Tax Credit

    Statewide in Ohio

    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).

    Tax credit

    See the program Official page

Housing counselors near Mentor

The HUD-approved agencies closest to the center of Mentor, in a straight line, nearest first. If one says it serves in Spanish, its card says so.

  • Fair Housing Resource Center

    1100 Mentor Ave, Painesville · 4 miles away · Spanish

    Also serves in other languages.

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Mortgage delinquency workshops
    • and 12 more
    (440) 392-0147

  • Home Repair Resource Center

    2520 Noble Rd, Cleveland Heights · 15 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 5 more
    (216) 381-6100

  • Nid-Hca Valentine

    2490 Lee Boulevard, Suite 306, Cleveland Heights · 17 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 8 more
    (216) 932-6624

Every agency in Lake County All counseling agencies in Ohio

Help in Spanish near Mentor

1 of the 3 agencies on this list says it serves in Spanish.

Ask for service in Spanish

When you call, say “Spanish, please” or ask if someone speaks Spanish. If not, ask whether they offer an interpreter.

Housing authorities of Mentor

In HUD’s record, no housing authority with an office in Lake County is named for Mentor or Lake County.

One other authority has an office in Lake County: see the list Source: HUD

Cities

Other cities in Lake County

These cities are also in Lake County. They share its loan limits and fair market rents, but home values and rent change from one to the next.

Everything about Lake County Housing in Ohio

Nearby cities

The cities closest to Mentor, with the typical home value.

Neighboring counties

If Lake County is out of reach, look next door. Each number is that county's own.

Keep going

Guides for your next step

Short explanations, in plain language and with official sources, for buying or renting in Mentor.

All guides
A mother and her daughters smile together on a mountain trail with a snowy peak behind them.

Questions

Housing questions about Mentor

Short answers with the numbers for Mentor and all of Lake 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 Mentor?

The typical home value in Mentor is $247,700, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Lake County it is $214,100.

How much does it cost to rent in Mentor?

Typical rent in Mentor is $1,239 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Lake County is $1,274.

What is the FHA loan limit in Mentor?

Mentor uses the FHA limit for all of Lake 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 Mentor?

The typical homeowner in Mentor pays $3,481 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 1.41% of the home’s value; in Lake County, the rate is 1.62%.

Where can I find free help to buy or rent in Mentor?

There is 1 HUD-approved counseling agency with an office in Lake County. 1 says it serves in Spanish. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.

Sources: American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates (Average 2020–2024); FHA mortgage limits (HUD) (2026 data); Conforming loan limits (FHFA) (2026 data); Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file (2020 data); HUD-approved housing counseling agencies (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Public Housing Agencies (HUD) (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) (As of November 5, 2026); FHFA House Price Index (HPI) (2025 data); Homes with flood insurance (NFIP, FEMA) (As of August 3, 2026).