10 Best Places in Ohio for a Couple To Live on Only a Social Security Check

The state of Ohio offers numerous possibilities for retirees — even retirees on tight budgets.

In a GOBankingRates study compiled earlier this year, Ohio landed six locales in the top ten “most affordable second cities” nationwide. In another GOBankingRates study from earlier this month, Ohio had four of the top 10 safest cities for couples to live on just Social Security.

GOBankingRates’ latest study identifies the overall top 10 cities in Ohio for couples to live on Social Security alone. For reference, the average Social Security benefit for couples these days is about $3,580 a month, according to the Social Security Administration.

To compile this list, we’ve analyzed data from the U.S. Census American Consumer Survey, Sperling’s Best Places, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Zillow Observed Rental Index, the Social Security Administration and AreaVibes. You can check out the results below in reverse order, with the No. 1 entry offering Ohio’s best combo of livability and affordability for cost-conscious retirees.

• Average rent: $1,378
• Average total monthly cost of living: $3,056
• Livability score: 86

South Euclid is a suburb just east of Cleveland and home to about 22,000 residents. The city prides itself on diversity and offers a message of “Come together and thrive.” It costs a retired couple about $3,000 a month to live here, with groceries making up about $380 of that.

• Average rent: $1,075
• Average total monthly cost of living: $2,749
• Livability score: 82

You’ll find Cuyahoga Falls in northeast Ohio, just north of Akron and about 40 miles south of Cleveland. Cuyahoga Falls has about two dozen community parks, the Brookledge Golf Club and an ice-skating rink, among other attractions. About 51,000 people make their home here.

• Average rent: $1,336
• Average total monthly cost of living: $3,042
• Livability score: 86

Another ethnically diverse Cleveland suburb, Lakewood is bordered by Lake Erie to the north. Attractions include waterfront Lakewood Park and a lakefront promenade with some nice views of downtown Cleveland.

Compared to other cities in our top ten, Lakewood falls in the middle of the pack when it comes to average monthly living costs like groceries at about $400, healthcare at $520 and utilities at $339. It’s one of the largest Cleveland suburbs with about 51,000 residents.

• Average rent: $916
• Average total monthly cost of living: $2,554
• Livability score: 80

Youngstown has the lowest livability score on this list, but retirees may enjoy its sub-$1,000 average monthly rents and living costs in the $2,500 range. Its average monthly cost for groceries is only $365, the lowest in our top 10.

Youngstown is located in northeast Ohio’s Mahoning County, roughly equidistant from Cleveland and Pittsburgh. Its roughly 61,000 residents can check out the Butler Museum of American Art, take in a show at the Powers Auditorium or the Youngstown Playhouse, or cheer on the Penguins of Youngstown State University.

• Average rent: $1,554
• Average total monthly cost of living: $3,224
• Livability score: 89

Like Youngstown, Kent is very much a college town, with Kent State University a big part of life here. The city’s strong livability score is influenced by the presence of about 20 parks with historic trails along the Cuyahoga River. Kent is located about 15 miles northwest of Akron and about 40 miles southeast of Cleveland.

Kent’s total average monthly cost of living is the third-highest in our top 10, but Kent still may be doable for retirees living on just Social Security.

• Average rent: $1,368
• Average total monthly cost of living: $3,059
• Livability score: 87

Another Cleveland suburb, Shaker Heights has about 30,000 residents. It includes nine different neighborhoods with tree-lined streets and trails — and easy rail access to the big city. A month’s worth of groceries will cost a retired couple about $393 on average.

• Average rent: $946
• Average total monthly cost of living: $2,615
• Livability score: 82

If you’re interested in a retirement locale with a college-town feel, Athens may be worth checking out. The home of Ohio University is a relatively inexpensive place to live, with average monthly rents below $1,000. Groceries are a bit more expensive, coming in at about $415 a month.

Offerings at this time of year include gorgeous fall foliage and the internationally-known Halloween Block Party. Athens is located in southeast Ohio, about an hour and 20 minutes southeast of Columbus by car.

• Average rent: $1,277
• Average total monthly cost of living: $2,961
• Livability score: 87

This Cleveland suburb is about 10 miles east of the big city and has about 45,000 residents. NFL stars Travis and Jason Kelce grew up here. Cleveland Heights boasts numerous historic buildings, tree-lined streets and easy access to Cleveland’s culturally rich University Circle neighborhood.

• Average rent: $1,361
• Average total monthly cost of living: $3,043
• Livability score: 89

University Heights is located right next to Cleveland Heights and has a slightly higher livability score than its neighbor. It’s home to tiny John Carroll University and about 14,000 residents. Retired couples spend just over $3,000 on average for living costs, including $387 a month for groceries.

• Average rent: $1,759
• Average total monthly cost of living: $3,535
• Livability score: 96

The No. 1 entry on our list is actually not a Cleveland suburb. Charming, tree-filled Grandview Heights is a suburb of Columbus, located just west of the state capital.

Average monthly rents and total living costs in Grandview Heights are considerably higher than those of other cities in our list. But Grandview Heights still may be within reach for cost-conscious retirees, and it boasts a sparkling livability score of 96. About 8,000 residents call Grandview Heights home.

Methodology: To find the best places in Ohio for a couple to live on only Social Security benefits, GOBankingRates gathered populations for cities in Ohio through the U.S. Census American Consumer Survey. For each city, GOBankingRates checked cost-of-living indexes from Sperling’s Best Places across multiple expenditure categories including groceries, healthcare, utilities, transportation and miscellaneous. Each cost-of-living index was multiplied by each expenditure category’s national average cost as sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics 2022 Consumer Expenditure Survey to find the expenditure costs in each city. The average rent for each city was sourced from the Zillow Observed Rental Index. Adding those figures to monthly expenditure costs provides the total monthly cost for living in each city. The average Social Security benefits per month were sourced from the Social Security Administration Monthly Statistical Snapshot and doubled to find a couple’s average Social Security benefits. Every city with a total monthly cost above the monthly Social Security benefits for a couple was removed. The livability index was sourced from AreaVibes, and all locations with a score less than 70 were removed from consideration. The livability index was scored and weighted at 1.50, and the total monthly cost was scored and weighted at 1.20. Those scores were combined and sorted to find the best places in Ohio for a couple to live on Social Security benefits alone. All data was collected and is up to date as of Oct. 5, 2023.

Photo Disclaimer: Please note photos are for representational purposes only. As a result, some of the photos might not reflect the locations listed in this article.