former Seiberling condemned school in Akron

Akron Vacant and Abandoned Property Statistics 2026: 50+ verified numbers on empty houses in Akron and Summit County, including vacancy rates, the City's 2023 Market Value Analysis, demolition counts and costs, how the city's Housing Appeals Board works, what the City and Summit County Land Bank launched in 2026, and who owns the vacant buildings. Every figure is traced to the Census Bureau, the City of Akron, Reinvestment Fund, the Land Bank, Ohio state agencies, or the local reporting that published it, dated, and linked. Last updated September 2026.

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Vacant houses are our business. Most of what we buy in Akron has been empty for a while: an inheritance nobody wants, a rental the owner gave up on, a house with a demolition order and a deceased owner on the deed. We built this page because the numbers on Akron's vacant housing are scattered across a decade-old city report, a 2024 planning study, monthly Housing Appeals Board minutes, and Land Bank pages, and nobody had pulled them together.

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If you are a reporter, a council member, a neighbor of an empty house, or an owner trying to figure out what happens next, start here.

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Key Takeaways

  • Akron has 94,725 housing units and 86,815 households, which leaves roughly 7,900 units (about 8%) unoccupied on the 2024 single-year estimate (U.S. Census Bureau).
  • Vacant parcels are 11% of residential parcels citywide, but 23% to 25% in the city's stressed markets (City of Akron 2023 Market Value Analysis).
  • In Akron's weakest markets, only 14% of home sales from 2020 to 2022 used a mortgage; the rest were cash (2023 Market Value Analysis, HMDA data).
  • Realtors report that since early 2022, nearly every single-family home listed under $100,000 in Akron was bought with cash by an investor (Akron Housing Action Plan, 2024).
  • The city's last full property survey counted 4,596 vacant structures (6.1%), 368 of them unsecured, and 17,450 vacant lots (City of Akron, citing the 2015 Western Reserve Land Conservancy survey).
  • Akron budgets about $400,000 a year for demolition, and a single demolition costs $8,000 to $15,000 (City of Akron via Signal Akron, 2026).
  • The city demolished 96 blighted residential properties in 2025 and owns hundreds of vacant lots; 71 houses were on the 2026 demolition list by March (City of Akron; Signal Akron).
  • Once a house is added to the list, the owner has 30 days to appeal and remains liable for the demolition cost (Akron Housing Compliance Division).
  • Neighborhoods that were deeply distressed in 2017 gained $20,000 to $40,000 in home value after blight removal, including West Hill and Sherbondy Hill (Akron Housing Action Plan, 2024).
  • In September 2026 the City and Land Bank released six free pre-approved house plans for infill on vacant lots, estimated to save builders three to eight months and about $8,000 each (Signal Akron).
  • Akron's population peaked at 290,351 in 1960 and is 189,691 today (U.S. Census Bureau).

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How many vacant houses are there in Akron?

The honest answer is that nobody has counted every structure since 2015, and the different measurements do not agree because they define "vacant" differently. Here is each one, labeled.

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  • Akron has 94,725 housing units and 86,815 households on the 2024 single-year estimate, a gap of roughly 7,900 units, or about 8.3% of the stock, that were unoccupied at the time of the survey. This includes units for sale, for rent, seasonal, and abandoned. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year estimates via Census Reporter.
  • On the five-year estimate, Akron had 84,734 occupied households (2020-2024). Source: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts.
  • The city's own housing strategy reported 14.6% of Akron's 97,163 housing units as vacant in the 2010-2014 ACS, compared with 22.8% in Dayton, 21.5% in Cleveland, 19.1% in Cincinnati, and 14.9% in Toledo. Source: City of Akron, "Planning to Grow Akron".
  • The last parcel-by-parcel survey counted 4,596 vacant structures in Akron, 6.1% of all structures, of which 368 were unsecured. The city also contained 17,450 vacant lots. Source: City of Akron, "Planning to Grow Akron," citing the 2015 Thriving Communities property survey by Western Reserve Land Conservancy.
  • Before the county land bank existed, Akron had more than 2,000 properties targeted for demolition with no funding to raze them, and Summit County was seeing roughly 500 foreclosures a month. Source: Western Reserve Land Conservancy, describing conditions around 2011-2012.
  • Akron's rental vacancy rate was 3.53% in 2019, down from a 2005 peak of 12.12%. Source: Census ACS via Department of Numbers.

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What does the City's 2023 Market Value Analysis say about vacancy and distress?

In 2023 the City of Akron commissioned Reinvestment Fund to repeat the Market Value Analysis it first ran in 2017. It sorts all 216 of Akron's Census block groups into nine market types, A (strongest) through I (weakest), using sale prices, permits, foreclosures, code complaints, vacant parcels, and ownership. It was published with the Housing Action Plan in July 2024, and it is the most current official picture of where Akron's vacant property is.

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  • Vacant parcels are 11% of residential parcels in the average Akron block group. In stressed G, H, and I markets they are 23%, 25%, and 23%; in the strongest A and B markets, 8% and 7%. Source: City of Akron, 2023 Market Value Analysis and Housing Action Plan, Reinvestment Fund and Greater Ohio Policy Center, July 2024.
  • The analysts describe Akron's vacancy rates as high "most likely the result of extensive demolition work since the last MVA," and note that vacant parcels are mostly well cared for and should be treated as development or side-yard opportunities rather than only as distress. Source: 2023 MVA.
  • About 20% of Akron's population lives in the stressed G, H, and I markets, which are concentrated in the center of the city along the highways. 40% live in strong markets and 40% in middle markets. Source: 2023 MVA.
  • Homes with an active code enforcement case: 6% in G, 6% in H, 7% in I, versus a citywide average of 3% and 0% to 1% in A through D markets. Source: 2023 MVA.
  • Mortgage foreclosures fell from double-digit rates in the 2017 MVA to a maximum of 5% (I markets) in 2023, and citywide foreclosures have roughly halved since 2017, possibly aided by pandemic mortgage assistance. Source: 2023 MVA and Housing Action Plan.
  • Median sale prices in the weakest I markets rose from $9,100 (2014-2016) to $39,538 (2020-2022), more than 300%. G markets went from $25,000 to $59,369 and H markets from $16,000 to $43,777. Citywide, values rose 75%, with South Akron and East Akron up more than 100%. Source: 2023 MVA and Housing Action Plan.
  • 14% of Akron's block groups moved up at least one market tier between 2017 and 2023. Source: 2023 MVA.
  • Neighborhoods that were deeply distressed in 2017 saw home values rise $20,000 to $40,000 attributed to blight elimination such as demolition, including West Hill and Sherbondy Hill. Source: Housing Action Plan, 2024.
  • Only 14% of home sales in the weakest (I) markets from 2020 to 2022 were financed with a mortgage, versus 43% in G and H markets, 44% in middle markets, and 92% in the strongest A markets. Citywide, 58% of sales had a mortgage. The remainder are cash, mostly investor purchases. Source: 2023 MVA, Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data.
  • Realtors interviewed for the plan reported that since early 2022, nearly every single-family home listed under $100,000 in Akron was purchased with cash by an investor. Source: Housing Action Plan, 2024.
  • Mortgage applications per 100 households: 12.3 in the strongest markets, 1.3 in the weakest. Denial rates for Black applicants were 11% citywide versus 6% for white applicants. Source: 2023 MVA.
  • Over 21,000 Akron homes sit on lots with less than 50 feet of frontage, which the city's code treats as unbuildable, and more than 6,000 vacant parcels could become buildable if the frontage minimum were lowered. Source: Housing Action Plan, 2024, citing a University of Akron GIS analysis.
  • Between 2020 and 2022, 62% of renters in G markets and 56% in I markets spent 30% or more of income on rent, versus 28% in A markets. Source: 2023 MVA.
  • The plan's first recommendation is proactive code enforcement in G, H, and I markets (West Akron, Sherbondy Hill, South Akron, East Akron) and directing state demolition funds there, with Welcome Home Ohio rehab funds aimed at the D through G transitional markets. Source: Housing Action Plan, 2024.

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Why does Akron have so many empty houses?

  • Akron's population peaked at 290,351 in the 1960 Census and was 189,691 as of July 2025, a decline of about 35%. The 2020 Census counted 190,469, down from 199,110 in 2010. Source: U.S. Census Bureau.
  • About 34.1% of Akron homes were built before 1940 and the median construction year is 1954. Only 0.3% of the stock has been built since 2020. Source: Census ACS data via Point2Homes.
  • Statewide, half of Ohio's housing was built before 1965, nearly one in four units before 1940, and 30% of Ohio's vacant housing is pre-1940. Source: Ohio Housing Finance Agency, Housing Needs Assessment.
  • Ohio has over 540,000 vacant housing units, 10% of the state's stock, and only 28% are actually available for sale or rent. Source: Ohio Housing Finance Agency.
  • Ohio's urban cores lost 1.1% of their housing stock after 2010 while the state as a whole added only 1.8%. Source: Ohio Housing Finance Agency.
  • Ohio's homeowner vacancy rate hit a record-low 0.3% in Q1 2024 and the rental vacancy rate fell to 4.4%, before recovering to 1.1% and 7.2% by year end. Source: OHFA Housing Needs Assessment FY26. The paradox: Ohio has a tight market for habitable homes and a large inventory of uninhabitable ones at the same time.
  • The Housing Action Plan puts it plainly: lack of affordability in Akron stems from low incomes rather than high housing prices. Average median household income was $44,866 against an average home price of $102,897. Source: 2023 MVA.
  • Interviewees told the city's planners that small landlords and homeowners often "don't account for depreciation" and get caught by big repairs they can no longer afford, and that Akron has many retirees renting out family homes who are not professional managers. Source: Housing Action Plan, 2024.

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How many houses does Akron demolish, and what does it cost?

  • Akron's capital plan includes about $400,000 a year for demolition of vacant, abandoned, or deteriorated properties, including in 2026. Source: City of Akron officials, as reported by Signal Akron, March 2026.
  • Demolishing a house typically costs $8,000 to $15,000, depending on whether asbestos removal is required. Source: City of Akron via Signal Akron, March 2026.
  • The city demolished 96 blighted residential properties in 2025, funded largely by a state grant. City officials say the need still far exceeds resources. Source: City of Akron, via Signal Akron, March and September 2026.
  • 87 demolitions had been completed in 2025 by mid-May, largely funded by Ohio Department of Development grant money. Source: News 5 Cleveland, May 2025.
  • 71 houses were on the city's demolition list for 2026 as of early March. Source: Signal Akron, March 2026.
  • The Ohio Building Demolition and Site Revitalization Program provides nearly $150 million in grant funding statewide; in counties with a land bank, the land bank is the lead applicant. Source: Summit County Land Bank.
  • At $400,000 a year and $8,000 to $15,000 per house, the city's own budget covers roughly 27 to 50 demolitions annually. Everything beyond that depends on state grants. Our calculation from the figures above.

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How does a house end up on Akron's demolition list?

This is the process we watch every month, because it is where abandoned houses either get fixed, sold, or torn down.

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  • Housing code violations are handled by the Akron Housing Compliance Division, which inspects and issues repair orders. Cases that are not resolved go to the Housing Appeals Board, a mayor-appointed, council-approved citizen panel that meets monthly. Source: Signal Akron, "How does Akron decide which derelict houses will be torn down?"
  • When the board orders demolition, the owner has 30 days to appeal. After that the city can raze the structure, and the owner remains liable for the cost. The city only eliminates the nuisance; the owner still owns the lot. Source: Akron Sanitarian Supervisor Jodie Forester, via Signal Akron.
  • Demolition costs are assessed to the property, which means they attach to the tax bill and follow the parcel to the next owner. Source: Housing Appeals Board case notes via Signal Akron, January 2025.
  • The board typically reviews 7 to 11 cases a month and orders demolition on roughly half. Recent counts: 8 houses ordered in January 2025, 4 in February, 4 in March, 7 in July 2025, 11 in March 2026, 6 in April 2026, and 7 in July 2026. Source: Signal Akron Documenters coverage, March 2026, April 2026, and July 2026.
  • The pattern in nearly every demolition case is the same: vacant, tax delinquent, unregistered, and the owner is deceased or cannot be located. In July 2026, three of seven cases had a deceased owner and one had an owner whose whereabouts were unknown. Source: Signal Akron, July 2026.
  • Demolition orders can be reversed. In February 2026 the board rescinded a June 2025 demolition order after the owner signed a repair agreement and passed inspection. Source: Signal Akron, March 2026.
  • One Kenmore house sat vacant for a decade, was nearly $38,000 behind on taxes, caught fire in November 2024, and was finally demolished in March 2026. Neighbors had contacted the city about 15 times. Source: Signal Akron, March 2026.
  • Neighborhoods with houses added to the list in March 2026 included Kenmore, South Akron, East Akron, West Akron, Sherbondy Hill, Summit Lake, and University Park. Source: Signal Akron.

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Who owns Akron's vacant buildings?

  • We matched 37 houses the Housing Appeals Board ordered demolished between August 2024 and August 2026 to county records: 84% are owned by individuals, 59% are absentee-owned, 81% were tax delinquent, and they carry $568,206 in unpaid property taxes. Five of the six company-owned houses are held from out of state; no individual owner is. Source: West Hill Home Buyers, "Who Owns Akron's Condemned Houses?", September 2026.
  • When Akron launched its vacant building registry in 2018, the first round of 305 notices went to owners identified from fire department records and the 2015 Land Conservancy survey. Source: Akron Beacon Journal via PressReader, November 2018.
  • Of 271 registered addresses analyzed, 91% were owned by Ohio companies or individuals, and about 30% of owners were located outside Akron. Source: Akron Beacon Journal, 2018.
  • A notable portion of Akron's rental properties are owned by residents who own fewer than a dozen properties and live in Summit County, even as owner-occupied single-family homes continue converting to investor rentals. Source: Housing Action Plan, 2024.
  • The Summit County Land Bank was established in 2012 in response to the foreclosure crisis and works with all 31 of the county's cities, villages, and townships. Source: Summit County Land Bank.
  • Land banks acquire property through expedited tax foreclosure, lender transfers, HUD transfers, donations from individuals and estates, and purchase. Source: Summit County Land Bank, "What is a Land Bank?"
  • Foreclosure starts in the Akron metro rose from 60 in April 2025 to 117 in April 2026, which is the pipeline feeding next year's vacancies. Source: ATTOM April 2026 report.

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What is the city doing about vacant property in 2026?

The Malik administration has shifted from demolition-only toward refilling the lots. These are the 2026 programs, with the numbers attached to them.

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  • The city reports it demolished 96 blighted residential properties in 2025, and it owns hundreds of vacant lots where homes once stood. Source: City of Akron, as reported by Signal Akron, September 3, 2026.
  • There were 64 applications for tax abatement on new home construction in Akron in 2025, which the city calls a good proxy for new homes built. Source: City of Akron via Signal Akron, September 2026.
  • Made in Akron, launched September 2, 2026 by the City and the Summit County Land Bank, offers six pre-approved house designs (10 options with variations) that builders can use free of charge, from a 1,120-square-foot cottage to a 2,512-square-foot three-unit building, including a narrow home for 30-foot lots. The architect estimates they save a builder three to eight months of plan review and about $8,000 in construction cost. Source: Signal Akron, September 2026, and City of Akron Made in Akron plans.
  • The plans top out at three units because a fourth unit triggers the commercial building code. The planning director's goal is to see each of the six types built at least once in the first year. Source: Signal Akron, September 2026.
  • At the May 2026 State of the City, the mayor said $4 million in federal funding plus donated city land will support 532 new housing units, including infill on vacant lots and rehabilitated properties. Source: Signal Akron, State of the City coverage, May 20, 2026.
  • The city is creating a new code compliance division with two additional home inspectors, strengthening the housing code, and tightening rental registration so landlords cannot place new tenants until violations are fixed. Source: Signal Akron, May 2026.
  • Akron is eliminating minimum lot sizes on vacant lots in residential areas, the change the 2024 Housing Action Plan called for to make 6,000-plus vacant parcels buildable. Source: Signal Akron, May 2026.
  • The Welcome Home Akron program sells city-owned vacant lots to builders and individuals for owner-occupied single-family construction; construction must begin within six months. Two companion programs sell lots to adjacent homeowners as side yards. Source: Signal Akron, "How Akron sells vacant lots and who qualifies", April 2026.
  • The Akron Dreams downpayment assistance program, launched August 2026, offers first-time buyers up to $7,500. Source: Signal Akron, August 26, 2026.
  • The first Civic Assembly on Housing (Unify Akron) closed in May 2026; delegates cited the volume of vacant and abandoned homes and out-of-state ownership as the findings that surprised them most. Source: Signal Akron, May 2026.

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What this means if you own an empty house in Akron

The city's demolition budget covers a few dozen houses a year, and the 2026 list had 71 on it before spring. That means an abandoned house can sit for years, drawing code orders, tax penalties, and eventually a demolition assessment that follows the parcel. If the owner has died, the estate inherits the problem. And with a new code compliance division and two more inspectors coming online, the odds of an empty house getting a repair order are going up, not down.

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The other side of the data is that Ohio's habitable housing is at near-record-low vacancy, and the city's own analysis shows the weakest neighborhoods tripled in value since 2017. A house that gets fixed has a buyer or a tenant waiting. That is the whole reason our business exists: we buy the empty ones as-is, put the money into them, and keep them. The city's plan notes that most sub-$100,000 houses now go to cash investors; the difference between investors is what happens after closing, and our answer is that our name stays on the deed.

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If you have a house with a repair order or demolition notice, we wrote a guide to cleanouts, repair orders, and selling a condemned house in Akron. If you inherited one, see how to sell an inherited house in Akron. For the price and appreciation side, our Akron housing market statistics page has the numbers.

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How to cite this page

West Hill Home Buyers, "Akron Vacant and Abandoned Property Statistics 2026," westhillholdings.com, updated September 2026. Please cite the original publisher alongside this page. If a figure has been revised at its source, email us and we will update it.

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Sources

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Own a vacant house in Akron or Summit County, with or without a code order on it? Request a cash offer from West Hill Home Buyers. We buy as-is, we handle the cleanout, and our name stays on the deed.

Next article

Who Owns Akron's Condemned Houses? Two Years of Housing Appeals Board Records

We matched every house the Akron Housing Appeals Board ordered demolished from Aug 2024 to Aug 2026 against Summit County records. 81% were tax delinquent, $568,206 is owed, 59% are absentee-owned, and 84% belong to individuals, not out-of-state companies.