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Area Guide

Ohio University Athens, OH

The green and white wave proudly on the banks of the Hocking River

Public Walkable College Town

Tucked away on the sparsely-populated southeast corner of the state, Ohio University is the first American college to be chartered by an act of Congress and helped establish the path of higher education in America for centuries to come. The oldest and largest section of OU is the College of Arts and Sciences, comprising a third of all majors at the university. Students outnumber the permanent local population in Athens, making it a quintessential college town that generally revolves around the university (in fact, the town was established in 1802 specifically to accommodate the new institution). The south side of campus is bordered by the Hocking River, with the Hocking Adena Bikeway providing a tranquil and scenic recreational trail perfect for enjoying the university’s natural surroundings. On the north side, Court Street runs through the center of town, flanked by popular eateries and neighborhood taverns. Housing tends to be quite affordable, with apartments, condos, and rental homes frequently available within walking distance of campus and downtown for very reasonable rates.

Rent Trends

As of June 2026, the average apartment rent in Athens, OH is $866 for a studio, $911 for one bedroom, $1,200 for two bedrooms, and $1,488 for three bedrooms. Apartment rent in Athens has decreased by -1.4% in the past year.

  • Studio

  • 346 sq ft

    Average Sq Ft

  • $866/month

    Average Rent

  • 1 BR

  • 612 sq ft

    Average Sq Ft

  • $911/month

    Average Rent

  • 2 BR

  • 896 sq ft

    Average Sq Ft

  • $1,200/month

    Average Rent

  • 3 BR

  • 1,193 sq ft

    Average Sq Ft

  • $1,488/month

    Average Rent

Getting Around

Moderately Walkable

Walkability

60 / 100

Limited Public Transit

Transit

30 / 100

Exceptionally Drivable

Drivability

90 / 100

Moderately Bikeable

Bikeability

60 / 100

Daily Essentials

Supermarket Within a 10 Minute Walk

Groceries

80 / 100

Good Restaurant Variety Nearby

Restaurants

70 / 100

Great Café Variety Nearby

Cafes

80 / 100

Fair Variety of Shops Nearby

Shopping

50 / 100

Local Vibe

Vibrant Atmosphere at Times

Vibrancy

40 / 100

Great Nightlife Variety Nearby

Nightlife

80 / 100

Very Noisy

Quiet Score

30 / 100

Schools

Morrison Elementary School

Public

Grades PK-5

401 Students

East Elementary School

Public

Grades PK-5

330 Students

West Elementary School

Public

Grades K-5

195 Students

Athens Middle School

Public

Grades 6-8

357 Students

Points of Interest

Parks and Recreation

  • Strouds Run State Park
  • Wayne National Forest-Athens District
  • Hocking Woods Nature Center

Top Apartments Near Ohio University

Houses Near Ohio University

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Methodology

† Our analysis of utilities, groceries, transportation, healthcare, home prices, and other goods and services is sourced from the Cost of Living Index, a respected benchmark published by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) that provides a thorough overview of living expenses across different regions.

Rent data is provided by CoStar Group’s Market Trend reports. As the industry leader in commercial real estate information, analytics, and news, CoStar conducts extensive research to produce and maintain a comprehensive database of commercial real estate information. We combine this data with public record to provide the most up-to-date rental information available.

Consumer goods, services, and home prices are sourced from the Cost of Living Index published by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER). The data on this page is updated quarterly. It was last published in June 2026.

Demographic information comes from Neustar and combines detailed address data with U.S. Census and American Community Survey statistics to produce reliable local estimates.