The Youngstown metro is home to 428,430 people (down 21.5% over five years), with a median household income of $55,357. Typical rent of $1,047/month works out to 22.7% of the median household income — comfortably below the 30% affordability threshold (Census ACS + Zillow, September 2026).
The share of Youngstown's workforce by sector — the base of tenant demand:
| Sector | % of workforce |
|---|---|
| Education & health care | 25.1% |
| Manufacturing | 15.5% |
| Retail trade | 12.0% |
| Arts, food & hospitality | 10.1% |
| Professional & management | 7.3% |
Education & health care is the metro's largest employment base — sectors like education and health care are recession-resilient anchors for rental demand.
Rents at 22.7% of median income leave room for rent growth without pricing out the median tenant. Market pricing, yields and the Star Score live on the Youngstown market page; run a deal in the calculator.
At the 30%-of-income affordability rule, typical rent of $1,047/month suggests a household income around $42,000/year. The metro's median household income is $55,357.
By workforce share: Education & health care (25.1%), Manufacturing (15.5%), Retail trade (12.0%) (Census ACS 5-year).