A township bigger than most Stark cities
Jackson Township has more people than every city in Stark County except Canton. It counted 43,067 residents in 2020 across 37.1 square miles in the northwest of the county, yet it has no mayor or city council.
A three-member board of trustees and an elected fiscal officer run it. Jackson operates its own police and fire departments, a highway division, parks and a zoning and planning office.
The housing reflects late-20th-century growth:
- The median house was built in 1980, and only about 3% predate 1940.
- About 71% of homes are detached single-family houses.
- The median home value (owner estimate) is about $293,100, well above the county’s.
Belden Village, Timken and the colleges
Jackson is where much of the area shops and works. Belden Village Mall opened on October 1, 1970, and today covers about 890,000 square feet with roughly 95 stores; its Sears closed in January 2020, and Dave & Buster’s opened in November 2019. The mall’s address reads Canton, 44718, but it sits in Jackson.
Other big names are here too:
- The Timken Company’s headquarters is in Jackson Township.
- Stark State College’s main campus, with 10,390 students in fall 2025, is on 200 acres next to Kent State University at Stark.
- Kent State Stark, founded in 1946, sits on land in Jackson and North Canton.
Jackson borders Green, Lake, Plain, North Canton, Canton, Perry, Massillon, Tuscarawas, Lawrence and New Franklin, and it wraps around the village of Hills and Dales. Part of Massillon lies in its southwest corner, and Marchand is an unincorporated community in the northeast.
Jackson Local Schools and the Plain Local corner
Jackson Local Schools serve nearly all of the township, and the district is a big reason buyers look here. The state gave it its top rating, a 5, in 2024.
| Level | Schools |
|---|---|
| Elementary | Amherst, Lake Cable, Sauder, Strausser |
| Middle | Jackson Memorial Middle |
| High | Jackson High School (renovated in 2007) |
A small southeastern section of the township is in Plain Local instead. If you’re in that corner, say so when you list, because buyers searching by district will notice.
Township rules a Jackson seller deals with
Because Jackson is a township, the Stark County offices handle most sale paperwork, and the township handles zoning and nuisance issues. The administration office is at 5735 Wales Ave NW, open weekdays 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The township has been active on property upkeep. In April 2026 it posted a notice on removing junk motor vehicles from properties. If you’ve inherited a house with cars, sheds or overgrowth that drew a notice, selling a house with code violations explains how open notices are handled in a sale.
For county matters such as the conveyance fee, probate and tax foreclosure, see our Stark County page.
Lake Cable, Jackson Bog and the township’s parks
Jackson’s landmarks include Lake Cable, which gives its name to one of the district’s elementary schools, and the Jackson Bog State Nature Preserve. North Park hosts the Nash Family Jackson Amphitheater and a winter ice rink.
Homes near the lake or on larger lots can raise their own questions, such as association dues and, for some older houses, private wells or septic systems. If your house is on septic, the county health department’s transfer inspection applies, and selling a house with septic problems covers what a failed system means for a sale.
Where an as-is sale fits in Jackson
In most of Jackson, a house in good shape will sell on the open market, and we’ll say so. Our offers make the most sense for an estate that needs clearing, a 1970s or 1980s home that has never been updated, or a seller who needs to close on a fixed date. You can compare a written offer with an agent’s estimate before deciding.