Northfield village and Northfield Center are separate places
“Northfield” covers two governments. Northfield village is a small municipality of about one square mile with a mayor and council. Northfield Center Township, about 5.3 square miles, wraps around to its south and is run by a board of trustees.
They were once one community. Old Northfield became a village in 1912, Sagamore Hills split off in 1932, and Northfield Center Township separated in 1935, leaving the village as it is today. Much of what is now Macedonia and a small part of Boston Heights also sit on land that was originally Northfield Center.
Their housing is quite different, by the Census Bureau’s 2020-2024 estimates:
| Northfield village | Northfield Center Twp. | |
|---|---|---|
| Housing units | about 1,575 | about 2,475 |
| Median year built | 1966 | 1980 |
| Owner-occupied | 72% | 98% |
| Median home value (owner estimate) | $166,700 | $248,500 |
Both share ZIP code 44067 with Sagamore Hills, so check which government your parcel is in before you assume any rule applies.
The village’s point-of-sale inspection and occupancy permit
Selling in Northfield village likely means a city inspection before closing. A 2025 Summit County list compiled by Infinity Title Agency shows the village requires an exterior-only point-of-sale inspection, with a $100 fee, plus a $50 occupancy permit. Village offices are at 10455 Northfield Road (330-467-7139).
Title-company lists can fall out of date, so call the village to confirm. Things to ask:
- How long the inspection takes to schedule, and how long the result stays valid
- Whether violations must be fixed before transfer, or can be passed to the buyer in writing
- Whether a vacant house is treated differently
An exterior-only inspection looks at the outside of the house and lot, not the interior. If your list of violations is long, a buyer who takes on the corrections can save you from hiring contractors before you move. Our point-of-sale inspection guide compares how nearby towns handle this, and selling a house with code violations covers the repair question.
Northfield Center Township does not appear on that title-company list.
From Sportsman Park to MGM Northfield Park
The racetrack has shaped Northfield for nearly a century. Sportsman Park opened in 1934 as a greyhound track, later hosted midget car racing, and was torn down in 1956 to make way for Northfield Park.
The track added the “Rocksino” on December 18, 2013. MGM Growth Properties bought it in 2018, and MGM Resorts International took over and rebranded it MGM Northfield Park on April 1, 2019.
The track also figured in local politics. When Sagamore Hills voted to detach from Northfield in 1930, its petition included the dog track, which had been a point of conflict in the village.
Northfield Center’s crossroads and the Palmer House
Northfield Center grew up at the crossing of what are now Routes 8 and 82. A post office opened there in 1837. In 1840, four neighboring landowners named Lillie, Palmer, Bliss and Arthur gave half an acre for a town park, and in 1848 the town hall went up on the square at the southeast corner of the two routes.
The Palmer House, built around 1844 by William Palmer, is one of the few vertical-beam houses left in Ohio. It has been the home of the Historical Society of Olde Northfield since 1957 and is now a museum at 9390 Olde Eight Road.
Nordonia schools and who sells here
Both Northfield governments are in the Nordonia Hills City School District, and the village has a branch of the Akron-Summit County Public Library.
The sellers differ by side of the line. In the village, more than a quarter of homes are rented, so landlords selling with tenants in place are common; see selling a house with tenants. In Northfield Center, nearly every home is owner-occupied, and sales are more often long-time owners downsizing or estates.
Neighboring Sagamore Hills shares much of this history, and county-wide steps are on the Summit County page. For a number on your Northfield property, request a written offer.