A county of college towns, suburbs and farm townships
Portage County runs 504 square miles from the Summit County line east toward Youngstown. Ravenna is the county seat and Kent is the largest city. The county was organized in 1808 and takes its name from the old portage path between the Cuyahoga and Tuscarawas rivers. The 2020 Census counted 161,791 residents.
The housing is anything but uniform, according to the Census ACS for 2020-2024:
| Place | What stands out |
|---|---|
| Kent | Only about 41% of homes are owner-occupied, the mark of a university town |
| Aurora, Streetsboro | Median build years of 1989 and 1991 |
| Mantua village, Brady Lake | Median build year of 1938, the oldest in the county |
| Windham and Nelson townships | About 25% and 21% of homes are mobile homes |
Countywide, the median year built is 1977 and the median home value (owner estimate) is $227,000.
Inherited houses: the Portage County Probate Court
An estate that owns a Portage County house is opened at the Portage County Probate Court, 203 W. Main St., Ravenna (330-297-3870). The court appoints the executor or administrator, and that appointment is what gives someone authority to sell.
Ohio law offers several routes:
- Release from administration (R.C. 2113.03) for small estates under the statutory limits.
- Certificate of transfer (R.C. 2113.61), which puts the house in the heirs’ names so they can keep it or sell it themselves.
- Sale with written consents (R.C. 2127.011): if the surviving spouse and every beneficiary consent in writing, the executor can sell without a separate land-sale lawsuit, at no less than 80% of the inventory appraisal.
Creditors generally have six months from the date of death to present claims (R.C. 2117.06). Our Portage County probate court guide walks through the filings, and a probate attorney can tell you which route fits your estate.
How Portage County sheriff sales work
Every Ohio foreclosure goes through a court, so a Portage County case runs through the Court of Common Pleas and ends at a sheriff sale. The Sheriff’s Office sells foreclosed homes online through Realauction’s official site, portage.sheriffsaleauction.ohio.gov.
- Proxy bidding opens at least seven days before the sale date.
- The live auction starts at 11:00 a.m. on scheduled Mondays, one property at a time.
- Bidders must have a deposit of $2,000, $5,000 or $10,000, set by law, on file before bidding.
- Delinquent-tax foreclosures may be sold in person instead, at the Portage County Justice Center, 8240 Infirmary Rd., Ravenna.
An owner can still redeem by paying the judgment, costs and 8% annual interest on the sale price until the court confirms the sale (R.C. 2329.33). Selling before the sale date is another exit when there’s equity. The Ohio foreclosure timeline lays out each stage, and selling before a sheriff sale covers what a sale that late involves.
Delinquent taxes, lien sales and the land bank
The Portage County Treasurer can sell unpaid property taxes as a tax lien. The Treasurer’s office names FIG Taxes as the county’s lien buyer, and the buyer then collects the debt plus interest from the owner. Under the county’s delinquency policy, a notice goes out in April and the lien sale follows in May for accounts that are unpaid or in default on a plan. Each missed collection adds a 10% penalty.
Paying in full or signing a payment plan keeps a parcel out of the lien sale. The Delinquent Tax Division is at 330-297-2243. Parcels already set for sheriff sale, in bankruptcy, or under a payment contract are left out.
The Portage County Land Reutilization Corporation, the county land bank, is funded by penalty and interest on delinquent taxes. In 2023 it returned 52 properties to the tax rolls and demolished 230 vacant and blighted buildings, The Portager reported. Land banks mostly end up with abandoned, tax-foreclosed parcels. While the deed is still in your name, the decision to sell is still yours. See delinquent property taxes in Ohio for how the clock runs.
The transfer fee, and the inspections you won’t need
The Portage County Auditor collects a conveyance fee of $4.00 per $1,000 of the price, plus $0.50 per parcel. Ohio puts the fee on the transferor, the seller. A $200,000 sale costs about $800. The Ohio conveyance fee guide lists the exemptions, such as some family transfers.
A 2025 title agency list shows no countywide point-of-sale inspection in Portage County. Requirements change, so ask the city or village before you sign. Our point-of-sale inspection guide covers the region.
Rentals are the exception. Kent licenses and inspects rentals: its Health Department covers buildings with four or more unrelated tenants, and Community Development covers 1- and 2-unit rentals. Ravenna requires a rental housing certificate, renewed with an inspection every two years. The Kent and Ravenna pages have the details.
The drive out from our Akron office
Our office is at 445 E Turkeyfoot Lake Rd in Akron, and Portage County begins just past the eastern edge of Summit County. Kent sits about 10 miles northeast of Akron, and I-76 crosses the county through Brimfield, Rootstown and Palmyra. Bob Donahue comes out for each walkthrough, which takes 15 to 20 minutes, and the written offer shows how we reached the number. If your house is updated and you have no deadline, a listing with a local agent may net you more, and we’ll say so. When you’re ready, request your offer.