Thirty-five communities, one set of county offices
Stark County has 6 cities, 12 villages and 17 townships, and every one of them deals with the same county courthouse, treasurer and auditor. The county was created in 1808, organized in 1809 and named for General John Stark, the Revolutionary War “Hero of Bennington.”
| Type | Places |
|---|---|
| Cities | Canton (county seat), Massillon, Alliance, North Canton, Louisville, Canal Fulton |
| Largest townships | Plain, Jackson, Lake, Perry, Canton Township |
| Villages | Hartville, Minerva, Navarre, Brewster, East Canton, Meyers Lake and others |
Two of the townships, Plain and Jackson, hold more people than any Stark city except Canton. Unincorporated communities such as Uniontown, Perry Heights and North Industry have no city hall of their own, so their trustees and the county handle what a city would.
The county covers 581 square miles, crossed by I-77, US 30, US 62 and US 250.
The Stark County Probate Court handles every estate
An inherited house anywhere in the county goes through one court: the Stark County Probate Court, 110 Central Plaza South, Suite 501, Canton. It is open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., phone 330-451-7755.
The court decides who has authority to sign a deed for the estate. Under Ohio law that may be an executor named in a will, an administrator the court appoints, or the heirs themselves after a certificate of transfer. The Stark County probate guide explains the forms and the order they come in, and selling a house in probate covers the sale itself.
Sheriff sales are online every Monday
Stark County sells foreclosed homes online through RealAuction every Monday at 10 a.m., or Tuesday when Monday is a holiday. Each property is posted at least 7 days before its sale.
- Bidders put down a $2,000, $5,000 or $10,000 deposit by wire or ACH, depending on the property. Cash isn’t accepted.
- Tax-certificate foreclosures moved onto the same RealAuction site on August 7, 2023. The sheriff lists the Arts Hall at the Stark County Fairgrounds, 305 Wertz Ave. NW, for delinquent tax sales.
Until the court confirms a sale, an owner can still redeem by paying what is owed. The Stark County sheriff sale guide walks through each step, and our page on selling before a sheriff sale covers what you can still do.
Behind on property taxes: the treasurer’s contract
The Stark County Treasurer offers a written payment plan called a Delinquent Tax Contract, and setting one up is the main way to keep an account away from the prosecutor.
| Delinquent balance | Contract length |
|---|---|
| $1,000 to $1,999 | 12 months |
| $2,000 or more | 24 months |
You pay 20% of the delinquent balance plus the current half-year’s tax when you sign, then monthly installments due on the 20th. A previously defaulted contract makes you ineligible. Once taxes stay unpaid for at least 18 months, or a contract defaults, the account can go to the Prosecuting Attorney for foreclosure; you get 28 days to answer the summons. Call the treasurer’s delinquent tax office at 330-451-7814, and see delinquent property taxes in Ohio for the state rules.
The land bank and vacant property
The Stark County Land Reutilization Corporation, known as the Stark County Land Bank, takes on vacant, tax-delinquent property and pays to clear the worst of it. The county’s Regional Planning Commission manages it.
Two recent cases show how it works. In Canton Township, the former North Industry Elementary School on Wiseland Avenue SE sat empty from 1984, owed $26,392 in back taxes by late 2022, and could pass to the land bank if nobody bid at a foreclosure sale (Canton Repository, December 2022). In downtown Canton, the land bank is reimbursing the city almost $100,000 to demolish the Ritz Hotel apartments (Cleveland 19, March 2026). The Stark County Land Bank guide covers its programs and contacts.
Closing costs and septic rules set by the county
Two county-level costs come up on nearly every Stark sale: the conveyance fee and, for rural homes, a septic inspection.
Conveyance fee. The County Auditor charges $0.004 per dollar of the price, rounded up to the next $100, plus 50 cents per parcel. That is $4 per $1,000, the same as Summit County. The auditor takes check or cash only. Ohio law puts this fee on the seller; the Ohio conveyance fee guide lists the exemptions.
Septic systems. The Stark County Health Department, 7235 Whipple Ave. NW in North Canton (330-493-9904), runs a property transfer inspection program with an evaluation form and a waiver form. Its operation and maintenance rules took effect on February 1, 2023. If your house is on septic, ask about the transfer inspection early, and see selling a house with septic problems.
Rental owners have one more county step. Ohio requires landlords in counties over 200,000 people, Stark included, to file their contact details with the County Auditor.
If you’d like to talk through a Stark County house, get a written offer and Bob will come to you.