Stow’s houses date from a twenty-year boom
Stow more than doubled between 1960 and 1980, from 12,194 people to 25,299, and most of its housing dates from those decades or soon after. The median house in the city was built in 1979, and only about 5% predate 1940.
The town is older than its houses. Joshua Stow bought the township for $14,154 and never lived there. William Walker, the first settler, arrived in 1802. The township was surveyed in 1804, sat in Portage County until 1840, became a village in 1957 and a city after the 1960 census.
What that means for a seller:
- Many homes are now 45 to 60 years old, which is when original roofs, windows, furnaces and sewer lines tend to need replacing together.
- About 64% of Stow’s housing is single-family detached. The rest is condos, apartments and attached homes, which sell with association paperwork.
- The population has slipped since 2010, and the 2020 median age was 41.6, so many sellers are long-time owners moving on.
If that last point is you, selling when downsizing covers timing a move around a sale.
Darrow Road, Route 8 and Kent Road
Stow’s buyers come for the road access. Darrow Road (SR 91) is the main north-south commercial street, Kent Road (SR 59) heads east toward Kent, and SR 8 runs through as a limited-access highway to Akron and Cleveland.
The city borders Hudson to the north, Kent to the east, and Cuyahoga Falls, Munroe Falls and Tallmadge on the west and south. Kent State University’s airport is in Stow at 4020 Kent Road. The Summit Metro Parks Bike & Hike Trail also passes through.
Stow-Munroe Falls City Schools
Stow and most of Munroe Falls share one public district, the Stow-Munroe Falls City School District.
- Elementary schools: Echo Hills, Fishcreek, Highland, Indian Trail, Riverview and Woodland.
- Lakeview Intermediate, Kimpton Middle and Stow-Munroe Falls High School.
- Riverview and Kimpton are physically in Munroe Falls, not Stow.
A buyer moving for the schools may be fine with dated finishes, which helps when you list a sound but old house. A buyer won’t overlook a failing foundation or a wet basement, though, and that is where an as-is sale fits.
Water bills, disclosures and other Stow paperwork
Stow has no point-of-sale inspection, but two city items can come up before closing.
- Unpaid water or sewer charges. Ohio cities can certify unpaid utility charges to the county auditor, where they become a lien on the tax bill. Stow’s code adds a 10% charge when it certifies a balance. The water bill liens guide explains how that gets settled at closing.
- Drug-lab disclosure. A 2025 title-agency list notes that Stow may require a disclosure form where a property has an active meth-lab case. If that could apply to your house, call the city at 330-689-2700 or visit city hall at 3760 Darrow Road.
Beyond the city, the standard Ohio seller disclosure applies, along with the county fee and inspection rules on the Summit County page.
Listing in Stow versus selling as-is
A Stow house that’s been kept up will usually sell well with an agent, and if yours is in that shape, we’ll tell you so. The city’s owner-occupied share is about 72%, and family buyers are steady here.
A direct sale is worth comparing when you’re facing:
- A dated house where the updates would cost more than they’d add.
- An estate with out-of-town heirs who can’t manage showings.
- A short deadline, such as a job move or a foreclosure notice.
How it works shows the three steps, and the walkthrough with Bob takes about 15 to 20 minutes.