Updated October 2026 with recorded results from AuctionScout data.
Ohio just closed its biggest first quarter in our data: 2,508 sheriff sale listings statewide in Q1 2026, up 32.8% from 1,889 in Q1 2025. Cuyahoga County alone posted 1,073 listings. More volume does not mean more opportunity: it means more properties to screen, which is where a repeatable county-selection framework earns its keep. Statewide, ATTOM's February 2026 data puts Ohio 4th nationally for foreclosure activity, with 1,842 properties and a 43% year-over-year increase.
That's the macro picture. The county-level data tells a more interesting story, and reading a county recap properly is how you get at it in about a minute per market.
This report covers seven of the Ohio counties AuctionScout tracks, and Q1 revealed sharp divergences in volume and discounts. Some markets sell deep below market value. Others sell closer to it.
Here's what the data says.
Q1 2026 by the numbers
AuctionScout data shows 1,597 sheriff sale listings across these seven counties in Q1, a 67% increase from the 954 listings recorded in Q1 2025. Cuyahoga drove 67% of that volume at 1,073 listings, nearly double its Q1 2025 total of 539. Franklin County nearly doubled its weekly pace by mid-March. Lucas had the deepest Q1 median of the seven: its median sale went 39.6% below est. market value (35 sales).
The volume surge wasn't evenly distributed, and neither were the buying conditions. The county-by-county breakdown tells you where the opportunities actually are.
County-by-county performance rankings
| County | Q1 volume | Q1 median below est. market value (sales) | Investor verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cuyahoga | 1,073 | 33.8% (176) | Volume king. |
| Franklin | 133 | 23.3% (61) | Shallowest discount. Proceed with caution. |
| Summit | 120 | 29.7% (35) | Mid-range discount. |
| Lucas | 108 | 39.6% (35) | Deepest discount. |
| Montgomery | 72 | 26.1% (26) | Thinner margins. |
| Hamilton | 59 | 33.8% (23) | Half the docket withdrawn before sale. |
| Mahoning | 32 | Too few sales | Small market. Cash flow play. |
AuctionScout data for auctions dated January 1 to March 31, 2026, as of October 2026. The median below est. market value covers sales with a market estimate (count in parentheses); we don't publish it for fewer than 20 sales. Ohio sale-rate figures are being re-checked and will return when verified.
A few things stand out. Cuyahoga's 1,073 listings came with a median sale 33.8% below est. market value. Lucas surged to 108 listings in Q1, more than doubling its Q1 2025 volume of 50, and posted the deepest median of the seven (39.6% below).
Mahoning is the small market of the group: 32 listings and 16 sales in Q1, too few for a reliable quarterly discount. Over its two years in our data (March 2024 through March 2026), the median Mahoning sale went 41.2% below est. market value (76 sales).
Franklin sits at the other end. Its Q1 median sale went 23.3% below est. market value, the shallowest of the seven. We'll dig into what that means below.
Spring surge: clearest in Cuyahoga and Franklin
Every Q1, we watch for the spring acceleration in listings. This year it showed most clearly in Cuyahoga and Franklin.
Franklin County saw weekly volume jump from 11 listings to 21, a near-doubling, between the week of March 2 and the week of March 16.
Cuyahoga County delivered a batch week on March 23 with 79 listings. Two weeks earlier, 140 properties were listed. The quarter closed busy, not winding down.
Cuyahoga and Franklin closed the quarter busy: 79 listings in Cuyahoga and 15 in Franklin the week of March 23. Investors who waited for spring conditions to confirm before deploying capital now have the data, county by county.
What Q2 looks like: counties to watch
Based on Q1 trends and all-time performance data, here's how we're reading each county heading into Q2.
Cuyahoga: BUY. The volume is unmatched: 1,073 listings in Q1, nearly double its 539 from Q1 2025, and a median sale 33.8% below est. market value (176 sales). The batch week pattern (large listing dumps followed by slim weeks) rewards investors who track the calendar. If you're active in Cuyahoga, the strategy is simple: show up for batch weeks with capital ready.
Mahoning and Lucas: WATCH. Both posted deep discounts. Mahoning sold 16 of 32 lots in Q1 (50.0%), too few sales for a quarterly discount, but over two years its median sale went 41.2% below est. market value (76 sales). Lucas posted the deepest Q1 median of the seven (39.6% below, 35 sales). The margins look real in both. Watch whether the volume holds before you commit.
Montgomery: WATCH. Montgomery's Q1 median sale went 26.1% below est. market value (26 sales), second-shallowest of the seven. Good market, but monitor closely.
Franklin: CAUTION. Franklin's Q1 median sale went 23.3% below est. market value (61 sales), the shallowest of the seven. If your underwriting needs a deep discount, this market is tight. If you're underwriting on rental yields or neighborhood comps, there may be a thesis, but the margin for error is smaller.
Summit: OPPORTUNISTIC. Summit's Q1 median sale went 29.7% below est. market value (35 sales), between Franklin and Cuyahoga. The discount is middling against the Ohio median and the listed volume is modest, so there is no standout edge. If you're patient and tracking week-to-week data, pick your spots.
Hamilton: HOLD. AuctionScout recorded 30 of Hamilton's 59 Q1 lots as cancelled or withdrawn before the sale. Its Q1 median sale went 33.8% below est. market value (23 sales). In Q2, unless you have specific neighborhood conviction, the steadiest volume is in Cuyahoga.
Keep tracking these counties
Every county above has a recap page on AuctionScout, refreshed weekly, with every auction outcome, sale rates, pricing trends, and the median vs est. market value:
- Cuyahoga County
- Franklin County
- Montgomery County
- Summit County
- Mahoning County
- Hamilton County
- Lucas County
Save a search on AuctionScout for any county you're watching and get daily alerts. Takes 30 seconds.
Or if you want the full picture (AI predictions, renovation estimates, and Deal Analysis for every property at auction) start your free trial. Pro is $49/month.