Portage County, Ohio

Hybrid163,839 residents

County research last verified 2026-07. Office holders, platforms, and deposit rules change — re-confirm anything time-sensitive.

Sale typestate default

Hybrid

Redemption periodstate default

1 year from lien certificate sale (varies); forfeiture-to-deed track has no redemption once complete

Investor returnstate default

Lien: up to 18% per annum, county-set

Governing statutestate default

Ohio Revised Code Ch. 5721

Notes

Ohio dual track: (1) Portage Treasurer tax lien certificate sale under ORC 5721 — delinquency portfolio certificates (contact Treasurer for whether current cycle is bulk institutional vs individual; many OH peers are bulk-only). (2) Sheriff sales: civil/mortgage often on RealAuction (portage.sheriffsaleauction.ohio.gov); delinquent TAX sales held IN PERSON Mondays 11:00 a.m. at Portage County Justice Center courtroom, 8240 Infirmary Rd, Ravenna — 10% of bid deposit for tax sales. Akron east / Kent State metro (Kent, Ravenna, Streetsboro, Aurora fringe).

Auction logistics

Format

In-person (tax sheriff sales); online RealAuction (civil); certificates when offered

Frequency

Tax sales Mondays 11:00 a.m. at Justice Center when set; civil calendar on RealAuction

Platform

Portage County Sheriff Sales + Treasurer Tax Lien Sale ↗

Deposit rules

Tax sales: 10% of bid deposit. Civil/residential third-party deposits commonly $2,000 / $5,000 / $10,000 by appraisal band (cashier’s check); judgment creditor deposit rules differ. Unpaid balance within 30 days of confirmation entry filing. Purchaser Information Form at auction. AS IS — no interior access.

Title risk

Liens that survive the sale

Tax certificate is lien-only until foreclosure. Sheriff tax deed generally clears junior private liens; federal liens can survive.

Quiet title

Common after tax-deed/sheriff purchase before resale in Kent–Ravenna market.

Deal maths for Ohio

Assessment ratio: 0.35× of market value
Typical quiet title: $1,800–$5,000 · 5 mo
Recording and transfer: $150

R.C. 5715.01: taxable value is the percentage of true value the tax commissioner sets by rule, capped at 35%. The rule has been at the 35% ceiling for decades and applies uniformly statewide, with no classification by property type and no county overrides.

Offices and records

Tax collector

Portage County Treasurer — Tax Lien Sale ↗

330-297-3586

Clerk of court

Portage County Clerk of Courts ↗

Property appraiser

Portage County Auditor — Property Search ↗

GIS / parcel map

Portage County GIS / Auditor maps ↗

Areas trending up

Directional read from dated market analysis — not a guarantee, and not a substitute for your own comps.

Kent / Kent State campus edge

University renter demand and selective multifamily absorption

Streetsboro / I-480–Ohio Turnpike node

Logistics and retail employment supporting workforce housing demand

Aurora / northeastern Portage fringe

Higher-end school-driven demand with tighter inventory than Ravenna core