Community Comparison October 16, 2026

Wilmington vs. Xenia vs. Hillsboro: How the Three County Seats Compare on Price, Taxes and Commute

Wilmington (Clinton County), Xenia (Greene County), and Hillsboro (Highland County) are the three county seats of southwest Ohio where Glasshouse Realty does most of its work, and their 12-month median home prices sit within about $6,000 of each other. The differences are not in the price tags; they are in the running costs. On a $250,000 home, Greene County carries roughly $1,300 to $1,500 more per year in property tax than the other two, and drive times to the same metro can differ by more than an hour. Here is the county-by-county data.

A wide elevated view of a small Ohio county seat in late October, with a brick courthouse clock tower rising over a historic downtown, autumn maples in orange and gold, and farmland on the horizon

Each of the three towns is its county's seat of government, but the homes, tax bills, and drive times around them are very different.

How do the three county seats compare on price, taxes and commute right now?

The fastest way to see the whole picture is one table. The figures below combine public market data from Redfin, Movoto, and RealtyTrac for the last 12 months, property tax estimates from Ownwell and tax-rates.org, and route-calculator drive times. Medians are approximate, every source measures a slightly different window, and a specific street can sit well above or below its town number. The point of the table is the spread between the towns, not the precision of any single cell.

Table 1. County seats compared: population, median sale price, price per square foot, median effective property tax rate, estimated annual tax on a $250,000 home, and real property conveyance fee for Wilmington (Clinton), Xenia (Greene), and Hillsboro (Highland) counties, Ohio. Sources: Redfin, Movoto, Ownwell, tax-rates.org, and each county auditor.

County seat (county) Population 2020 Median sale price, 12 mo Median price / sq ft Median effective tax rate Est. tax on $250K home Transfer fee / $1,000
Wilmington (Clinton) ~12,664 ~$265,000 ~$179 ~1.19% county median ~$2,975 $3.50
Xenia (Greene) ~25,441 ~$261,000 ~$162 ~1.74% county median ~$4,350 $2.00
Hillsboro (Highland) ~6,481 ~$267,000 ~$176 ~1.13% county median ~$2,825 $3.00

The finding that matters most: all three towns sit in a tight price band around $261,000 to $267,000, yet the same-priced home carries a property tax bill that is roughly $1,300 to $1,500 a year higher in Xenia than in Wilmington or Hillsboro. On a 30-year mortgage that compounds into five figures of total cost. Meanwhile the drive to the nearest big city ranges from about 22 minutes out of Xenia to well over an hour out of Hillsboro. In other words, the price tag is the least useful number for telling these three markets apart.

Two honest caveats before we go further. First, medians hide the entry-level market: Hillsboro's Redfin ZIP median runs closer to $195,000 and Xenia's 3-month city median closer to $224,000, so first-time buyers in all three towns can find more affordable inventory than the 12-month medians suggest. Second, the tax rates above are countywide medians; homes inside the city of Wilmington run near 1.48%, and any specific address can sit above or below its county median. We unpack both below.

Wilmington: the middle of the map, and the anchor of this market

Wilmington is the seat of Clinton County and the anchor of the area Glasshouse Realty serves from its downtown office. Its roughly 12,664 residents (2020 census) sit about equidistant from Dayton, Cincinnati, and Columbus, which is exactly how the commute table below reads: roughly an hour or less to all three. The 45177 ZIP's 12-month median sale price is about $265,000 at roughly $179 per square foot, per Redfin.

The town carries a deep local history: Quaker settlers founded it, and it bills itself as the birthplace of the banana split, credited to restaurant owner Ernest Hazard in 1907 and celebrated each June at the Banana Split Festival. Its biggest economic landmark is the Wilmington Air Park, a former U.S. Army air field and later the DHL and Airborne Express cargo hub, now a major industrial park that anchors many of the county's jobs. Historic downtown streets, the Murphy Theatre, and the surrounding Wilmington neighborhoods give the town its walkable, small-city feel.

For a fuller look at the market, our Clinton County page and the Wilmington Market Report carry the inventory and price detail, and the $250,000 price comparison shows what the same budget buys across Clinton County towns.

Xenia: the Dayton-adjacent option with the higher tax bill

Xenia is the seat of Greene County and the largest of the three towns at roughly 25,441 residents (2020 census). It sits about 15 to 16 miles east of downtown Dayton, and that proximity is its defining feature: a commute to Dayton of roughly 21 to 23 minutes, versus 35 to 40 minutes out of Wilmington and more than an hour out of Hillsboro. Redfin puts the 45385 ZIP's 12-month median sale price around $261,000 at roughly $162 per square foot.

Xenia brands itself as the Bicycle Capital of the Midwest. Former rail lines were converted into a network of trails that meet at Xenia Station, a rebuilt 1880s-style brick depot where four routes converge, including the roughly 78-mile Little Miami Scenic Trail that runs from near Cincinnati to Springfield. The town was founded in 1803 and rebuilt extensively after the April 1974 tornado, so its housing stock mixes pre-war homes with later reconstruction.

The tradeoff buyers weigh most is the tax bill. Greene County's median effective rate of about 1.74% is the highest of the three counties, so the same $250,000 home runs roughly $4,350 a year here. The Greene County page and the three-county property tax comparison break down where that millage comes from.

Hillsboro: the rural county seat with the lowest taxes and the longest drive

Hillsboro is the seat of Highland County and the smallest of the three at roughly 6,481 residents (2020 census). It sits east of Cincinnati and west of Chillicothe, and the county's hilly terrain splits the watersheds of the Little Miami and Scioto rivers. Published 12-month figures vary more here than in the other two towns: Movoto's September 2026 reading put the median near $267,000 at roughly $176 per square foot, while Redfin's 45133 ZIP median runs closer to $195,000. Part of that spread is the mix of village homes and the acreage properties that ring the town.

The town's character is small and scenic: the historic Bell Opera House anchors High Street, and Rocky Fork Lake State Park, about 5 miles east, offers camping, fishing, boating, and swimming. The county seat carries Highland County's lowest median effective tax rate of the three counties at about 1.13%, so a $250,000 home runs roughly $2,825 a year, the cheapest bill in this comparison.

What Hillsboro costs is time: every commute to Dayton, Cincinnati, or Columbus runs roughly 72 to 86 minutes, which makes it the option for buyers who work local, work remotely, or simply prize the rural setting. See the Highland County page and the well and septic guide for what that countryside lifestyle involves.

What do the drive times actually look like?

All three county seats sit inside the triangle formed by Dayton, Cincinnati, and Columbus, but each anchors a different corner of it. The numbers below are route-calculator estimates for normal traffic; morning and evening peak add minutes on the approach to each downtown, and Ohio weather changes everything in winter. For the full breakdown of routes and highways out of Wilmington, our commute guide goes deeper, and the cost-of-living page puts the fuel math into a monthly budget.

Table 2. Approximate one-way drive times and distances to downtown Dayton, Cincinnati, and Columbus from Wilmington, Xenia, and Hillsboro, based on route-calculator estimates (Trippy, MapSof, Rome2rio). Check live traffic for your specific work hours.

From Dayton (downtown) Cincinnati (downtown) Columbus (downtown)
Wilmington 35-40 min, ~40 mi 40-50 min, ~45 mi 55-65 min
Xenia 21-23 min, ~15-16 mi 58-64 min, ~50-54 mi 62-64 min, ~62-63 mi
Hillsboro 72-75 min, ~56 mi 74-77 min, ~57 mi ~86 min, ~78 mi

The geography tells a clean story. Xenia is effectively a Dayton commuter town: 21 to 23 minutes puts downtown Dayton in reach for a daily drive, which is rare in this part of Ohio. Wilmington is the balanced option, roughly an hour or less to all three metros, which suits hybrid schedules and weekend trips equally. Hillsboro is the outlier: over an hour to every metro, so it makes sense only when the commute is occasional or the job is local.

A two-lane rural Ohio highway in October receding toward a distant small town with a water tower and grain elevator on the horizon, with autumn trees in orange and gold lining the road

Hillsboro's position on the far side of the drive-time table is a feature for some buyers and a deal-breaker for others.

How do property taxes compare across the three counties?

Ohio property tax is not one rate per county. Each bill is the sum of levies from the county, your township or city, and your school district, so two homes sold for the same dollar amount can carry bills that differ by more than a thousand dollars a year. The median effective rate is the cleanest way to compare because it already accounts for Ohio's 35% assessment ratio. For the full mechanics of the Ohio formula, our three-county tax comparison and the Wilmington property tax guide walk through every step.

Table 3. Median effective property tax rate and estimated annual bill on a $250,000 home in Clinton, Greene, and Highland counties, based on countywide median effective rates reported by Ownwell and tax-rates.org for 2025 to 2026. Verify any address with the county auditor.

County (county seat) Median effective rate Est. annual bill on $250,000 Est. monthly What moves the number
Clinton (Wilmington) ~1.19% ~$2,975 ~$248 County inside millage cut from 3.0 to 2.5 mills for tax year 2025; homes inside Wilmington City run near 1.48%
Greene (Xenia) ~1.74% ~$4,350 ~$363 Xenia Community City School District runs about 72.7 gross mills; district millage varies widely
Highland (Hillsboro) ~1.13% ~$2,825 ~$235 Lowest of the three counties; bills vary across the districts serving the county

The spread is real money: a $250,000 home pays roughly $1,375 to $1,525 more per year in Greene County than in the other two, about $115 to $127 a month. Over a 30-year mortgage at a flat rate, that compounds into a five-figure difference in total cost. For anyone comparing a home in Wilmington against one in Xenia or Hillsboro, the tax line belongs in the monthly budget next to the mortgage payment.

Use Table 3 as a planning tool, not a bill. The only way to know what a specific home will cost is to look up its parcel with the Clinton County Auditor , the Greene County Auditor , or the Highland County Auditor . The current owner's most recent full-year bill is the most accurate starting point of all.

How we walk buyers through a cross-county search

As the Glasshouse Realty team with a downtown Wilmington office, we regularly sit down with buyers who are comparing all three of these county seats, and the exercise always starts the same way: we pull the sold comps, the current owner's tax bill, and the drive time for each address on the shortlist, then line them up in one table like Table 1 above. What most often surprises out-of-county buyers is not the price difference, because there often is not one. It is how far apart the running costs are once the tax bill and the commute go into the same column.

In our experience, buyers who start with a flexible county but a firm budget end up comparing a Xenia home that costs the same as a Wilmington home but taxes hundreds of dollars higher, or a Hillsboro home that saves on tax but costs an extra hour of driving on any metro commute. The deciding factor is rarely the sticker price. It is the combination of the tax bill, the weekday commute, the school district boundary, and, outside town limits, well and septic upkeep. We lay the numbers out side by side and let them do the talking.

Which school district serves each county seat?

District boundaries, not town limits, determine the school district for any specific address. As a general map, Wilmington properties are served by the Wilmington City School District, Xenia properties by the Xenia Community City Schools, and Hillsboro properties by the Hillsboro City Schools. The Ohio Department of Education report cards publish the district data, and our schools guide explains how to read it. We report district assignments and point to the public data; the choice of a district is a personal decision for each family.

Practical takeaways for buyers comparing county seats

1. Ignore the sticker price; compare the monthly cost

All three towns sit near $260,000 to $267,000 at the median, so the price tag will not separate them. Build the monthly picture from the property tax estimate in Table 3 plus the fuel for the commute in Table 2 before you rule a county in or out.

2. Let the weekday drive decide the county

If a daily drive to downtown Dayton is in your future, Xenia's 21 to 23 minutes is in a different league from anything the other two towns offer. If your commute is occasional or local, Wilmington's hour-or-less to all three metros and Hillsboro's quiet distance both become viable.

3. Pull the real tax bill, not the estimate

Ask your agent for the current owner's most recent full-year bill, then confirm the parcel with the right auditor: Clinton, Greene, or Highland. The real bill beats every estimate, including the ones in this article.

4. Remember the transfer fee when you eventually sell

Ohio's conveyance fee is not the same in every county: Clinton charges $3.50 per $1,000, Greene $2.00, and Highland $3.00. It usually lands on the seller, so it belongs in the long-term cost math of any cross-county purchase. Our seller closing costs guide runs the full numbers.

5. Verify the school district for the exact address

A few streets can change the district, and district data is public in the Ohio report cards. Confirm the assignment with the district for any address you shortlist; district boundaries are data, and the decision about them is yours.

A daytime view down a small-town Ohio main street with historic brick and painted masonry buildings, a hand-painted mural on the side of a brick building, and a clear blue sky

Wilmington's historic downtown anchors the Clinton County market that Glasshouse Realty calls home.

County seat questions buyers ask us most

Which county seat has the most affordable homes: Wilmington, Xenia, or Hillsboro?

On 12-month medians the three are nearly tied at roughly $265,000 (Wilmington), $261,000 (Xenia), and $267,000 (Hillsboro). The entry-level market is where they diverge: Hillsboro's Redfin ZIP median runs closer to $195,000, and Xenia's 3-month city median closer to $224,000. For the lowest floor on pricing, the data points to Hillsboro, with the caveat that its inventory skews more rural.

Which county has lower property taxes: Clinton, Greene, or Highland?

Highland is the lowest at about 1.13% (roughly $2,825 on a $250,000 home), Clinton is in the middle at about 1.19% (roughly $2,975), and Greene is the highest at about 1.74% (roughly $4,350). Note that homes inside the city of Wilmington run near 1.48%, higher than the county median.

Which county seat has the shortest commute to Dayton, Cincinnati, or Columbus?

Xenia to Dayton is the standout at roughly 21 to 23 minutes. Wilmington is the balanced middle at roughly an hour or less to all three. Hillsboro runs roughly 72 to 86 minutes to every metro, the longest in the comparison.

Why do Xenia homes cost about the same as Wilmington homes but carry higher taxes?

Because the bill is the sum of county, township or city, and school district levies, and Greene County plus the Xenia Community City School District carry higher combined millage. A similar sale price can therefore produce a very different annual bill, which is why the tax line belongs in every cross-county budget.

How do I look up the exact property tax bill on a home in each county?

Use the parcel search on the Clinton County Auditor, the Greene County Auditor, or the Highland County Auditor, and ask the listing agent or seller for the current owner's most recent full-year bill.

What school districts serve the three county seats?

Wilmington City School District, Xenia Community City Schools, and Hillsboro City Schools, by town. Boundaries, not town limits, make the final call for any address, so verify with the district and review the Ohio Department of Education report cards on your own terms.

This article is general education, not tax, legal, or mortgage advice. Figures come from the public sources linked below, they change every month, and every home is different. Confirm prices through your agent's comparable sales, confirm taxes with the appropriate county auditor, and consult qualified professionals for tax, title, and mortgage matters before you commit to any offer.

Authoritative sources referenced in this guide

See these numbers on the ground

The fastest way to feel the difference between Xenia's Dayton commute, Wilmington's middle-of-the-map position, and Hillsboro's rural distance is to drive it yourself. We can set up tours in all three county seats, pull the sold comps and current tax bills for the homes you like, and lay out the commute math before you make an offer. Reach the Wilmington office at (937) 949-0006, use the contact page, or start with a free home valuation if you are selling one of these counties instead. Equal Housing Opportunity.

Contact the Wilmington Office Read the Three-County Tax Comparison