Ohio sales tax rate by county 2026 varies more than most shoppers expect. Ohio’s statewide sales tax is 5.75% — but that’s only the starting point. Every county adds its own levy, and some areas tack on transit-district taxes too. The result: what you pay at the register ranges from 6.50% to 8.25% depending on where you stand.
Below is every one of Ohio’s 88 counties with its current total sales tax rate, based on the Ohio Department of Taxation’s official August 2026 county rate tables, plus the highest/lowest breakdown and the vehicle-tax rule most shoppers get wrong.
Highest and Lowest Sales Tax Rates in Ohio (2026)
Here’s how the Ohio sales tax rate by county 2026 numbers shake out at the extremes:
- Highest (8.00%): Cuyahoga County (Cleveland) and Franklin County (Columbus) — both include a 1% transit tax on top of the 5.75% state + county levies. Parts of Licking County in the COTA transit district hit 8.25%, the highest rate anywhere in the state.
- Lowest (6.50%): Butler, Lorain, Stark, and Wayne counties.
- Just above the floor (6.75%): Ashtabula, Carroll, Clermont, Defiance, Erie, Fairfield, Geauga, Greene, Hancock, Medina, Summit, Trumbull, Tuscarawas, Warren, and Wood counties.
- The most common rate (7.25%): 49 of Ohio’s 88 counties — more than half the state.
Ohio Sales Tax Rate by County 2026: The Complete 88-County Table
“Base rate” is the total rate applying across most of the county. Where noted, transit-district areas charge more — check your ZIP with the Ohio Department of Taxation’s official rate finder before a big purchase.
| County | Total Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Adams | 7.25% | |
| Allen | 6.85% | |
| Ashland | 7.00% | |
| Ashtabula | 6.75% | |
| Athens | 7.25% | |
| Auglaize | 7.25% | |
| Belmont | 7.25% | |
| Brown | 7.00% | |
| Butler | 6.50% | Among the lowest in Ohio |
| Carroll | 6.75% | |
| Champaign | 7.25% | |
| Clark | 7.25% | |
| Clermont | 6.75% | |
| Clinton | 7.25% | |
| Columbiana | 7.25% | |
| Coshocton | 7.75% | |
| Crawford | 7.25% | |
| Cuyahoga | 8.00% | Includes 1% RTA transit tax |
| Darke | 7.25% | |
| Defiance | 6.75% | |
| Delaware | 7.00% | 8.00% in COTA transit-district areas |
| Erie | 6.75% | |
| Fairfield | 6.75% | 7.75% in COTA transit-district areas |
| Fayette | 7.25% | |
| Franklin | 8.00% | Includes 1% COTA transit tax |
| Fulton | 7.25% | |
| Gallia | 7.25% | |
| Geauga | 6.75% | |
| Greene | 6.75% | |
| Guernsey | 7.25% | |
| Hamilton | 7.80% | |
| Hancock | 6.75% | |
| Hardin | 7.25% | |
| Harrison | 7.25% | |
| Henry | 7.25% | |
| Highland | 7.25% | |
| Hocking | 7.25% | |
| Holmes | 7.00% | |
| Huron | 7.25% | |
| Jackson | 7.25% | |
| Jefferson | 7.25% | |
| Knox | 7.25% | |
| Lake | 7.25% | |
| Lawrence | 7.25% | |
| Licking | 7.25% | 8.25% in COTA areas — highest in Ohio |
| Logan | 7.25% | |
| Lorain | 6.50% | Among the lowest in Ohio |
| Lucas | 7.75% | Includes TARTA transit tax |
| Madison | 7.00% | |
| Mahoning | 7.50% | |
| Marion | 7.25% | |
| Medina | 6.75% | |
| Meigs | 7.25% | |
| Mercer | 7.25% | |
| Miami | 7.00% | |
| Monroe | 7.25% | |
| Montgomery | 7.50% | Includes 0.5% transit tax |
| Morgan | 7.25% | |
| Morrow | 7.25% | |
| Muskingum | 7.25% | |
| Noble | 7.25% | |
| Ottawa | 7.00% | |
| Paulding | 7.25% | |
| Perry | 7.25% | |
| Pickaway | 7.25% | |
| Pike | 7.25% | |
| Portage | 7.00% | |
| Preble | 7.25% | |
| Putnam | 7.00% | |
| Richland | 7.00% | |
| Ross | 7.25% | |
| Sandusky | 7.25% | |
| Scioto | 7.25% | |
| Seneca | 7.25% | |
| Shelby | 7.25% | |
| Stark | 6.50% | Among the lowest in Ohio |
| Summit | 6.75% | Includes 0.5% transit tax |
| Trumbull | 6.75% | |
| Tuscarawas | 6.75% | |
| Union | 7.00% | 8.00% in COTA transit-district areas |
| Van Wert | 7.25% | |
| Vinton | 7.25% | |
| Warren | 6.75% | |
| Washington | 7.25% | |
| Wayne | 6.50% | Among the lowest in Ohio |
| Williams | 7.25% | |
| Wood | 6.75% | 7.25% in TARTA transit-district areas |
| Wyandot | 7.25% |
Why Your County Rate Isn’t the Whole Story
These quirks explain why the Ohio sales tax rate by county 2026 table above isn’t the whole story:
- Transit districts cross county lines. COTA (Central Ohio), RTA (Cleveland), and TARTA (Toledo) add taxes in parts of neighboring counties — that’s why Delaware, Licking, Union, Fairfield, and Wood have two rates.
- Vehicle sales tax follows the buyer. Buy a car in a 6.50% county but live in an 8.00% county? You pay your home county’s rate as use tax when you title the vehicle. Dealership-hopping for a lower rate doesn’t work.
- Rates change quarterly. Counties can adjust levies effective January 1, April 1, July 1, or October 1. The table above reflects August 2026; always verify big-ticket purchases with the Ohio Department of Taxation’s official rate finder.
- Unprepared groceries are generally exempt from Ohio sales tax — the rate matters most for dining out, goods, and vehicles.
Planning a Big Purchase? Run the Math First
A 1.5-percentage-point spread between counties sounds small until you apply it to a real purchase. On a $30,000 vehicle, the difference between a 6.50% county (Butler, Lorain, Stark, Wayne) and an 8.00% county (Cuyahoga, Franklin) is $450 — though remember the vehicle use-tax rule means you pay your home county’s rate at titling, so this only helps if you’re genuinely moving or titling in the lower-tax county. Check the Ohio sales tax rate by county 2026 table above to see where your county lands.
For general shopping, the rate differences matter most on appliances, furniture, and electronics. A $2,000 appliance costs $2,130 in a 6.50% county versus $2,165 in a 7.25% county — a $35 difference that can be worth a short drive if you’re already comparison shopping across county lines. Online purchases are generally taxed at the delivery address rate, so shipping to a lower-tax ZIP doesn’t change anything unless the retailer sources the sale there.
How the Rates Break Down
Ohio’s 5.75% state rate has been unchanged since 2013. On top of it:
- County permissive taxes — typically 1.00% to 1.50%, with some counties as low as 0.75% and some above 2%.
- Transit authority taxes — 0.25% to 1.00% in areas served by regional transit systems (RTA in Cleveland, COTA in Columbus, TARTA in Toledo, and smaller systems in Akron, Dayton, and Youngstown).
This layering is why Cuyahoga and Franklin hit 8.00% while rural counties with no transit tax and modest county levies sit at 6.50%. Neither extreme is “wrong” — it’s just local voters and commissioners funding different levels of local services and transit. Homeowners looking to trim their overall tax bill should also see whether they qualify for the Ohio homestead exemption.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Ohio’s state sales tax rate?
5.75% — unchanged since 2013. County levies (roughly 0.75% to 2.25%) and transit taxes stack on top.
Which Ohio county has the highest sales tax?
Cuyahoga and Franklin counties tie at 8.00% countywide; parts of Licking County in the COTA district reach 8.25% — the highest rate in the state.
Which Ohio county has the lowest sales tax?
Butler, Lorain, Stark, and Wayne counties at 6.50%.
Do I pay sales tax based on where I buy or where I live?
For most purchases: where the sale happens (destination sourcing). For vehicles: your county of residence, collected as use tax at titling.
This article is for informational purposes only and is not tax or professional advice. Rates change quarterly; verify current rates with the Ohio Department of Taxation’s official rate finder before relying on them. This Ohio sales tax rate by county 2026 guide reflects August 2026 rates.
Sources: Ohio Department of Taxation, County Rate Table by ZIP Code — August 2026 (api.thefinder.tax.ohio.gov); SalesTaxHandbook county pages (Sept. 2026 updates).
