Lebanon City Schools in 2026: A 4.5-Star Rating and Home Values Near $402,300

Lebanon, Ohio is the seat of Warren County, the growth corridor between Cincinnati and Dayton, and its school district just posted its strongest state report card in years. Lebanon City Schools earned 4.5 stars out of 5 on the 2026 Ohio State Report Card, up from 4.0 the prior year, while Lebanon's typical home value reached about $402,300 as of August 2026. This guide lays out the verified numbers behind both stories, the district's ratings, what homes actually cost in the 45036 ZIP, and what families moving to the I-71 corridor should budget beyond the sale price.

The 2026 Ohio Report Card: Lebanon Moves to 4.5 Stars

The Ohio Department of Education released the 2025-26 school year report cards on September 15, 2026, and Lebanon City Schools came in at 4.5 stars overall, up from 4.0 stars the year before. The biggest gains were in the College, Career, Workforce, and Military Readiness component, which jumped from 2 stars to 4 stars, and the district held 5-star ratings in both Progress and Gap Closing. The one soft spot is Early Literacy, which remained at 3 stars and is the metric most families with younger children ask about first.

Lebanon City Schools serves roughly 5,300 students across its campus of elementary, intermediate, middle, and high school buildings, with a graduation rate near 93 percent. After a decade of steady growth in Warren County, the district is also building for more students, which matters for buyers who want a school system that can absorb the new neighborhoods going up along the I-71 corridor. Our Lebanon City Schools district profile covers the individual buildings, attendance areas, and test-score history, and you can check the state's own Lebanon City Schools report card page for the full component breakdown.

What the 2026 Home Value Data Shows in Lebanon

The price picture depends on which tracker and which period you read, so it is worth naming the differences. Zillow's Home Value Index put Lebanon's typical home value at $402,300 as of August 2026, up 2.4 percent year over year. Redfin's city-level data showed a median sale price near $340,000 in February 2026, up 15.5 percent from a year earlier, a steeper jump that reflects the smaller winter sample. For the 45036 ZIP, RealtyTrac reported a median sold price of about $405,900 in September 2026, up 6.8 percent year over year, while Movoto's May 2026 ZIP read came in higher at about $486,300. The honest summary: a typical Lebanon home is worth just over $400,000, and recent sale medians have ranged from the mid-$300,000s to the low-to-mid $400,000s depending on the month and the sampling.

Speed is part of the story too, and the two measures can look contradictory until you separate them. A 2026 Zillow snapshot showed Lebanon homes going pending in about nine days with roughly 101 homes on the market, while Redfin's ZIP-level data put average days on market near 67 to 69 days in early 2026, up from about 52 a year earlier, with sales closing about 3 percent below list. Pending time captures how fast well-priced homes get offers; days on market counts every listing, including the ones that sat and repriced. Sale-to-list ratios for individual 45036 homes ran about 97 to 99 percent. Sellers who price precisely still sell quickly, and buyers who wait for broad price drops are betting against a market that keeps posting modest yearly gains. Our Lebanon market update goes deeper on new construction, inventory, and the buyer and seller math.

A Town That Grows With Its Schools

Lebanon's growth is measurable and recent. The U.S. Census Bureau's 2025 estimate put the city at 22,110 residents as of July 1, 2025, up 6.0 percent from the 2020 census base of 20,856, with the July 2024 estimate at 21,995. That kind of compounding growth is exactly what fills classrooms and keeps the new-home market active. Founded in 1802, before Ohio statehood, Lebanon keeps a walkable six-block downtown of shops and restaurants, and it is home to The Golden Lamb, Ohio's oldest continuously operating business and inn, licensed on December 23, 1803 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Twelve U.S. presidents and guests including Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Neil Armstrong have stayed there.

Location is the other half of the draw. Kings Island is about 7 to 9 miles away, roughly a 15 to 17 minute drive via SR 48, and downtown Cincinnati runs about 28 to 32 miles, roughly 32 to 37 minutes via I-71. Dayton is about 27 miles in the other direction, a 30 to 40 minute drive by I-75 or SR 48. That dual-metro position is rare, and it is why buyers compare Lebanon against communities in both regions. Start with our Warren County guide and Greater Cincinnati region page, then dig into what it is like to live in Lebanon for the street-level view of the historic district and the newer subdivisions.

Budgeting Beyond the Price: Taxes and Programs

Lebanon levies a municipal income tax of 1.5 percent on earned income, a rate that took effect January 1, 2024, with a work-city credit of up to 1 percent for residents who work in a city that also taxes wages. The city's finance department publishes the current rate and filing rules, and a Glasshouse agent can pull the exact numbers for your situation before you make an offer. First-time buyers should also check the statewide programs from the Ohio Housing Finance Agency, including down payment assistance, which applies to Ohio purchases beyond just the Dayton metro. Our buyer's guide walks through pre-approval, offers, inspections, and closing so the budget math is complete before you start touring homes.

What Sellers Should Know in Lebanon

Lebanon sellers hold a strong card: the district's improved rating is the kind of headline buyers search for, and new report card numbers are already feeding listing descriptions. But the market rewards precision, not optimism. With sale-to-list ratios near 97 to 99 percent and new construction competing along the corridor, a home priced against recent comps in its own subdivision still gets offers fast, while an aggressive list price buys you a longer days-on-market clock. Present the school story, the commute math, and the neighborhood walkability up front, and let the price do the work. The seller's guide covers pricing strategy, disclosures, and the Ohio paperwork in order.

Watching a market like Lebanon from the outside is one thing; working it every day is another. If you are an Ohio agent who wants to grow with the Warren County corridor, our join Glasshouse Realty page lays out how an independent brokerage supports agents across the Cincinnati, Dayton, and Cleveland markets.