Centerville vs. Springboro vs. Washington Township: Where Should You Live in South Dayton?
Plus a quick look at Clearcreek Township
By Chip James, REALTOR® since 2007 | Coldwell Banker Heritage
Springboro native | Washington Township resident
Updated October 1, 2026
I get asked this question more than almost any other:
“Should we look in Centerville, Springboro, or Washington Township?”
I have a pretty personal answer.
I grew up in Springboro and graduated from Springboro High School. I went down the road to Miami University in Oxford and got my degree in communications. Today, I'm raising my family in Washington Township, and I've spent the last 19 years helping buyers and sellers throughout South Dayton.
So I know all three areas really well, and I like all three for different reasons.
I'm not going to tell you that one is “the best.” That's usually not how it works anyway. The better question is which one fits the way you want to live.
And there is a fourth area that belongs in the conversation too: Clearcreek Township, especially once the search starts moving toward larger lots, custom homes and a higher price point.
Here's how I usually explain the differences.
The Quick Answer
MLS data is from closed sales between October 1, 2025 and September 30, 2026, grouped by municipality in the Dayton REALTORS® MLS.
If I had to boil it down...
- Centerville makes a lot of sense if you like established neighborhoods, good access to restaurants and shopping, and the feel of Uptown Centerville.
- Washington Township gives you many of the same schools, parks and community amenities, but with no local township income tax and often a little more flexibility when it comes to newer homes, larger lots and different housing styles.
- Springboro has its own identity. It feels more like its own town, it has direct access to I-75, and it's in a really convenient spot if your life takes you toward both Dayton and Cincinnati.
And if you're starting to look at bigger lots, custom homes or higher-end properties, Clearcreek Township should probably be on your radar too.
First, a Local Secret: Centerville and Washington Township Are Closely Connected
This surprises a lot of people moving here.
Centerville is a city. Washington Township is the township that surrounds it.
But in real life, the two are very intertwined.
They share Centerville City Schools, the Washington-Centerville Public Library, and the Centerville-Washington Park District.
A lot of people who live here don't even think much about where Centerville ends and Washington Township begins until taxes or a specific property address comes into play.
So when you're comparing Centerville and Washington Township, you're often really comparing two things:
Taxes and housing.
Taxes: Where the Three Really Differ
Local income tax
But I want to be careful here, because just looking at those percentages can be misleading.
Centerville residents can receive a credit of up to 2.25% for qualifying municipal income tax paid to another city.
Springboro has a 1.5% income tax rate, but its credit for tax paid to another municipality is currently limited to 1%.
Washington Township doesn't levy a local income tax. That does not mean someone who lives in Washington Township automatically pays no city income tax. If you work in a city that collects an income tax, you're still generally paying that tax where you work.
So I would never tell a buyer, “Move to Washington Township and you'll automatically save 2.25%.”
It depends on where you work.
If taxes are a meaningful part of your decision, we can figure out exactly which municipality a house is in and what the property taxes look like, but your CPA or tax preparer should be the one to help you calculate your actual income-tax situation.
Property taxes
Property taxes are a little different.
They can vary by exact address, even between homes that seem like they are in the same general area.
Before a client falls in love with a house, I like to pull the actual tax bill rather than throwing around a generic “Centerville taxes” or “Springboro taxes” number.
The house you're buying is what matters.
Schools
Schools are obviously a big part of the conversation for a lot of people moving to South Dayton.
Centerville and Washington Township are both served by Centerville City Schools.
Springboro is served by Springboro Community City Schools.
Here's the part that trips people up: a mailing address, a municipality and a school district aren't always the same thing.
You can have a Centerville mailing address and not actually live inside the City of Centerville.
You can have a Springboro mailing address and not necessarily be inside the City of Springboro.
So when we're looking at a specific house, I don't guess based on the address. I verify the actual school district.
If schools are important to your move, I'd also encourage you to look directly at the district websites, Ohio School Report Cards, class offerings, extracurriculars and whatever else is important to your family rather than relying only on somebody else's ranking.
Three Things People Moving Here Often Don't Realize
Restaurants, Coffee and Date Night
Between Uptown Centerville and the Cornerstone area, there are just more good options.
Uptown has places like Meridien, Agave & Rye and Felicity. Cornerstone has Cooper's Hawk and plenty of other places nearby.
And I really like what has happened in Uptown over the last several years.
It used to feel more like the historic intersection at Main and Franklin. Now there's been a real effort to make the area more walkable and more of a destination, and it keeps getting better.
Washington Township basically borrows Centerville's restaurant scene.
Depending on where you live, you can be in Uptown, Cornerstone or Cross Pointe in just a few minutes.
That's one of the reasons my family likes living here.
Springboro has heart.
I grew up there, so I'm probably a little biased, but I think its strength is the places that feel like they've been part of the community forever.
K&W Drive-In has been on South Main Street since 1963.
The Donut Haus is basically a Saturday morning tradition for a lot of Springboro families, and yes, get the apple fritter.
Heather's has become another local favorite, especially when the patio is open. Heather is a Springboro grad too, which feels very on-brand for Springboro.
Springboro has continued improving its downtown and the Wright Station area too.
What it doesn't have, in my opinion, is the same depth of date-night restaurants you'll find in Centerville.
A lot of people in Springboro end up going north to Austin Landing or Centerville for dinner.
For some people, that's completely irrelevant.
For other people, being able to leave the house and be sitting at a good restaurant ten minutes later is a real part of the lifestyle they're looking for.
What Homes Are Actually Selling For
This is where things get interesting.
I pulled every closed sale from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026 and grouped them by municipality in the Dayton REALTORS® MLS.
A few things jump out at me.
First, Springboro and Washington Township are almost identical when you look only at median sale price.
Washington Township was $420,000.
Springboro was $422,000.
But Springboro sold for a higher median price per square foot, $174 compared with $158 in Washington Township.
That's a good example of why I don't love using one number to tell someone which area is “more expensive.”
The houses themselves are different.
Centerville is another good example.
Its median sale price was lower at $350,000, but its median price per square foot was actually higher than Washington Township at $163.
Again, different homes. Different sizes. Different ages. Different lots.
Then there's Clearcreek Township.
Its median sale price was $558,000, and its median sold price per square foot was $185, both the highest of these four areas.
That makes sense based on what I see every day. Clearcreek tends to have more larger-lot, custom and higher-end properties in the mix.
The other thing I found interesting was how similar the markets were when it came to actual selling activity.
Median days on market ranged from just 27 to 30 days, and all four areas averaged about 99% of asking price.
So the price and type of house changed quite a bit from one area to another.
The actual pace of the market really didn't.
And that's why I like looking at real MLS data instead of just saying one suburb is “more expensive” than another.
Commute & Getting Around
All three main areas are pretty well positioned, but for different reasons.
Centerville and Washington Township sit along I-675, which makes it easy to get to I-75, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Kettering, Beavercreek and downtown Dayton.
Springboro sits right along I-75.
That's a big reason it works well for households that spend time in both Dayton and Cincinnati.
Clearcreek is a little more property-specific. Depending on where you are in the township, your drive can change quite a bit.
That's another reason I tell clients to look at the commute from the actual house instead of just looking at the name of the town.
So, Which One Is Right for You?
Here's how I usually help clients think about it.
...And if you're still torn, that's completely normal. Honestly, the best way to decide is to spend some time in each one.
Grab donuts in Springboro. Walk around Uptown Centerville. Drive through a few Washington Township neighborhoods. If you want more land or custom homes, keep heading south into Clearcreek.
Then go look at houses. You'll feel the difference pretty quickly.
FAQs
Centerville is a city. Washington Township is the township that surrounds it.
They have different local governments and different income-tax rules, but they share Centerville City Schools, the Washington-Centerville Public Library and the Centerville-Washington Park District.
No.
Washington Township does not levy a local income tax.
If you work in a city that has an income tax, though, you may still pay that city's income tax on your wages.
Centerville's current income-tax rate is 2.25%.
Residents can receive credit of up to 2.25% for qualifying municipal income taxes paid to another city.
Springboro's current city income-tax rate is 1.5%.
Its credit for qualifying taxes paid to another municipality is currently limited to 1%.
No.
That's one of the more confusing things for buyers moving into the area.
A home can have a Centerville mailing address but actually be located in Washington Township.
That's why I verify the municipality for the specific house.
Not exactly.
The city, school district and mailing address don't all have identical boundaries.
Again, I verify the school district when we're looking at a specific property.
For closed sales from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026:
Centerville: $350,000 median sold price
Washington Township: $420,000
Springboro: $422,000
Clearcreek Township: $558,000
Those numbers come from Dayton REALTORS® MLS data grouped by municipality.
Clearcreek Township had the highest median sold price per square foot at $185.
Springboro was $174, Centerville was $163, and Washington Township was $158.
Honestly, there wasn't much difference.
Median days on market ranged from 27 days in Clearcreek Township to 30 days in Washington Township and Springboro.
Centerville was 28 days.
All four areas averaged about 99% of asking price.
Centerville and Washington Township both have a good selection of ranch homes, condos and patio-home communities.
Inventory changes constantly, but that's an area of the market I work in quite a bit.
I also maintain CentervilleCondo.com specifically for buyers researching condos and patio homes in the area.
Sources and Methodology
I want this page to be useful, not just another generic “best suburbs of Dayton” article.
So I update the numbers when they change.
Real estate statistics: Dayton REALTORS® MLS. Closed-sale data covers October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026 and is grouped using the municipality field in the MLS.
Municipal information: City of Centerville, Washington Township and City of Springboro.
Schools: Centerville City Schools, Springboro Community City Schools and Ohio School Report Cards.
Library and parks: Washington-Centerville Public Library and Centerville-Washington Park District.
Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
Real estate numbers change constantly and can look very different depending on the neighborhood, price range and type of house.
Tax laws and tax rates can change too. If you're making a decision based on taxes, verify the current information with the municipality and your tax professional.
ABOUT ME
I'm Chip James, and I've been a REALTOR® in the Dayton area since 2007.
I was born in Centerville, grew up in Springboro, graduated from Springboro High School before earned my degree from Miami University in Oxford.
Today I live in Washington Township and spend most of my working days helping people buy and sell homes throughout South Dayton, especially Centerville, Washington Township, Springboro and Clearcreek Township.
I'm with Coldwell Banker Heritage.
THINKING ABOUT MAKING A MOVE?
If you're trying to decide between Centerville, Washington Township, Springboro or Clearcreek Township, you don't have to figure it all out before you call me.
That's part of what I help people do.
We can look at the actual neighborhoods, houses, property taxes, commute and current MLS numbers and figure out what fits your life.
Chip James | REALTOR® | Coldwell Banker Heritage | 937.902.1918
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