Amherst receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Amherst
Lorain
Opportunity
64 · Top 33%
vs35 · Bottom 11%
Growth
81 · Top 4%
vs40 · Bottom 32%
Climate
63 · Bottom 28%
vs63 · Bottom 28%
Physical resilience
96 · Top 3%
vs96 · Top 3%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 8%
vs91 · Top 29%
Schools
61 · Top 37%
vs12 · Bottom 3%
Access
93 · Top 44%
vs95 · Top 36%
Economic stability
72 · Top 23%
vs33 · Bottom 10%
Measured values
| Metric | Amherst | Lorain | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 12,906 | 65,395 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $90,725 | $48,685 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $44,275 | $27,589 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,822/sq mi | 2,770/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $239,200 | $139,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $906 | $887 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 88.2% | 57.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.7% | 4.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.7% | -1.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 31.4% | 14.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 6.2% | 25.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 124 | 45 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 9.6 | 0.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 1450.0% | -6.3% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 82°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 20°F | 20°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 36.7" | 36.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 20 mi | 17 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 26.1 min | 26.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 42.8 | 39.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 4 | 25 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 20.19 | 16.05 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 68.7% | 15.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 63.6% | 26.2% | 2019-20 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Full profiles: Amherst, OH · Lorain, OH · How this is calculated: methodology