Beachwood vs Lorain

Which is the better fit for you?

Beachwood, OH
73
Area Score
Top 7% nationally
Lorain, OH
55
Area Score
Bottom 36% nationally

Want a third or fourth place beside these? Open them in the shortlist and add more.

Beachwood receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.

If you are moving

What the difference in prices, rent, homes and weather comes to, using the published figures for the two places. Add your income to see what it would take to keep pace.

Moving from Beachwood to Lorain

It stays in this browser and is never sent anywhere.

Everyday prices
About the same
Regional price level 92.9 against 92.9 (US = 100). Both places sit in the same price region, so the index cannot tell them apart.
Income to keep the same purchasing power
Enter your household income to see it.
A new two-bedroom lease
−$620 a month
HUD benchmarks it at $1,070 in Lorain against $1,690 in Beachwood.
The median home
66% less
$139,200 in Lorain against $410,300 in Beachwood.
The weather you would swap
Winters 4°F colder
Normal January lows are 20°F in Lorain against 24°F in Beachwood; July highs are 82°F against 81°F (summers 1°F hotter).

These are differences between published figures, not a forecast of your budget. Income and sales taxes, commuting, schools, insurance and the job you would actually get are not in them, and a price index describes a metropolitan area, so two places in one metro read the same. HUD’s rent is a benchmark for a new lease, not a listing.

Signals

Beachwood
Lorain
Opportunity: Beachwood is the more favorable of the two.
Opportunity
75 · Top 16%
vs
43 · Bottom 22%
Growth: Beachwood is the more favorable of the two.
Growth
40 · Bottom 28%
vs
37 · Bottom 25%
Climate: Beachwood is the more favorable of the two.
Climate
69 · Bottom 45%
vs
63 · Bottom 28%
Physical resilience: Beachwood is the more favorable of the two.
Physical resilience
97 · Top 2%
vs
96 · Top 3%
Housing affordability: Beachwood is the more favorable of the two.
Housing affordability
75 · Top 24%
vs
68 · Top 46%
Schools: Beachwood is the more favorable of the two.
Schools
64 · Top 32%
vs
13 · Bottom 6%
Access: Lorain is the more favorable of the two.
Access
94 · Top 45%
vs
95 · Top 39%
Economic stability: Beachwood is the more favorable of the two.
Economic stability
76 · Top 9%
vs
26 · Bottom 6%

Measured values

MetricBeachwoodLorainSource period
Population13,86565,3952024 ACS 5-Year
Median household income$106,748 — more favorable$48,6852024 ACS 5-Year
Per capita income$69,275 — more favorable$27,5892024 ACS 5-Year
Population density2,634/sq mi2,770/sq mi2024 ACS 5-Year
Median home value$410,300$139,2002024 ACS 5-Year
Median gross rent$2,047$887 — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Market rent, two bedroom$1,690$1,070 — more favorableFY2025
Cost of living index92.992.92023
Homeownership rate53.7%57.1%2024 ACS 5-Year
Unemployment rate3.3% — more favorable4.2%July 2026
Employment change (year over year)−1.2% — more favorable−1.3%July 2026
Bachelor's degree or higher65.3% — more favorable14.8%2024 ACS 5-Year
Poverty rate2.8% — more favorable25.2%2024 ACS 5-Year
Housing units permitted (12 months)104512 months ending July 2026
Permits per 1,000 residents0.70.712 months ending July 2026
Permit change (year over year)+11.1%−6.3%12 months ending July 2026
Average July high81°F82°F1991-2020 Normals
Average January low24°F20°F1991-2020 Normals
Annual precipitation33.3"36.7"1991-2020 Normals
Distance to major airport19 mi17 mi — more favorableNASR current cycle
Average commute19.8 min — more favorable26.0 min2024 ACS 5-Year
Median age48.439.82024 ACS 5-Year
Public schools9252024-25 school year
Students per teacher16.216.0 — more favorable2024-25 school year
Math proficiency67.4% — more favorable40.0%2018-19 school year
Reading proficiency70.8% — more favorable42.7%2018-19 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.

The number of units permitted is not marked because the larger place always permits more; the per-resident rate is the fair comparison. The year-over-year change is not marked either: a percentage on fewer than 300 units swings on a handful of permits.

Your best match

Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.

Beachwood
—
Beachwood: Your Score
73
Area Score
Lorain
—
Lorain: Your Score
55
Area Score

Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.

Full profiles: Beachwood, OH · Lorain, OH · How this is calculated: methodology