Bedford Heights vs Lorain

Which is the better fit for you?

Bedford Heights, OH
61
Area Score
Top 42% nationally
Lorain, OH
55
Area Score
Bottom 36% nationally

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Bedford Heights 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 Bedford Heights to Lorain

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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
−$110 a month
HUD benchmarks it at $1,070 in Lorain against $1,180 in Bedford Heights.
The median home
11% less
$139,200 in Lorain against $156,500 in Bedford Heights.
The weather you would swap
Winters 4°F colder
Normal January lows are 20°F in Lorain against 24°F in Bedford Heights; 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

Bedford Heights
Lorain
Opportunity: Bedford Heights is the more favorable of the two.
Opportunity
56 · Top 50%
vs
43 · Bottom 22%
Growth: Lorain is the more favorable of the two.
Growth
28 · Bottom 12%
vs
37 · Bottom 25%
Climate: Bedford Heights is the more favorable of the two.
Climate
69 · Bottom 45%
vs
63 · Bottom 28%
Physical resilience: Bedford Heights is the more favorable of the two.
Physical resilience
97 · Top 2%
vs
96 · Top 3%
Housing affordability: Bedford Heights is the more favorable of the two.
Housing affordability
73 · Top 32%
vs
68 · Top 46%
Schools: Bedford Heights is the more favorable of the two.
Schools
26 · Bottom 19%
vs
13 · Bottom 6%
Access: Lorain is the more favorable of the two.
Access
94 · Top 44%
vs
95 · Top 39%
Economic stability: Bedford Heights is the more favorable of the two.
Economic stability
53 · Bottom 41%
vs
26 · Bottom 6%

Measured values

MetricBedford HeightsLorainSource period
Population10,84765,3952024 ACS 5-Year
Median household income — the two are too close to separate$50,269 ±$2,197$48,685 ±$3,7572024 ACS 5-Year
Per capita income$34,580 — more favorable$27,5892024 ACS 5-Year
Population density2,386/sq mi2,770/sq mi2024 ACS 5-Year
Median home value$156,500$139,2002024 ACS 5-Year
Median gross rent$1,009$887 — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Market rent, two bedroom$1,180$1,070 — more favorableFY2025
Cost of living index92.992.92023
Homeownership rate44.4%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 higher21.7% — more favorable14.8%2024 ACS 5-Year
Poverty rate12.8% — more favorable25.2%2024 ACS 5-Year
Housing units permitted (12 months)04512 months ending July 2026
Permits per 1,000 residents0.00.7 — more favorable12 months ending July 2026
Permit change (year over year)+48.9%−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 airport18 mi17 mi — more favorableNASR current cycle
Average commute — the two are too close to separate25.1 min ±2.0 min26.0 min ±1.0 min2024 ACS 5-Year
Median age41.139.82024 ACS 5-Year
Students per teacher16.716.0 — more favorable2024-25 school year
Math proficiency53.1% — more favorable40.0%2018-19 school year
Reading proficiency57.8% — 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.

2 rows above show both figures with a ± margin and neither in bold. Those come from the American Community Survey, which samples rather than counts, and the gap between the two is smaller than the uncertainty on the figures themselves — so the survey did not find a difference to report, and calling either one the winner would be reading a result out of noise.

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.

Bedford Heights
—
Bedford Heights: Your Score
61
Area Score
Lorain
—
Lorain: Your Score
55
Area Score

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

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