Berea and Lakewood receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Berea
Lakewood
Opportunity
61 · Top 39%
vs68 · Top 26%
Growth
53 · Top 45%
vs62 · Top 30%
Climate
68 · Bottom 43%
vs68 · Bottom 43%
Physical resilience
97 · Top 2%
vs97 · Top 2%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 8%
vs90 · Top 33%
Access
99 · Top 8%
vs99 · Top 8%
Economic stability
63 · Top 43%
vs68 · Top 34%
Measured values
| Metric | Berea | Lakewood | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 18,218 | 50,007 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $74,926 | $68,954 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $38,652 | $52,111 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,207/sq mi | 9,022/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $198,100 | $262,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,062 | $1,070 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 72.9% | 44.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.7% | 2.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.7% | -1.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 37.2% | 55.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 8.1% | 10.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 18 | 130 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.0 | 2.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 200.0% | 6400.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 84°F | 84°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 22°F | 22°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 41.0" | 41.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 3 mi | 6 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.1 min | 24.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.0 | 35.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 2 | 11 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 19.46 | 16.89 | 2024-25 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: Berea, OH · Lakewood, OH · How this is calculated: methodology