Berea and Westlake 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
Westlake
Opportunity
61 · Top 39%
vs74 · Top 15%
Growth
53 · Top 45%
vs34 · Bottom 22%
Climate
68 · Bottom 43%
vs68 · Bottom 43%
Physical resilience
97 · Top 2%
vs97 · Top 2%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 8%
vs97 · Top 15%
Access
99 · Top 8%
vs99 · Top 8%
Economic stability
63 · Top 43%
vs63 · Top 44%
Measured values
| Metric | Berea | Westlake | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 18,218 | 34,104 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $74,926 | $112,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $38,652 | $69,306 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,207/sq mi | 2,140/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $198,100 | $368,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,062 | $1,570 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 72.9% | 73.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.7% | 3.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.7% | -1.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 37.2% | 60.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 8.1% | 4.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 18 | 38 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.0 | 1.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 200.0% | -50.0% | 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 | 5 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.1 min | 26.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.0 | 46.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 2 | 5 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 19.46 | 14.40 | 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 · Westlake, OH · How this is calculated: methodology