Brunswick vs Lorain

Which is the better fit for you?

Brunswick, OH
71
Area Score
Top 11% 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.

Brunswick 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 Brunswick 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
−$260 a month
HUD benchmarks it at $1,070 in Lorain against $1,330 in Brunswick.
The median home
44% less
$139,200 in Lorain against $249,100 in Brunswick.
The weather you would swap
Winters 2°F colder
Normal January lows are 20°F in Lorain against 22°F in Brunswick; July highs are 82°F against 84°F (summers 2°F cooler).

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

Brunswick
Lorain
Opportunity: Brunswick is the more favorable of the two.
Opportunity
71 · Top 22%
vs
43 · Bottom 22%
Growth: Lorain is the more favorable of the two.
Growth
29 · Bottom 14%
vs
37 · Bottom 25%
Climate: Brunswick is the more favorable of the two.
Climate
68 · Bottom 43%
vs
63 · Bottom 28%
Physical resilience: Lorain is the more favorable of the two.
Physical resilience
95 · Top 5%
vs
96 · Top 3%
Housing affordability: Brunswick is the more favorable of the two.
Housing affordability
76 · Top 23%
vs
68 · Top 46%
Schools: Brunswick is the more favorable of the two.
Schools
69 · Top 25%
vs
13 · Bottom 6%
Access: Brunswick is the more favorable of the two.
Access
98 · Top 22%
vs
95 · Top 39%
Economic stability: Brunswick is the more favorable of the two.
Economic stability
74 · Top 16%
vs
26 · Bottom 6%

Measured values

MetricBrunswickLorainSource period
Population35,24665,3952024 ACS 5-Year
Median household income$90,663 — more favorable$48,6852024 ACS 5-Year
Per capita income$43,190 — more favorable$27,5892024 ACS 5-Year
Population density2,712/sq mi2,770/sq mi2024 ACS 5-Year
Median home value$249,100$139,2002024 ACS 5-Year
Median gross rent$1,157$887 — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Market rent, two bedroom$1,330$1,070 — more favorableFY2025
Cost of living index92.992.92023
Homeownership rate74.7%57.1%2024 ACS 5-Year
Unemployment rate2.7% — more favorable4.2%July 2026
Employment change (year over year)−1.2% — more favorable−1.3%July 2026
Bachelor's degree or higher27.9% — more favorable14.8%2024 ACS 5-Year
Poverty rate6.1% — more favorable25.2%2024 ACS 5-Year
Housing units permitted (12 months)304512 months ending July 2026
Permits per 1,000 residents0.9 — more favorable0.712 months ending July 2026
Permit change (year over year)−30.2%−6.3%12 months ending July 2026
Average July high84°F82°F1991-2020 Normals
Average January low22°F20°F1991-2020 Normals
Annual precipitation41.0"36.7"1991-2020 Normals
Distance to major airport11 mi — more favorable17 miNASR current cycle
Average commute29.1 min26.0 min — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Median age41.039.82024 ACS 5-Year
Public schools8252024-25 school year
Students per teacher17.816.0 — more favorable2024-25 school year
Math proficiency71.2% — more favorable40.0%2018-19 school year
Reading proficiency76.3% — 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.

Brunswick
—
Brunswick: Your Score
71
Area Score
Lorain
—
Lorain: Your Score
55
Area Score

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

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