Canton and Niles 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
Canton
Niles
Opportunity
40 · Bottom 17%
vs42 · Bottom 20%
Growth
40 · Bottom 33%
vs44 · Bottom 38%
Climate
63 · Bottom 29%
vs63 · Bottom 25%
Physical resilience
91 · Top 10%
vs85 · Top 17%
Housing affordability
87 · Top 38%
vs98 · Top 12%
Schools
30 · Bottom 22%
vs26 · Bottom 17%
Access
99 · Top 8%
vs100 · Top 3%
Economic stability
31 · Bottom 8%
vs39 · Bottom 17%
Measured values
| Metric | Canton | Niles | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 69,755 | 18,287 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $43,188 | $50,953 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $24,690 | $31,468 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,630/sq mi | 2,113/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $97,800 | $116,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $850 | $798 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 48.7% | 53.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.6% | 5.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.6% | -0.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.4% | 21.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 27.4% | 16.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 24 | 5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.3 | 0.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 9.1% | 400.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 84°F | 83°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 20°F | 19°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 41.6" | 41.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 8 mi | 6 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 20.7 min | 22.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.2 | 43.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 36 | 5 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.30 | 15.77 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 46.6% | 40.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 48.0% | 44.0% | 2019-20 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.
Physical risk tradeoff
Canton
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Niles
No hazard reaches elevated exposure.
Full profiles: Canton, OH · Niles, OH · How this is calculated: methodology