Celina and Norwalk 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
Celina
Norwalk
Opportunity
54 · Bottom 46%
vs51 · Bottom 39%
Growth
37 · Bottom 28%
vs51 · Top 49%
Climate
62 · Bottom 22%
vs68 · Bottom 41%
Physical resilience
89 · Top 12%
vs82 · Top 20%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 8%
vs100 · Top 8%
Schools
68 · Top 29%
vs63 · Top 35%
Access
74 · Bottom 16%
vs87 · Bottom 34%
Economic stability
58 · Bottom 45%
vs49 · Bottom 30%
Measured values
| Metric | Celina | Norwalk | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,903 | 17,095 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $62,849 | $60,844 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $31,788 | $31,816 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,168/sq mi | 1,928/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $164,100 | $163,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $760 | $836 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 65.6% | 65.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 2.7% | 3.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.4% | -0.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.2% | 19.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 11.4% | 16.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 15 | 40 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.4 | 2.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 7.1% | 471.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 84°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 19°F | 22°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 39.8" | 34.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 49 mi | 30 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 20.0 min | 22.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 41.1 | 39.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 5 | 6 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.99 | 18.17 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 76.2% | 67.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 59.8% | 64.2% | 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
Celina
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, tornado.
Norwalk
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind.
Full profiles: Celina, OH · Norwalk, OH · How this is calculated: methodology