Defiance and Findlay 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
Defiance
Findlay
Opportunity
60 · Top 43%
vs56 · Bottom 49%
Growth
54 · Top 43%
vs58 · Top 36%
Climate
62 · Bottom 20%
vs63 · Bottom 30%
Physical resilience
50 · Bottom 43%
vs52 · Bottom 45%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 8%
vs96 · Top 16%
Schools
52 · Top 49%
vs57 · Top 43%
Access
82 · Bottom 25%
vs82 · Bottom 24%
Economic stability
47 · Bottom 27%
vs55 · Bottom 40%
Measured values
| Metric | Defiance | Findlay | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 17,276 | 40,287 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $61,439 | $61,423 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $35,146 | $37,029 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,342/sq mi | 2,049/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $139,900 | $191,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $853 | $975 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 69.1% | 59.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.3% | 3.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.5% | -0.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.1% | 30.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 14.7% | 12.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 31 | 261 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.8 | 6.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 34.8% | 11.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 84°F | 85°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 18°F | 20°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 33.0" | 33.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 36 mi | 38 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 19.7 min | 17.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 41.8 | 38.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 8 | 14 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.80 | 18.67 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 61.1% | 63.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 58.4% | 61.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 33.4% | 40.4% | 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.
Physical risk tradeoff
Defiance
Elevated or high exposure: tornado, inland flooding.
Findlay
Elevated or high exposure: hail, strong wind.
Full profiles: Defiance, OH · Findlay, OH · How this is calculated: methodology