Delaware and Hilliard 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
Delaware
Hilliard
Opportunity
85 · Top 3%
vs89 · Top 1%
Growth
69 · Top 18%
vs64 · Top 25%
Climate
64 · Bottom 31%
vs64 · Bottom 31%
Physical resilience
83 · Top 20%
vs77 · Top 28%
Housing affordability
98 · Top 13%
vs100 · Top 8%
Schools
47 · Bottom 44%
vs56 · Top 44%
Access
92 · Top 50%
vs96 · Top 31%
Economic stability
71 · Top 26%
vs79 · Top 8%
Measured values
| Metric | Delaware | Hilliard | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 44,589 | 38,033 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $99,786 | $128,189 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $44,497 | $54,897 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,203/sq mi | 2,675/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $318,400 | $385,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,286 | $1,632 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 64.7% | 68.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.2% | 3.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.1% | 0.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 47.8% | 60.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 7.8% | 5.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 386 | 168 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 8.7 | 4.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -31.3% | -17.2% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 84°F | 84°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 21°F | 21°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 35.8" | 35.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 22 mi | 14 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 27.0 min | 23.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.9 | 35.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 14 | 21 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 18.17 | 16.94 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 53.3% | 62.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 62.8% | 60.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 29.5% | 34.7% | 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
Delaware
Elevated or high exposure: tornado.
Hilliard
No hazard reaches elevated exposure.
Full profiles: Delaware, OH · Hilliard, OH · How this is calculated: methodology