Elyria receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Elyria
Cleveland
Opportunity
49 · Bottom 35%
vs41 · Bottom 19%
Growth
56 · Top 39%
vs53 · Top 45%
Climate
63 · Bottom 28%
vs69 · Bottom 45%
Physical resilience
96 · Top 3%
vs97 · Top 2%
Housing affordability
96 · Top 17%
vs78 · Bottom 45%
Schools
17 · Bottom 8%
vs9 · Bottom 1%
Access
97 · Top 22%
vs99 · Top 8%
Economic stability
44 · Bottom 23%
vs30 · Bottom 7%
Measured values
| Metric | Elyria | Cleveland | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 53,035 | 366,097 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $54,945 | $40,801 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $32,302 | $28,266 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,580/sq mi | 4,710/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $156,100 | $102,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $906 | $945 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 60.0% | 41.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 4.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.7% | -1.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.8% | 22.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 16.7% | 30.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 161 | 825 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.0 | 2.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -10.1% | 42.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 82°F | 81°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 20°F | 24°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 36.7" | 33.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 13 mi | 10 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.0 min | 23.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.4 | 36.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 12 | 133 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.13 | 16.67 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 21.7% | 15.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 35.1% | 23.8% | 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.
Full profiles: Elyria, OH · Cleveland, OH · How this is calculated: methodology