Fairborn receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Fairborn
Kettering
Opportunity
75 · Top 14%
vs79 · Top 8%
Growth
76 · Top 9%
vs22 · Bottom 9%
Climate
68 · Bottom 41%
vs68 · Bottom 42%
Physical resilience
93 · Top 8%
vs86 · Top 15%
Housing affordability
98 · Top 13%
vs100 · Top 8%
Schools
29 · Bottom 21%
vs53 · Top 48%
Access
97 · Top 23%
vs96 · Top 32%
Economic stability
57 · Bottom 43%
vs68 · Top 35%
Measured values
| Metric | Fairborn | Kettering | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 34,534 | 57,206 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $61,751 | $74,681 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $37,921 | $43,234 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,370/sq mi | 3,057/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $175,000 | $208,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $977 | $1,051 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 51.2% | 64.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.3% | 3.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.8% | 0.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 30.2% | 41.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 13.7% | 8.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 203 | 5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 5.9 | 0.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 128.1% | -54.5% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 86°F | 86°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 22°F | 22°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 41.3" | 41.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 13 mi | 15 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 22.7 min | 22.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.7 | 38.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 4 | 15 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.64 | 17.53 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 42.3% | 56.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 49.1% | 64.3% | 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
Fairborn
Elevated or high exposure: tornado.
Kettering
No hazard reaches elevated exposure.
Full profiles: Fairborn, OH · Kettering, OH · How this is calculated: methodology