Lebanon receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Fairfield
Lebanon
Opportunity
75 · Top 13%
vs78 · Top 10%
Growth
21 · Bottom 9%
vs53 · Top 45%
Climate
64 · Bottom 32%
vs68 · Bottom 42%
Physical resilience
77 · Top 28%
vs90 · Top 11%
Housing affordability
97 · Top 14%
vs95 · Top 20%
Schools
34 · Bottom 28%
vs71 · Top 25%
Access
93 · Top 47%
vs91 · Bottom 47%
Economic stability
67 · Top 36%
vs69 · Top 32%
Measured values
| Metric | Fairfield | Lebanon | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 44,828 | 21,501 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $77,937 | $83,685 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $40,668 | $40,432 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,152/sq mi | 1,597/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $234,500 | $290,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,242 | $1,090 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 63.2% | 61.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% | 3.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.7% | 0.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 30.7% | 29.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 8.4% | 8.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 1 | 68 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.0 | 3.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -96.6% | -80.5% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 87°F | 86°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 22°F | 22°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 41.4" | 41.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 21 mi | 23 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.4 min | 25.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.1 | 38.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 8 | 6 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 20.52 | 17.49 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 52.1% | 73.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 54.1% | 69.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 60.0% | 33.4% | 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
Fairfield
Elevated or high exposure: tornado.
Lebanon
Elevated or high exposure: tornado.
Full profiles: Fairfield, OH · Lebanon, OH · How this is calculated: methodology