Findlay and Defiance 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
Findlay
Defiance
Opportunity
56 · Bottom 49%
vs60 · Top 43%
Growth
58 · Top 36%
vs54 · Top 43%
Climate
63 · Bottom 30%
vs62 · Bottom 20%
Physical resilience
52 · Bottom 45%
vs50 · Bottom 43%
Housing affordability
96 · Top 16%
vs100 · Top 8%
Schools
57 · Top 43%
vs52 · Top 49%
Access
82 · Bottom 24%
vs82 · Bottom 25%
Economic stability
55 · Bottom 40%
vs47 · Bottom 27%
Measured values
| Metric | Findlay | Defiance | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 40,287 | 17,276 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $61,423 | $61,439 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $37,029 | $35,146 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,049/sq mi | 1,342/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $191,000 | $139,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $975 | $853 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 59.9% | 69.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.7% | 3.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.3% | -0.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 30.6% | 21.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 12.3% | 14.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 261 | 31 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 6.5 | 1.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 11.1% | 34.8% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 85°F | 84°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 20°F | 18°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 33.8" | 33.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 38 mi | 36 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 17.7 min | 19.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.0 | 41.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 14 | 8 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 18.67 | 16.80 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 63.9% | 61.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 61.9% | 58.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 40.4% | 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
Findlay
Elevated or high exposure: hail, strong wind.
Defiance
Elevated or high exposure: tornado, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Findlay, OH · Defiance, OH · How this is calculated: methodology