Hilliard and Delaware 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
Hilliard
Delaware
Opportunity
89 · Top 1%
vs85 · Top 3%
Growth
64 · Top 25%
vs69 · Top 18%
Climate
64 · Bottom 31%
vs64 · Bottom 31%
Physical resilience
77 · Top 28%
vs83 · Top 20%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 8%
vs98 · Top 13%
Schools
56 · Top 44%
vs47 · Bottom 44%
Access
96 · Top 31%
vs92 · Top 50%
Economic stability
79 · Top 8%
vs71 · Top 26%
Measured values
| Metric | Hilliard | Delaware | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 38,033 | 44,589 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $128,189 | $99,786 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $54,897 | $44,497 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,675/sq mi | 2,203/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $385,100 | $318,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,632 | $1,286 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 68.7% | 64.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.0% | 3.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.1% | 0.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 60.3% | 47.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 5.8% | 7.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 168 | 386 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.4 | 8.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -17.2% | -31.3% | 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 | 14 mi | 22 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.5 min | 27.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.8 | 36.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 21 | 14 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.94 | 18.17 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 62.7% | 53.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 60.1% | 62.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 34.7% | 29.5% | 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
Hilliard
No hazard reaches elevated exposure.
Delaware
Elevated or high exposure: tornado.
Full profiles: Hilliard, OH · Delaware, OH · How this is calculated: methodology