Sandusky receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Kingston
Sandusky
Opportunity: Sandusky is the more favorable of the two.
Opportunity
67 · Top 28%
vs74 · Top 18%
Growth: Kingston is the more favorable of the two.
Growth
53 · Top 45%
vs49 · Bottom 49%
Climate: Sandusky is the more favorable of the two.
Climate
60 · Bottom 25%
vs68 · Top 46%
Physical resilience: Sandusky is the more favorable of the two.
Physical resilience
71 · Top 26%
vs81 · Top 13%
Housing affordability: Sandusky is the more favorable of the two.
Housing affordability
84 · Bottom 24%
vs100 · Top 27%
Access: Kingston is the more favorable of the two.
Access
86 · Top 32%
vs74 · Bottom 46%
Economic stability: Sandusky is the more favorable of the two.
Economic stability
37 · Bottom 31%
vs48 · Bottom 46%
Measured values
| Metric | Kingston | Sandusky | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 182,601 | 114,575 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $86,271 | $73,502 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $47,778 | $43,625 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 162/sq mi | 226/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $352,500 | $207,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,425 | $932 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 69.9% | 76.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.7% | 3.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.1% | 1.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 38.2% | 29.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 14.6% | 11.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 600 | 349 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.3 | 3.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 4.0% | 23.8% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 83°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 16°F | 22°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 45.8" | 34.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 32 mi | 49 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 28.6 min | 23.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 44.1 | 47.1 | 2024 ACS 5-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
Kingston
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, cold wave.
Sandusky
Elevated or high exposure: tornado.
Full profiles: Kingston, NY Metro Area · Sandusky, OH Metro Area · How this is calculated: methodology