Lakewood and Berea 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
Lakewood
Berea
Opportunity
68 · Top 26%
vs61 · Top 39%
Growth
62 · Top 30%
vs53 · Top 45%
Climate
68 · Bottom 43%
vs68 · Bottom 43%
Physical resilience
97 · Top 2%
vs97 · Top 2%
Housing affordability
90 · Top 33%
vs100 · Top 8%
Access
99 · Top 8%
vs99 · Top 8%
Economic stability
68 · Top 34%
vs63 · Top 43%
Measured values
| Metric | Lakewood | Berea | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 50,007 | 18,218 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $68,954 | $74,926 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $52,111 | $38,652 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 9,022/sq mi | 3,207/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $262,200 | $198,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,070 | $1,062 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 44.4% | 72.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 2.8% | 3.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.7% | -1.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 55.3% | 37.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 10.3% | 8.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 130 | 18 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.6 | 1.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 6400.0% | 200.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 84°F | 84°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 22°F | 22°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 41.0" | 41.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 6 mi | 3 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.0 min | 25.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.5 | 37.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 11 | 2 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.89 | 19.46 | 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.
Full profiles: Lakewood, OH · Berea, OH · How this is calculated: methodology