Lakewood receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Lakewood
Lorain
Opportunity
68 · Top 26%
vs35 · Bottom 11%
Growth
62 · Top 30%
vs40 · Bottom 32%
Climate
68 · Bottom 43%
vs63 · Bottom 28%
Physical resilience
97 · Top 2%
vs96 · Top 3%
Housing affordability
90 · Top 33%
vs91 · Top 29%
Schools
71 · Top 25%
vs12 · Bottom 3%
Access
99 · Top 8%
vs95 · Top 36%
Economic stability
68 · Top 34%
vs33 · Bottom 10%
Measured values
| Metric | Lakewood | Lorain | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 50,007 | 65,395 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $68,954 | $48,685 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $52,111 | $27,589 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 9,022/sq mi | 2,770/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $262,200 | $139,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,070 | $887 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 44.4% | 57.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 2.8% | 4.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.7% | -1.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 55.3% | 14.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 10.3% | 25.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 130 | 45 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.6 | 0.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 6400.0% | -6.3% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 84°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 22°F | 20°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 41.0" | 36.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 6 mi | 17 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.0 min | 26.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.5 | 39.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 11 | 25 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.89 | 16.05 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 68.5% | 15.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 72.0% | 26.2% | 2019-20 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 · Lorain, OH · How this is calculated: methodology