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
Parma
Opportunity
68 · Top 26%
vs60 · Top 41%
Growth
62 · Top 30%
vs40 · Bottom 31%
Climate
68 · Bottom 43%
vs68 · Bottom 43%
Physical resilience
97 · Top 2%
vs97 · Top 2%
Housing affordability
90 · Top 33%
vs98 · Top 12%
Schools
71 · Top 25%
vs31 · Bottom 23%
Access
99 · Top 8%
vs99 · Top 8%
Economic stability
68 · Top 34%
vs65 · Top 41%
Measured values
| Metric | Lakewood | Parma | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 50,007 | 79,870 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $68,954 | $69,295 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $52,111 | $36,896 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 9,022/sq mi | 3,989/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $262,200 | $170,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,070 | $1,087 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 44.4% | 72.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 2.8% | 3.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.7% | -1.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 55.3% | 24.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 10.3% | 10.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 130 | 22 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.6 | 0.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 6400.0% | 175.0% | 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 | 7 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.0 min | 25.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.5 | 42.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 11 | 9 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.89 | 18.20 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 68.5% | 44.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 72.0% | 52.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 39.8% | 76.6% | 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 · Parma, OH · How this is calculated: methodology