Dublin receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Lancaster
Dublin
Opportunity
67 · Top 27%
vs88 · Top 1%
Growth
56 · Top 39%
vs62 · Top 30%
Climate
63 · Bottom 29%
vs64 · Bottom 31%
Physical resilience
82 · Top 20%
vs78 · Top 27%
Housing affordability
88 · Top 37%
vs94 · Top 22%
Schools
26 · Bottom 18%
vs75 · Top 20%
Access
94 · Top 43%
vs95 · Top 34%
Economic stability
50 · Bottom 32%
vs79 · Top 9%
Measured values
| Metric | Lancaster | Dublin | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 41,249 | 49,294 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $59,133 | $160,296 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $34,001 | $74,247 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,166/sq mi | 1,997/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $193,900 | $563,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,083 | $1,686 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 59.1% | 77.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% | 2.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.1% | 0.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.9% | 73.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 12.6% | 3.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 229 | 146 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 5.6 | 3.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -67.8% | 20.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 84°F | 84°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 20°F | 21°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 40.3" | 35.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 18 mi | 16 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 29.2 min | 24.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.4 | 43.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 12 | 20 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 19.45 | 17.94 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 41.6% | 76.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 51.9% | 74.2% | 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: Lancaster, OH · Dublin, OH · How this is calculated: methodology