Hilliard receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Lancaster
Hilliard
Opportunity
67 · Top 27%
vs89 · Top 1%
Growth
56 · Top 39%
vs64 · Top 25%
Climate
63 · Bottom 29%
vs64 · Bottom 31%
Physical resilience
82 · Top 20%
vs77 · Top 28%
Housing affordability
88 · Top 37%
vs100 · Top 8%
Schools
26 · Bottom 18%
vs56 · Top 44%
Access
94 · Top 43%
vs96 · Top 31%
Economic stability
50 · Bottom 32%
vs79 · Top 8%
Measured values
| Metric | Lancaster | Hilliard | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 41,249 | 38,033 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $59,133 | $128,189 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $34,001 | $54,897 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,166/sq mi | 2,675/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $193,900 | $385,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,083 | $1,632 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 59.1% | 68.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% | 3.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.1% | 0.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.9% | 60.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 12.6% | 5.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 229 | 168 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 5.6 | 4.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -67.8% | -17.2% | 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 | 14 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 29.2 min | 23.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.4 | 35.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 12 | 21 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 19.45 | 16.94 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 41.6% | 62.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 51.9% | 60.1% | 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 · Hilliard, OH · How this is calculated: methodology