Lebanon receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Lebanon
Hamilton
Opportunity
78 · Top 10%
vs58 · Top 47%
Growth
53 · Top 45%
vs47 · Bottom 44%
Climate
68 · Bottom 42%
vs64 · Bottom 32%
Physical resilience
90 · Top 11%
vs77 · Top 28%
Housing affordability
95 · Top 20%
vs91 · Top 29%
Schools
71 · Top 25%
vs45 · Bottom 41%
Access
91 · Bottom 47%
vs90 · Bottom 43%
Economic stability
69 · Top 32%
vs42 · Bottom 20%
Measured values
| Metric | Lebanon | Hamilton | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 21,501 | 63,468 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $83,685 | $55,166 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $40,432 | $28,879 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,597/sq mi | 2,957/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $290,200 | $165,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,090 | $1,007 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 61.1% | 54.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.3% | 3.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.7% | 0.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 29.1% | 16.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 8.7% | 19.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 68 | 70 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.2 | 1.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -80.5% | 0.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 86°F | 87°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 22°F | 22°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 41.0" | 41.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 23 mi | 24 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.3 min | 26.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.5 | 34.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 31 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.49 | 16.12 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 73.8% | 55.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 69.6% | 54.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 33.4% | 33.8% | 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.
Physical risk tradeoff
Lebanon
Elevated or high exposure: tornado.
Hamilton
Elevated or high exposure: tornado.
Full profiles: Lebanon, OH · Hamilton, OH · How this is calculated: methodology