Cleveland receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Lorain
Cleveland
Opportunity
35 · Bottom 11%
vs41 · Bottom 19%
Growth
40 · Bottom 32%
vs53 · Top 45%
Climate
63 · Bottom 28%
vs69 · Bottom 45%
Physical resilience
96 · Top 3%
vs97 · Top 2%
Housing affordability
91 · Top 29%
vs78 · Bottom 45%
Schools
12 · Bottom 3%
vs9 · Bottom 1%
Access
95 · Top 36%
vs99 · Top 8%
Economic stability
33 · Bottom 10%
vs30 · Bottom 7%
Measured values
| Metric | Lorain | Cleveland | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 65,395 | 366,097 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $48,685 | $40,801 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $27,589 | $28,266 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,770/sq mi | 4,710/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $139,200 | $102,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $887 | $945 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 57.1% | 41.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.7% | 4.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.7% | -1.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 14.8% | 22.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 25.2% | 30.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 45 | 825 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.7 | 2.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -6.3% | 42.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 82°F | 81°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 20°F | 24°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 36.7" | 33.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 17 mi | 10 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 26.0 min | 23.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.8 | 36.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 25 | 133 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.05 | 16.67 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 15.8% | 15.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 26.2% | 23.8% | 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: Lorain, OH · Cleveland, OH · How this is calculated: methodology