Massillon receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Massillon
Norwalk
Opportunity
57 · Top 49%
vs51 · Bottom 39%
Growth
60 · Top 32%
vs51 · Top 49%
Climate
63 · Bottom 29%
vs68 · Bottom 41%
Physical resilience
91 · Top 10%
vs82 · Top 20%
Housing affordability
99 · Top 10%
vs100 · Top 8%
Schools
68 · Top 30%
vs63 · Top 35%
Access
100 · Top 3%
vs87 · Bottom 34%
Economic stability
53 · Bottom 35%
vs49 · Bottom 30%
Measured values
| Metric | Massillon | Norwalk | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 32,338 | 17,095 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $56,446 | $60,844 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $32,391 | $31,816 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,705/sq mi | 1,928/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $149,900 | $163,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $862 | $836 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 65.2% | 65.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.7% | 3.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.6% | -0.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.8% | 19.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 13.9% | 16.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 160 | 40 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.9 | 2.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -9.1% | 471.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 84°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 20°F | 22°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 41.6" | 34.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 10 mi | 30 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.5 min | 22.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 41.0 | 39.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 22 | 6 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 18.38 | 18.17 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 67.7% | 67.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 71.4% | 64.2% | 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.
Physical risk tradeoff
Massillon
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Norwalk
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind.
Full profiles: Massillon, OH · Norwalk, OH · How this is calculated: methodology