New Albany receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
New Albany
Lancaster
Opportunity
88 · Top 1%
vs67 · Top 27%
Growth
70 · Top 17%
vs56 · Top 39%
Climate
68 · Bottom 42%
vs63 · Bottom 29%
Physical resilience
78 · Top 27%
vs82 · Top 20%
Housing affordability
97 · Top 14%
vs88 · Top 37%
Schools
84 · Top 8%
vs26 · Bottom 18%
Access
99 · Top 8%
vs94 · Top 43%
Economic stability
77 · Top 13%
vs50 · Bottom 32%
Measured values
| Metric | New Albany | Lancaster | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,896 | 41,249 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $238,250 | $59,133 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $114,920 | $34,001 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 531/sq mi | 2,166/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $772,100 | $193,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,355 | $1,083 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 88.7% | 59.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% | 3.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.1% | 0.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 79.4% | 21.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 1.4% | 12.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 54 | 229 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 5.0 | 5.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 5.9% | -67.8% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 85°F | 84°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 22°F | 20°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 41.6" | 40.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 9 mi | 18 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.7 min | 29.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 42.5 | 37.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 5 | 12 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.92 | 19.45 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 85.8% | 41.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 82.4% | 51.9% | 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.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
New Albany
83
Your Score
82
Area Score
Lancaster
66
Your Score
66
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: New Albany, OH · Lancaster, OH · How this is calculated: methodology