Niles and Canton receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Niles
Canton
Opportunity
42 · Bottom 20%
vs40 · Bottom 17%
Growth
44 · Bottom 38%
vs40 · Bottom 33%
Climate
63 · Bottom 25%
vs63 · Bottom 29%
Physical resilience
85 · Top 17%
vs91 · Top 10%
Housing affordability
98 · Top 12%
vs87 · Top 38%
Schools
26 · Bottom 17%
vs30 · Bottom 22%
Access
100 · Top 3%
vs99 · Top 8%
Economic stability
39 · Bottom 17%
vs31 · Bottom 8%
Measured values
| Metric | Niles | Canton | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 18,287 | 69,755 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $50,953 | $43,188 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $31,468 | $24,690 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,113/sq mi | 2,630/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $116,300 | $97,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $798 | $850 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 53.7% | 48.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.0% | 4.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.1% | -0.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.2% | 16.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 16.2% | 27.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 5 | 24 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.3 | 0.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 400.0% | 9.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 83°F | 84°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 19°F | 20°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 41.2" | 41.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 6 mi | 8 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 22.3 min | 20.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 43.2 | 35.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 5 | 36 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.77 | 17.30 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 40.6% | 46.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 44.0% | 48.0% | 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
Niles
No hazard reaches elevated exposure.
Canton
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Full profiles: Niles, OH · Canton, OH · How this is calculated: methodology