Norwalk and Sidney 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
Norwalk
Sidney
Opportunity
51 · Bottom 39%
vs56 · Bottom 49%
Growth
51 · Top 49%
vs49 · Bottom 47%
Climate
68 · Bottom 41%
vs62 · Bottom 19%
Physical resilience
82 · Top 20%
vs87 · Top 14%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 8%
vs100 · Top 8%
Schools
63 · Top 35%
vs52 · Top 49%
Access
87 · Bottom 34%
vs89 · Bottom 39%
Economic stability
49 · Bottom 30%
vs54 · Bottom 38%
Measured values
| Metric | Norwalk | Sidney | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 17,095 | 20,501 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $60,844 | $60,668 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $31,816 | $34,138 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,928/sq mi | 1,713/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $163,300 | $169,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $836 | $869 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 65.1% | 62.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.5% | 3.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.8% | -0.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.4% | 18.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 16.3% | 14.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 40 | 66 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.3 | 3.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 471.4% | 43.5% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 82°F | 84°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 22°F | 18°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 34.0" | 41.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 30 mi | 27 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 22.5 min | 18.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.5 | 40.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 8 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 18.17 | 18.41 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 67.4% | 62.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 64.2% | 60.1% | 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
Norwalk
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind.
Sidney
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, tornado.
Full profiles: Norwalk, OH · Sidney, OH · How this is calculated: methodology