Norwood receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Norwood
Fairfield
Opportunity
73 · Top 18%
vs75 · Top 13%
Growth
51 · Top 49%
vs21 · Bottom 9%
Climate
69 · Bottom 46%
vs64 · Bottom 32%
Physical resilience
89 · Top 12%
vs77 · Top 28%
Housing affordability
93 · Top 24%
vs97 · Top 14%
Schools
38 · Bottom 33%
vs34 · Bottom 28%
Access
97 · Top 30%
vs93 · Top 47%
Economic stability
52 · Bottom 35%
vs67 · Top 36%
Measured values
| Metric | Norwood | Fairfield | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 19,114 | 44,828 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $71,611 | $77,937 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $43,110 | $40,668 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 6,081/sq mi | 2,152/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $258,700 | $234,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $981 | $1,242 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 47.5% | 63.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.7% | 3.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.8% | 0.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 41.3% | 30.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 17.5% | 8.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 91 | 1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.8 | 0.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -38.5% | -96.6% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 87°F | 87°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 24°F | 22°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 43.4" | 41.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 14 mi | 21 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.0 min | 24.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 32.8 | 38.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 8 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.03 | 20.52 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 41.1% | 52.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 56.0% | 54.1% | 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
Norwood
Elevated or high exposure: tornado.
Fairfield
Elevated or high exposure: tornado.
Full profiles: Norwood, OH · Fairfield, OH · How this is calculated: methodology