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
Middletown
Opportunity
73 · Top 18%
vs55 · Bottom 48%
Growth
51 · Top 49%
vs78 · Top 6%
Climate
69 · Bottom 46%
vs68 · Bottom 42%
Physical resilience
89 · Top 12%
vs79 · Top 26%
Housing affordability
93 · Top 24%
vs93 · Top 25%
Schools
38 · Bottom 33%
vs22 · Bottom 14%
Access
97 · Top 30%
vs87 · Bottom 34%
Economic stability
52 · Bottom 35%
vs47 · Bottom 26%
Measured values
| Metric | Norwood | Middletown | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 19,114 | 51,617 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $71,611 | $57,102 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $43,110 | $31,456 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 6,081/sq mi | 1,972/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $258,700 | $164,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $981 | $1,007 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 47.5% | 54.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.7% | 4.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.8% | 0.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 41.3% | 17.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 17.5% | 17.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 91 | 387 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.8 | 7.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -38.5% | 360.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 87°F | 86°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 24°F | 22°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 43.4" | 41.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 14 mi | 29 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.0 min | 25.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 32.8 | 38.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 22 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.03 | 18.97 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 41.1% | 41.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 56.0% | 45.9% | 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.
Physical risk tradeoff
Norwood
Elevated or high exposure: tornado.
Middletown
Elevated or high exposure: tornado.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Norwood
70
Your Score
71
Area Score
Middletown
66
Your Score
66
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Norwood, OH · Middletown, OH · How this is calculated: methodology