Oakbrook vs Cincinnati

Which is the better fit for you?

Oakbrook, KY
78
Area Score
Top 1% nationally
Cincinnati, OH
64
Area Score
Top 30% nationally

Want a third or fourth place beside these? Open them in the shortlist and add more.

Oakbrook receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.

If you are moving

What the difference in prices, rent, homes and weather comes to, using the published figures for the two places. Add your income to see what it would take to keep pace.

Moving from Oakbrook to Cincinnati

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Everyday prices
About the same
Regional price level 94.2 against 94.2 (US = 100). Both places sit in the same price region, so the index cannot tell them apart.
Income to keep the same purchasing power
Enter your household income to see it.
A new two-bedroom lease
−$372 a month
HUD benchmarks it at $1,188 in Cincinnati against $1,560 in Oakbrook.
The median home
11% less
$230,900 in Cincinnati against $260,700 in Oakbrook.
The weather you would swap
Winters 1°F milder
Normal January lows are 24°F in Cincinnati against 23°F in Oakbrook; July highs are 87°F against 86°F (summers 1°F hotter).

These are differences between published figures, not a forecast of your budget. Income and sales taxes, commuting, schools, insurance and the job you would actually get are not in them, and a price index describes a metropolitan area, so two places in one metro read the same. HUD’s rent is a benchmark for a new lease, not a listing.

Signals

Oakbrook
Cincinnati
Opportunity: Oakbrook is the more favorable of the two.
Opportunity
74 · Top 17%
vs
63 · Top 37%
Growth: Oakbrook is the more favorable of the two.
Growth
73 · Top 11%
vs
65 · Top 22%
Climate
69 · Bottom 45%
vs
69 · Bottom 46%
Physical resilience: Cincinnati is the more favorable of the two.
Physical resilience
85 · Top 17%
vs
89 · Top 12%
Housing affordability: Oakbrook is the more favorable of the two.
Housing affordability
86 · Top 5%
vs
72 · Top 33%
Schools: Oakbrook is the more favorable of the two.
Schools
76 · Top 17%
vs
18 · Bottom 10%
Access: Oakbrook is the more favorable of the two.
Access
99 · Top 16%
vs
98 · Top 17%
Economic stability: Oakbrook is the more favorable of the two.
Economic stability
79 · Top 5%
vs
36 · Bottom 16%

Measured values

MetricOakbrookCincinnatiSource period
Population10,211311,2242024 ACS 5-Year
Median household income$94,652 — more favorable$52,9092024 ACS 5-Year
Per capita income$46,643 — more favorable$40,3242024 ACS 5-Year
Population density3,193/sq mi3,994/sq mi2024 ACS 5-Year
Median home value$260,700$230,9002024 ACS 5-Year
Median gross rent$1,665$1,001 — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Market rent, two bedroom$1,560$1,188 — more favorableFY2026
Cost of living index94.294.22023
Homeownership rate87.2%39.8%2024 ACS 5-Year
Unemployment rate4.3%3.9% — more favorableJuly 2026
Employment change (year over year)+1.7% — more favorable+0.6%July 2026
Bachelor's degree or higher35.6%41.8% — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Poverty rate2.0% — more favorable23.0%2024 ACS 5-Year
Housing units permitted (12 months)88098412 months ending July 2026
Permits per 1,000 residents6.3 — more favorable3.212 months ending July 2026
Permit change (year over year)+1.0%+268.5% — more favorable12 months ending July 2026
Average July high86°F87°F1991-2020 Normals
Average January low23°F24°F1991-2020 Normals
Annual precipitation45.3"43.4"1991-2020 Normals
Distance to major airport4 mi — more favorable11 miNASR current cycle
Average commute27.0 min24.1 min — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Median age43.433.22024 ACS 5-Year
Students per teacher15.6 — more favorable16.32024-25 school year
Math proficiency53.3%45.8%2018-19 school year
Reading proficiency59.6%52.0%2018-19 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.

The number of units permitted is not marked because the larger place always permits more; the per-resident rate is the fair comparison.

Kentucky and Ohio do not give the same test. Each state writes its own assessment and sets its own passing score, so the two proficiency rows above are not directly comparable — the difference between them partly measures which standard is harder. Students per teacher and the school count are unaffected, and each profile ranks its own proficiency within its own state.

Physical risk tradeoff

Oakbrook

Elevated or high exposure: tornado.

Cincinnati

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.

Oakbrook
—
Oakbrook: Your Score
78
Area Score
Cincinnati
—
Cincinnati: Your Score
64
Area Score

Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.

Full profiles: Oakbrook, KY · Cincinnati, OH · How this is calculated: methodology