Pickerington receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Pickerington
Lancaster
Opportunity
85 · Top 3%
vs67 · Top 27%
Growth
62 · Top 29%
vs56 · Top 39%
Climate
68 · Bottom 42%
vs63 · Bottom 29%
Physical resilience
82 · Top 20%
vs82 · Top 20%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 9%
vs88 · Top 37%
Schools
57 · Top 43%
vs26 · Bottom 18%
Access
99 · Top 8%
vs94 · Top 43%
Economic stability
82 · Top 5%
vs50 · Bottom 32%
Measured values
| Metric | Pickerington | Lancaster | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 24,477 | 41,249 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $111,833 | $59,133 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $46,372 | $34,001 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,401/sq mi | 2,166/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $339,600 | $193,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,605 | $1,083 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 76.8% | 59.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.2% | 3.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.1% | 0.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 47.2% | 21.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 3.6% | 12.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 108 | 229 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.4 | 5.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -24.5% | -67.8% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 85°F | 84°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 22°F | 20°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 41.6" | 40.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 10 mi | 18 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 29.3 min | 29.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.0 | 37.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 13 | 12 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 19.16 | 19.45 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 61.4% | 41.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 67.4% | 51.9% | 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.
Your best match
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Pickerington
79
Your Score
78
Area Score
Lancaster
66
Your Score
66
Area Score
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Full profiles: Pickerington, OH · Lancaster, OH · How this is calculated: methodology