Shaker Heights receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Shaker Heights
Lorain
Opportunity
72 · Top 19%
vs35 · Bottom 11%
Growth
59 · Top 34%
vs40 · Bottom 32%
Climate
69 · Bottom 45%
vs63 · Bottom 28%
Physical resilience
97 · Top 2%
vs96 · Top 3%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 8%
vs91 · Top 29%
Schools
18 · Bottom 9%
vs12 · Bottom 3%
Access
95 · Top 35%
vs95 · Top 36%
Economic stability
64 · Top 42%
vs33 · Bottom 10%
Measured values
| Metric | Shaker Heights | Lorain | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 28,922 | 65,395 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $104,073 | $48,685 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $72,806 | $27,589 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 4,597/sq mi | 2,770/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $303,200 | $139,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,168 | $887 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 60.3% | 57.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% | 4.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.7% | -1.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 69.3% | 14.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 8.4% | 25.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 56 | 45 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 0.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 522.2% | -6.3% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 81°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 24°F | 20°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 33.3" | 36.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 16 mi | 17 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.1 min | 26.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 41.8 | 39.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 8 | 25 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.73 | 16.05 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 32.0% | 15.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 32.6% | 26.2% | 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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Shaker Heights
72
Your Score
72
Area Score
Lorain
58
Your Score
57
Area Score
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Full profiles: Shaker Heights, OH · Lorain, OH · How this is calculated: methodology