Sidney and Norwalk receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Sidney
Norwalk
Opportunity
56 · Bottom 49%
vs51 · Bottom 39%
Growth
49 · Bottom 47%
vs51 · Top 49%
Climate
62 · Bottom 19%
vs68 · Bottom 41%
Physical resilience
87 · Top 14%
vs82 · Top 20%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 8%
vs100 · Top 8%
Schools
52 · Top 49%
vs63 · Top 35%
Access
89 · Bottom 39%
vs87 · Bottom 34%
Economic stability
54 · Bottom 38%
vs49 · Bottom 30%
Measured values
| Metric | Sidney | Norwalk | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 20,501 | 17,095 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $60,668 | $60,844 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $34,138 | $31,816 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,713/sq mi | 1,928/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $169,900 | $163,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $869 | $836 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 62.0% | 65.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.1% | 3.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.5% | -0.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.6% | 19.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 14.2% | 16.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 66 | 40 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.2 | 2.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 43.5% | 471.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 84°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 18°F | 22°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 41.7" | 34.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 27 mi | 30 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 18.5 min | 22.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 40.7 | 39.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 8 | 6 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 18.41 | 18.17 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 62.1% | 67.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 60.1% | 64.2% | 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.
Physical risk tradeoff
Sidney
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, tornado.
Norwalk
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind.
Full profiles: Sidney, OH · Norwalk, OH · How this is calculated: methodology