Westerville receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Westerville
Lancaster
Opportunity
83 · Top 4%
vs67 · Top 27%
Growth
49 · Bottom 48%
vs56 · Top 39%
Climate
64 · Bottom 31%
vs63 · Bottom 29%
Physical resilience
79 · Top 26%
vs82 · Top 20%
Housing affordability
95 · Top 19%
vs88 · Top 37%
Schools
54 · Top 46%
vs26 · Bottom 18%
Access
99 · Top 8%
vs94 · Top 43%
Economic stability
71 · Top 27%
vs50 · Bottom 32%
Measured values
| Metric | Westerville | Lancaster | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 38,645 | 41,249 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $109,404 | $59,133 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $52,858 | $34,001 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,067/sq mi | 2,166/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $374,500 | $193,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,364 | $1,083 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 72.5% | 59.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% | 3.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.1% | 0.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 57.9% | 21.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 5.6% | 12.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 37 | 229 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.0 | 5.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 2.8% | -67.8% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 84°F | 84°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 21°F | 20°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 35.8" | 40.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 9 mi | 18 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 21.3 min | 29.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 40.7 | 37.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 23 | 12 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.54 | 19.45 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 59.2% | 41.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 63.9% | 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
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Westerville
74
Your Score
74
Area Score
Lancaster
66
Your Score
66
Area Score
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Full profiles: Westerville, OH · Lancaster, OH · How this is calculated: methodology