Whitehall and Lancaster 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
Whitehall
Lancaster
Opportunity
63 · Top 35%
vs67 · Top 27%
Growth
28 · Bottom 14%
vs56 · Top 39%
Climate
68 · Bottom 42%
vs63 · Bottom 29%
Physical resilience
77 · Top 28%
vs82 · Top 20%
Housing affordability
79 · Bottom 48%
vs88 · Top 37%
Access
99 · Top 14%
vs94 · Top 43%
Economic stability
54 · Bottom 38%
vs50 · Bottom 32%
Measured values
| Metric | Whitehall | Lancaster | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 20,019 | 41,249 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $51,759 | $59,133 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $27,335 | $34,001 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,787/sq mi | 2,166/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $159,600 | $193,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,145 | $1,083 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 39.7% | 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 | 14.1% | 21.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 16.4% | 12.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 2 | 229 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.1 | 5.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -66.7% | -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 | 2 mi | 18 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 22.9 min | 29.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.2 | 37.4 | 2024 ACS 5-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.
Full profiles: Whitehall, OH · Lancaster, OH · How this is calculated: methodology