The Akron metro area: Portage and Summit counties · Population 699,820 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in the Akron area
Household size in the Akron area
| Period | Akron area | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.45 | 2.51 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.48 | 2.51 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.43 | 2.47 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.37 | 2.46 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.07 | −0.05 | −0.03 |
The Akron area is a place of small households, averaging 2.37 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Household size has edged down from 2.45 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Few large metro areas have smaller households: only eight of 100.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in the Akron area
| Period | Akron area | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.7 | 39.0 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 40.6 | 40.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.6 | 40.7 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 42.2 | 40.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.5 | +1.8 | +2.3 |
The median resident of the Akron area is 42.2 years old, a bit older than the national median of 40.1. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 39.7, as it has nationally. Of the 100 large U.S. metro areas, only nine are older.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in the Akron area
| Period | Akron area | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.4% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.9% | 11.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.8% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.1% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.6 pts | −0.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head just over one in ten households in the Akron area (11.1%), close to the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share has edged up 0.6 points since 2006–10, even as the national share fell.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in the Akron area
Renters in the Akron area
| Period | Akron area | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 30.6% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 32.5% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 33.4% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 31.9% | 32.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.3 pts | +2.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Nearly a third of households in the Akron area rent their homes (31.9%), close to the national share of 34.8%. Nearly four in ten owners (38.7%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally. Renting is most common in the center and least common in the southeast. The renter share has edged up 1.3 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in the Akron area
| Period | Akron area | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.0% | 10.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.3% | 10.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.9% | 10.2% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.1% | 8.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.9 pts | −2.2 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in the Akron area: 8.1% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. The figure for Ohio is much the same. Vacancy has edged down 0.9 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in the Akron area
| Period | Akron area | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1968 | 1968 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1968 | 1969 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1969 | 1970 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1970 | 1972 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +4 | +6 |
The Akron area is a place of older homes: half were built before 1970, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. Newer construction is concentrated in the north, while the center has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in the Akron area
| Period | Akron area | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $834 | $765 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $856 | $814 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $957 | $901 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,182 | $1,142 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$349 | +$377 | +$606 |
Rent in the Akron area runs $1,182 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $349 a month from 2006–10, a 42% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 30.3% of the typical renter's income, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the north; the most affordable are in the southwest.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in the Akron area
Bachelor's degrees in the Akron area
| Period | Akron area | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 29.4% | 25.4% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 30.1% | 26.5% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 32.5% | 28.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 35.8% | 31.9% | 35.6% |
| Change | +6.5 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
More than a third of adults 25 and older in the Akron area (35.8%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, close to the national share of 35.6%. The share is higher than in Ohio overall (31.9%). The share with a degree is up 6.5 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in the Akron area
| Period | Akron area | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 89.9% | 87.7% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 90.9% | 88.9% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 92.0% | 90.4% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.8% | 91.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.9 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in the Akron area is above the national rate: 92.8% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 2.9 points, as it has nationally. The Akron area has a higher share of high school graduates than at least four in five large metro areas.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in the Akron area
| Period | Akron area | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.7% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.7% | 9.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.6% | 5.5% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.2% | 4.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.5 pts | −3.8 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in the Akron area is close to the national rate: 5.2% of the labor force, against 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 3.5 points, mirroring the country. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Largest cities in the Akron area
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akron area (all) | 2.37 | 42.2 | 11.1% | 31.9% | 8.1% | 1970 | $1,182 | 35.8% | 92.8% | 5.2% |
| Cuyahoga Falls | 2.19 | 40.5 | 9.7% | 35.9% | 6.2% | 1962 | $1,060 | 37.6% | 95.5% | 3.4% |
| Kent | 2.25 | 32.5 | 5.8% | 49.7% | 17.1% | 1980 | $1,091 | 49.2% | 95.7% | 7.3% |
| Stow | 2.38 | 41.4 | 7.1% | 29.5% | 8.0% | 1981 | $1,221 | 47.6% | 95.4% | 3.0% |
| Ravenna | 2.30 | 42.4 | 13.6% | 33.6% | 8.8% | 1972 | $1,006 | 22.2% | 88.9% | 4.1% |
| Green | 2.51 | 43.1 | 8.2% | 24.8% | 7.8% | 1982 | $1,297 | 41.6% | 96.6% | 3.2% |
| Barberton | 2.30 | 42.2 | 15.3% | 35.9% | 7.4% | 1955 | $896 | 18.5% | 90.7% | 4.0% |
| Hudson | 2.79 | 44.3 | 5.0% | 12.1% | 5.4% | 1982 | $2,380 | 73.8% | 97.9% | 1.3% |
| Twinsburg | 2.72 | 43.5 | 10.6% | 20.5% | 4.1% | 1989 | $1,389 | 49.6% | 95.4% | 3.8% |
| Northfield | 2.28 | 50.0 | 8.0% | 13.8% | 6.0% | 1980 | $1,387 | 38.4% | 94.3% | 3.7% |
| Tallmadge | 2.42 | 47.1 | 5.1% | 18.4% | 5.1% | 1975 | $1,099 | 34.5% | 92.7% | 4.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Metro areas of similar size: Daytona Beach area · Provo area · Winston-Salem area · Madison area · Poughkeepsie area · Des Moines area · Lakeland area · Little Rock area · Colorado Springs area · Fort Myers area
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up the Akron area. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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