Population 4,730 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Downtown Lorain
Household size in Downtown Lorain
| Period | Downtown Lorain | Lorain | Cleveland area | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.52 | 2.50 | 2.47 | 2.51 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.29 | 2.50 | 2.44 | 2.51 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.35 | 2.47 | 2.39 | 2.47 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.01 | 2.42 | 2.38 | 2.46 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.50 | −0.08 | −0.09 | −0.05 | −0.03 |
Downtown Lorain is a place of small households, averaging 2.01 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Household size has dropped from 2.52 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next. Households are largest in the southwest and smallest in the center.
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 Downtown Lorain
| Period | Downtown Lorain | Lorain | Cleveland area | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.1 | 37.6 | 40.5 | 39.0 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 39.3 | 39.3 | 41.5 | 40.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 39.6 | 39.2 | 42.3 | 40.7 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 45.5 | 41.1 | 42.5 | 40.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | +8.5 | +3.5 | +2.0 | +1.8 | +2.3 |
Downtown Lorain skews older: half of its residents are older than 45.5, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families. Residents skew youngest in the south and oldest in the north.
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 Downtown Lorain
| Period | Downtown Lorain | Lorain | Cleveland area | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.2% | 19.9% | 11.9% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 15.5% | 19.0% | 11.9% | 11.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 13.7% | 18.1% | 11.2% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.4% | 17.1% | 11.6% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −6.8 pts | −2.8 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in eight households in Downtown Lorain (12.4%), close to the national share of 11.6%. Single parents are less common here than in Lorain as a whole (17.1%).
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 Downtown Lorain
Renters in Downtown Lorain
| Period | Downtown Lorain | Lorain | Cleveland area | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 52.8% | 41.3% | 31.7% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 60.2% | 41.9% | 33.8% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 62.2% | 44.2% | 34.9% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 53.7% | 42.8% | 33.5% | 32.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.0 pts | +1.6 pts | +1.7 pts | +2.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Downtown Lorain rent: 53.7% of occupied homes are rented, far above the national share of 34.8%. Expect more apartments, and more turnover, than in owner-heavy areas. Nearly six in ten owners (56.3%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%.
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 Downtown Lorain
| Period | Downtown Lorain | Lorain | Cleveland area | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.9% | 12.6% | 10.8% | 10.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 23.6% | 14.4% | 10.9% | 10.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 17.5% | 13.3% | 10.3% | 10.2% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 16.1% | 10.4% | 8.4% | 8.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.8 pts | −2.2 pts | −2.4 pts | −2.2 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 16.1% of the housing in Downtown Lorain, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.
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 Downtown Lorain
| Period | Downtown Lorain | Lorain | Cleveland area | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1945 | 1959 | 1963 | 1968 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1942 | 1960 | 1964 | 1969 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1942 | 1959 | 1964 | 1970 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1943 | 1962 | 1966 | 1972 | 1980 |
| Change | −2 | +4 | +3 | +4 | +6 |
The housing in Downtown Lorain is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1943, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. Newer construction is concentrated in the north, while the west 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 Downtown Lorain
| Period | Downtown Lorain | Lorain | Cleveland area | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $637 | $637 | $833 | $765 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $634 | $676 | $872 | $814 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $665 | $705 | $949 | $901 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $845 | $887 | $1,216 | $1,142 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$208 | +$250 | +$383 | +$377 | +$606 |
The median renter in Downtown Lorain pays $845 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 30.7% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the north and lowest in the center.
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 Downtown Lorain
Bachelor's degrees in Downtown Lorain
| Period | Downtown Lorain | Lorain | Cleveland area | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.3% | 11.9% | 27.3% | 25.4% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.8% | 11.8% | 28.6% | 26.5% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 12.2% | 12.2% | 30.8% | 28.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 19.5% | 14.6% | 34.5% | 31.9% | 35.6% |
| Change | +8.2 pts | +2.7 pts | +7.2 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Downtown Lorain have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 19.5%, against 35.6% nationally. Locally, though, the share is higher than in Lorain overall (14.6%). College graduates are most concentrated in the north and least in the south.
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 Downtown Lorain
| Period | Downtown Lorain | Lorain | Cleveland area | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 78.3% | 81.3% | 87.9% | 87.7% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 80.0% | 81.9% | 88.9% | 88.9% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 77.3% | 81.6% | 90.3% | 90.4% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 80.9% | 84.8% | 91.8% | 91.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.6 pts | +3.5 pts | +3.9 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
Nearly one in five adults in Downtown Lorain never finished high school, well above the national share: only 80.9% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally.
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 Downtown Lorain
| Period | Downtown Lorain | Lorain | Cleveland area | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.2% | 14.9% | 9.3% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 17.4% | 15.8% | 10.1% | 9.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.3% | 9.1% | 6.5% | 5.5% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 14.0% | 5.7% | 5.6% | 4.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.2 pts | −9.2 pts | −3.7 pts | −3.8 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Downtown Lorain runs well above the national rate: 14.0% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. 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).
Downtown Lorain compared with nearby neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Downtown Lorain | 2.01 | 45.5 | 12.4% | 53.7% | 16.1% | 1943 | $845 | 19.5% | 80.9% | 14.0% |
| South Lorain | 2.46 | 38.7 | 20.8% | 44.2% | 10.6% | 1951 | $813 | 8.3% | 78.6% | 5.8% |
| Downtown Elyria | 2.31 | 38.5 | 15.3% | 57.1% | 9.8% | 1944 | $862 | 18.6% | 84.4% | 9.9% |
| Kamms Corner | 2.10 | 44.1 | 4.9% | 29.5% | 5.1% | 1948 | $1,093 | 43.0% | 92.2% | 4.9% |
| Puritas Longmead | 2.63 | 33.3 | 21.4% | 43.5% | 10.6% | 1955 | $1,230 | 13.8% | 83.2% | 10.1% |
| Madison Village | 2.06 | 35.5 | 4.8% | 56.5% | 9.0% | 1938 | $1,052 | 46.6% | 92.4% | 3.5% |
| Jefferson | 2.53 | 35.9 | 22.4% | 42.9% | 9.3% | 1944 | $1,033 | 14.6% | 78.9% | 4.5% |
| Edgewater | 1.71 | 37.4 | 6.7% | 75.2% | 13.7% | 1945 | $955 | 38.9% | 86.7% | 14.3% |
| West Boulevard | 2.41 | 35.7 | 22.5% | 58.2% | 11.1% | 1940 | $953 | 14.0% | 79.5% | 7.7% |
| Cudell | 2.45 | 31.0 | 27.5% | 68.8% | 15.4% | 1938 | $1,015 | 13.5% | 79.9% | 11.7% |
| Detroit Shoreway | 1.94 | 35.5 | 13.8% | 65.0% | 18.5% | 1948 | $1,054 | 38.9% | 85.4% | 8.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Zenith, Des Moines, WA · Downtown Boone, Boone, NC · Hadwen Park, Worcester, MA · Sunshine, Lehigh Acres, FL · Strawberry Hill, Cambridge, MA · Stonybrook-Wilshire, York, PA · Stone Meadows, Bakersfield, CA · Coral Ridge, Fort Lauderdale, FL · Greendale, Worcester, MA · Globe, Woonsocket, RI
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 Downtown Lorain. 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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