Population 317,129 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Lorain County
Household size in Lorain County
| Period | Lorain County | Cleveland area | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.56 | 2.47 | 2.51 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.53 | 2.44 | 2.51 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.50 | 2.39 | 2.47 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.49 | 2.38 | 2.46 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.07 | −0.09 | −0.05 | −0.03 |
The average household in Lorain County has 2.49 people, a bit under the U.S. average of 2.65. Even so, the typical household here is bigger than in the Cleveland area overall, where it has 2.38 people. Household size has edged down from 2.56 in 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Lorain County
| Period | Lorain County | Cleveland area | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.0 | 40.5 | 39.0 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.2 | 41.5 | 40.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 42.5 | 42.3 | 40.7 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 42.7 | 42.5 | 40.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.7 | +2.0 | +1.8 | +2.3 |
Lorain County skews a little older than the country: its median age is 42.7, against 40.1 nationally. The median age has climbed from 40.0 in 2006–10, mirroring the country. Residents skew youngest in the center and oldest in the southeast.
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 Lorain County
| Period | Lorain County | Cleveland area | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.7% | 11.9% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.2% | 11.9% | 11.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.8% | 11.2% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.7% | 11.6% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.1 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head just over one in ten households in Lorain County (10.7%), close to the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has edged down 1.1 points, in line with the national trend.
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 Lorain County
Renters in Lorain County
| Period | Lorain County | Cleveland area | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.8% | 31.7% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 28.3% | 33.8% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 27.7% | 34.9% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 26.0% | 33.5% | 32.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +0.2 pts | +1.7 pts | +2.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Just over a quarter of households in Lorain County rent their homes (26.0%), below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Nearly four in ten owners (38.1%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally. Rentals cluster in the center; owners are most common in the southeast.
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 Lorain County
| Period | Lorain County | Cleveland area | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.1% | 10.8% | 10.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.5% | 10.9% | 10.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.7% | 10.3% | 10.2% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 6.8% | 8.4% | 8.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.3 pts | −2.4 pts | −2.2 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in Lorain County than nationally: 6.8%, against 9.6% for the U.S. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 2.3 points, mirroring the country.
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 Lorain County
| Period | Lorain County | Cleveland area | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1971 | 1963 | 1968 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1973 | 1964 | 1969 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1973 | 1964 | 1970 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1976 | 1966 | 1972 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +3 | +4 | +6 |
The typical home in Lorain County was built around 1976, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). Homes here are newer than in the wider Cleveland area, where the median home dates to 1966. The median year built has moved up from 1971 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building.
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 Lorain County
| Period | Lorain County | Cleveland area | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $805 | $833 | $765 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $921 | $872 | $814 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $925 | $949 | $901 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,190 | $1,216 | $1,142 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$386 | +$383 | +$377 | +$606 |
Rent in Lorain County runs $1,190 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $386 a month since 2006–10, up 48%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 30.0% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the northwest; the highest are in the northeast.
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 Lorain County
Bachelor's degrees in Lorain County
| Period | Lorain County | Cleveland area | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.7% | 27.3% | 25.4% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 23.3% | 28.6% | 26.5% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 25.5% | 30.8% | 28.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 29.3% | 34.5% | 31.9% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.6 pts | +7.2 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
About three in ten adults 25 and older in Lorain County (29.3%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, a little below the national share of 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 7.6 points, in line with the national trend. Compared with other Ohio counties, though, Lorain County has a higher share of college graduates than most.
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 Lorain County
| Period | Lorain County | Cleveland area | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 88.8% | 87.9% | 87.7% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 89.4% | 88.9% | 88.9% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 89.6% | 90.3% | 90.4% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 91.8% | 91.8% | 91.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.9 pts | +3.9 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Lorain County have finished high school (91.8%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. The picture is much the same across the Cleveland area. The share with a diploma is up 2.9 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Lorain County
| Period | Lorain County | Cleveland area | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.1% | 9.3% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.6% | 10.1% | 9.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.8% | 6.5% | 5.5% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.3% | 5.6% | 4.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.8 pts | −3.7 pts | −3.8 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Lorain County runs below the national rate: 4.3% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment has fallen 4.8 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current 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).
Lorain County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lorain County | 2.49 | 42.7 | 10.7% | 26.0% | 6.8% | 1976 | $1,190 | 29.3% | 91.8% | 4.3% |
| Cuyahoga County | 2.30 | 41.7 | 13.2% | 40.6% | 9.7% | 1959 | $1,234 | 36.9% | 91.4% | 6.9% |
| Erie County | 2.26 | 45.2 | 12.9% | 28.1% | 13.2% | 1966 | $947 | 27.7% | 93.0% | 5.1% |
| Geauga County | 2.76 | 44.6 | 5.7% | 12.8% | 5.6% | 1978 | $1,361 | 40.7% | 90.2% | 2.9% |
| Sandusky County | 2.38 | 43.1 | 13.2% | 26.6% | 8.3% | 1961 | $811 | 18.6% | 93.5% | 4.2% |
| Trumbull County | 2.38 | 43.6 | 11.5% | 28.7% | 9.4% | 1965 | $830 | 21.2% | 89.3% | 4.5% |
| Wood County | 2.37 | 38.9 | 8.1% | 35.6% | 7.1% | 1979 | $1,135 | 37.9% | 95.0% | 4.4% |
| Mercer County | 2.26 | 45.4 | 8.9% | 27.6% | 9.1% | 1965 | $896 | 26.3% | 91.9% | 5.3% |
| Henry County | 2.41 | 43.0 | 8.7% | 17.5% | 6.2% | 1964 | $935 | 19.9% | 93.0% | 3.9% |
| Defiance County | 2.55 | 41.3 | 11.3% | 20.7% | 7.5% | 1967 | $899 | 19.5% | 92.7% | 5.3% |
| Venango County | 2.29 | 47.6 | 10.6% | 24.7% | 16.8% | 1960 | $838 | 18.7% | 91.4% | 5.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Ingham County, MI · Somerset County, NJ · Saratoga County, NY · Santa Cruz County, CA · San Luis Obispo County, CA · San Juan Municipio, PR · Lancaster County, NE · Lake County, FL · Kalamazoo County, MI · Johnston County, NC
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 Lorain County. 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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