Should I Move To
Lorain, Ohio is home to about 65,138 people. On cost of living, it lands in the affordable band — 11% below the national average. The median renter pays around $832 a month against a typical household income of $46,562. Our composite UrbRank Score lands at 50 out of 100 (grade C-), putting it at #506 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
Lorain's composite cost-of-living index lands at 89 (100 = US average), which puts it in the affordable band. At $832/mo against $46,562 in median household income, the typical renter spends about 21% of income on housing — right inside the standard 30%-of-income guideline. Median home value sits around $115,200.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →Climate is cold-winter — summer averages around 82°F, winter averages around 25°F. Precipitation totals about 41 inches a year. Walkability varies a lot by neighborhood — denser pockets work fine on foot, the rest leans on driving. AQI runs about 48 — a "good" reading.
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
Lorain doesn't obviously fit families. The profile-weighted score is 49/100 — a D. Its standout dimension is affordability (86/100); the soft spot is education (3/100).
Lorain reads as a moderate fit for retirees. The profile-weighted score is 63/100 — a C+. Its standout dimension is affordability (86/100); the soft spot is education (3/100).
Lorain reads as a moderate fit for remote workers. The profile-weighted score is 68/100 — a B-. Its standout dimension is affordability (86/100); the soft spot is education (3/100).
Lorain doesn't obviously fit young professionals. The profile-weighted score is 46/100 — a D. Its standout dimension is affordability (86/100); the soft spot is education (3/100).
Our overall score for Lorain is 50/100 — a C-, sitting at #506 in the national ranking. It's a weighted average across the seven UrbRank dimensions.
By the composite index, Lorain sits at 89 — affordable, 11% below the national average. Median renter pays around $832 a month.
Lorain runs cold-winter on the weather. Summer's near 82°F, winter's near 25°F; 41 inches of precipitation annually.
Walk Score: 52/100. Walkability varies a lot by neighborhood — denser pockets work fine on foot, the rest leans on driving.
Roughly 65,138 people live here, with 14% college-educated (bachelor's or higher) among adults 25+ with a median age of 39.
Drop Lorain into the comparison tool with any other US city and you'll get housing costs, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life data lined up side by side. Profile-specific leaderboards (families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals) are linked from the navigation.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Lorain with other Ohio cities scored on UrbRank.
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