Panoramic view of Brady Lake, 1911
Brady Lake’s story
135 years in pictures
Census counts: 78 in 1930, 1,222 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 1911 and 5 maps from 1906 on.
- 1891Brady Lake is settled
Brady LakeOH
A town settled in 1891, now home to 831 people.
Population
831
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$165K
+8.1% in a year
Household income
$44K
median
Median age
42.6
years
Jobs based here
142
A commuter town
Is Brady Lake a good place to live?
Only 5 of the 994 Ohio towns we compare have a lower share of working residents who work in town than Brady Lake. Brady Lake has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
831 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Franklin TownshipRavenna TownshipBrady Lake
Nearby attractions
All 71 attractions →Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and 62 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Brady Lake. Close and well known come first.
Big draw31 mi MuseumRock and Roll Hall of Fame580K visitors a year
Big draw24 mi MuseumPro Football Hall of Fame192K visitors a year
10 mi National ParkCuyahoga Valley National Park3.0M visitors a year
Big draw30 mi Stadium & arenaProgressive Field
31 mi Stadium & arenaHuntington Bank Field
30 mi Stadium & arenaRocket ArenaSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: MusikAnimal, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Pro Football Hall of Fame: Erik Drost, CC BY 2.0 · Cuyahoga Valley National Park: Unknown, Public domain · Progressive Field: Jsawczuk, Public domain · Huntington Bank Field: Erik Drost, CC BY 2.0 · Rocket Arena: Cards84664, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Getting set up
Moving to Brady Lake: who provides what
Brady Lake is unincorporated, so Portage County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerOhio Edison16.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet4 providers97% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesPortage CountyPortage County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn Ohio you can register online until 30 days before Election Day, in person until 30 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 30 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereDirector, Portage County Board of ElectionsPortage County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2019
ZIP codes44240, 4426644240 71% · 44266 29%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Brady Lake.
Work & commute
With 0.2 jobs for every working resident, most of Brady Lake’s workers commute out
Half of commuters travel less than 13 miles. Between 2013 and 2023, jobs in Brady Lake rose by 78, to 142. The top destinations are Akron (9%), Kent (9%) and Streetsboro (5%). Its average trip to work stands at 23 minutes, near the Ohio town median (24 minutes) and below the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes).
0%work in town
| Brady Lake | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 9.1% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Brady Lake0%
Akron9%
Kent9%
Streetsboro5%
Cleveland5%
13 mi
median commute distance
142
jobs based in Brady Lake
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Housing
Brady Lake’s typical home value is about $165K
Values rose 8.1% in the 12 months to September 2026. Brady Lake’s median rent stands at $966 a month, against $944 a month in Ohio’s towns and $1,185 a month across U.S. towns. The share of households in Brady Lake who own their home: 72%.
$165KZillow home value
| Brady Lake | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $966 a month | $944 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 72% | 77% | 73% |
Typical home value
Brady Lake$165K
Ohio$246K
+8.1%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Natural hazards
Natural hazards: low risk in Brady Lake, mostly inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 73% of U.S. communities. FEMA puts 73% of Brady Lake’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 8% to tornadoes.
27risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Who lives here
More middle-aged adults than Ohio overall
18% never finished high school. Brady Lake: 34% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more. Adults 35 to 64 are 47% of residents (38% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 18% of residents (22% statewide).
42.6median age · OH 39.7
| Brady Lake | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 15% | 20% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 34% | 24% | 29% |
| Median age | 42.6 years | 41.7 years | 40.5 years |
Brady LakeOhioUnited States
Ages · share of residents
20%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma18%
High school27%
Some college16%
Associate’s5%
Bachelor’s17%
Graduate17%
Women and men · all residents
Somewhere between 21% and 82% women
The Census survey reached too few of Brady Lake’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±30.7 points. Across Ohio, 50.7% of residents are women.
| Brady Lake | OH | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 4.3% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 15% | 10.3% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.3% | 8.9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 11.8% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 16.2% | 12.5% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 19.6% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.6% | 13.2% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 13% | 10.9% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 2.2% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 18.3% | 8.2% | 10.4% |
| High school | 27.3% | 32.1% | 26% |
| Some college | 16.2% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 4.5% | 9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 16.8% | 19.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 16.8% | 12.2% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 800, single groups can be off by several points
Climate
Brady Lake has snowy winters and pleasant summers
Brady Lake’s typical July afternoon high stands at 83°F.
45″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter22–37°
Spring38–59°
Summer60–81°
Fall43–62°
Oct 21
typical first frost
Apr 30
typical last frost
+1.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Brady Lake is
16% of adults report frequent mental distress in Brady Lake. On the CDC’s 32 measures, Brady Lake is ahead of Ohio on 6 and behind on 1. Among adults here, 34% have obesity and 24% get no exercise outside work.
| Brady Lake | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 18% | 17% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 38% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 28% | 25% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 13% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Ohio
6 better25 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Brady Lake | OH |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 7.3% | 15.3% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 10.2% | 14.1% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.8% | 8.7% |
University Hospitals Portage Medical Center
3.9 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Brady Lake
16pages on Brady Lake
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
5 within 15 miles of the center of Brady Lake
Kent State University at KentUniversity or college · Public · Kent1.7 mi$13,232 in-state tuitionNortheast Ohio Medical UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Rootstown5.7 miUniversity of Akron Main CampusUniversity or college · Public · Akron11.7 mi$13,135 in-state tuition
About 6 of every 100 Brady Lake residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Ohio.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Brady Lake for work
Where Brady Lake’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
142jobs based in Brady Lake
0%of working residents work in town
13 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Brady Lake
Census-designated place in Ohio, United States
Brady Lake is an unincorporated census-designated place and former village in Portage County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,222 at the 2020 census. Incorporated in 1927, it originally developed as an amusement park and summer resort that opened in 1891. It was formed from a small portion of Franklin Township and became fully independent of the township in 1993. The village was named after the lake it borders, Brady Lake, which in turn was named for Captain Samuel Brady, who hid in the lake around 1780 while being pursued by a band of local Native Americans. Residents voted to dissolve the village on May 2, 2017, and the area was again made part of Franklin Township. In 2019, the…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1891
- Area
- 0.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,076 ft
- ZIP code
- 44211
Questions about Brady Lake
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Brady Lake, OH a good place to live?
Brady Lake has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.