Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Lorain grades D overall, ranked 976th of 987 in Ohio, mostly because of health and safety. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 96% of the country. Its police reported 372 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025, a higher rate per resident than 81% of U.S. towns. In its favor, natural-hazard risk is low. 25% of residents live below the poverty line in Lorain, above both Ohio’s towns (9.1%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). Its National Register listings include Palace Theatre Building and Lorain Lighthouse. On civic life, just 27 of Ohio’s 1,560 towns do worse.
Where Lorain beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
William Seher House| Widest gap | Lorain | OH |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 15.4% | 8% |
Census counts: 1,595 in 1880, 65,211 in 2020. The archive holds 30 old photos and papers going back to 1890 and 3 maps from 1901 on.
18 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Ohio), ordered by how far Lorain is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Lorain, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Lorain.
Lorain has homes that are cheap against local pay, but it has poverty well above the Ohio rate and trails Amherst and its other neighbors on schools.
Lorain: just over a third of adults feel lonely. Only 2 of the 993 Ohio towns we compare have a higher share of adults 18 to 64 who have no health insurance than Lorain.
| Lorain | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 13% | 12% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 28% | 25% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 13% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 20% | 19% |
| What stands out | Lorain | OH |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 7.7% | 8.7% |
| More uninsured adults | 15.4% | 8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Each of its 7 graded neighbors has a higher School Grade than its C−, Amherst highest at B+.
Its public schools are run by the Lorain City school district. Two of its 27 schools are shown below, with the reason for each. Public school enrollment here: 2,075 students across 6 schools.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Johnnie Wilson Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 439 | D |
| Lorain High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,773 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OH on state tests and graduation
The violent crime rate for Lorain comes to 5.6 per 1,000 residents. The property offense rate for Lorain comes to 13.3 per 1,000 residents.
| Lorain | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 5.6 per 1,000 residents | 1.2 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 13.3 per 1,000 residents | 9.4 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Federal aid has come to Lorain households in 2 declared disasters; the latest was in 2004. Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 84% of U.S. communities. Paid flood insurance claims here since 1978: 62.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
At 2.2 years of the Cleveland metro’s $71K median household income, the typical home (about $155K) costs less against local pay than in 88% of Ohio towns; that ratio is one input to its B+ for cost of living. Its typical home is the least expensive on its borders; Sheffield Lake is next at $208K.
On the market in Lorain: a median 31 days to sell. In the year to September 2026, typical home values climbed 3.8%. 57% of households own their home here.
| Lorain | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 57% | 77% | 73% |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 55% | 42% | 48% |
| Median rent | $887 a month | $944 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Trails run 6.2 miles in 29 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Cromwell Park, at 183 acres. Parks and preserves in Lorain: 29, covering 711 acres.
| Lorain | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 6.6% | 3.7% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lakeview Park | 2.7 mi | 53 |
| 2. Black River Landing | 1.1 mi | 25 |
| 3. Black River Reservation | 0.5 mi | 76 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Most people who work leave Lorain to do it: just 15% work in town. In Lorain, the median household income is $49,000. Since 2013, Lorain has lost 794 jobs, to 13,578 in 2023. The share of workers in Lorain who work from home: 6.7%.
| Lorain | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $49,000 | $75,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 15% | 6.8% | 8% |
| Work from home | 6.7% | 9.7% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
In Lorain, the peak summer temperature is 82°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Lorain. Close and well known come first.
Big draw26 mi MuseumRock and Roll Hall of Fame580K visitors a year
Big draw26 mi Theme parkCedar Point3.8M visitors a year
Big draw26 mi Stadium & arenaProgressive Field
25 mi Stadium & arenaHuntington Bank Field
28 mi National ParkCuyahoga Valley National Park3.0M visitors a year
26 mi Stadium & arenaRocket ArenaRock and Roll Hall of Fame: MusikAnimal, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cedar Point: Larry Pieniazek, User:Lar, en:User:Lar (primary), CC BY 2.5 · Progressive Field: Jsawczuk, Public domain · Huntington Bank Field: Erik Drost, CC BY 2.0 · Cuyahoga Valley National Park: Unknown, Public domain · Rocket Arena: Cards84664, CC BY-SA 4.0
2 within 15 miles of the center of Lorain
About 6 of every 100 Lorain residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Ohio.
Where Lorain’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
18 places in Lorain on the National Register of Historic Places.
50 notable people were born in Lorain.
City in Ohio, United States
Lorain () is a city in Lorain County, Ohio, United States. It is located in Northeast Ohio on Lake Erie at the mouth of the Black River, about 25 miles (40 km) west of Cleveland. With a population of 65,211 at the 2020 census, Lorain is the ninth-most populous city in Ohio, the most populous in Lorain County and the third-most populous in Greater Cleveland.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
8 towns share a border with Lorain.
All 7 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its D; Elyria Township (C) is closest. Sheffield next door grades higher for schools (B to Lorain’s C−) and lower for cost of living (C− to B+).
| Town | OH rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lorain | #976 | D | B+ | C− | C− | D− |
| Sheffield Township | #777 | C | A− | — | C+ | D− |
| Sheffield | #457 | B | C− | — | B | B+ |
| Amherst | #186 | A− | B | B | B+ | B+ |
| Elyria Township | #816 | C | B+ | — | C | D |
| Amherst Township | #545 | B− | B | — | B+ | C+ |
| Brownhelm Township | #703 | C+ | C | — | B+ | B |
| Sheffield Lake | #487 | B | B | B+ | B | C+ |
Sheffield Township, Sheffield, Elyria Township, Amherst Township and Brownhelm Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Lorain with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
It grades D− for health, C− for safety and C− for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D−.
Not for the area. That is 2.2 years of the area's median household income ($70,678 across the Cleveland, OH metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.
50 notable people were born here, including Toni Morrison and Ernest King.
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