Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Painesville is a solid, middle-of-the-road choice. It grades C− overall, ranked 867th of 987 in Ohio, with no subject far below average. Its best mark is schools: its schools outperform 49% of the state's. Its lowest everyday mark is in health: residents are less healthy than 95% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. A typical home there costs about $230K, 3.2 years of the Cleveland metro’s $71K median household income. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 91% of U.S. towns, with 11 places on the National Register. 26% of residents live below the poverty line in Painesville, against 9.1% in Ohio’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. On walkability, just 15 of Ohio’s 1,718 towns do better. Painesville is home to Lake Erie College.
Where Painesville beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Census counts: 257 in 1820, 20,312 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1859 and 4 maps from 1960 on.
11 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Ohio), ordered by how far Painesville is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Painesville, 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 Painesville.
Painesville gets more snow than nearly all U.S. towns, but it has poverty well above the Ohio rate and scores below Fairport Harbor and its other neighbors on health.
6.5 miles of trail in 11 parks and preserves. The trail density in Painesville is 0.9 miles per square mile. The biggest place to walk is Beaty Landing, 88 acres with 1.5 miles of trail.
| Painesville | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.9 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 6.3% | 3.7% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Beaty Landing | 1.5 mi | 88 |
| 2. Casement Springs Preserve | 1 mi | 49 |
| 3. Kiwanis Recreation Park | 0.5 mi | 68 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Painesville City Local school district. Two of its 8 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heritage Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 602 | C− |
| Harvey High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 847 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OH on state tests and graduation
All 3 graded neighbors score healthier than its D, from Fairport Harbor (C−) to Mentor (B+).
25% of adults worry about having enough food in Painesville. Painesville beats the Ohio average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 18. 44% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Painesville.
| Painesville | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 13% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 38% | 36% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 16% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 28% | 25% |
| What stands out | Painesville | OH |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.7% | 8.7% |
| More uninsured adults | 15.1% | 8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 76% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 132 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Painesville.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The Chardon weather station, 10 miles away, records that 114 inches of snow fall in a normal winter, more than in 98% of U.S. towns.
Painesville’s July high is 81°F. Painesville has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Most working residents leave Painesville for work: only 10% work in town. The top destinations are Mentor (19%), Cleveland (11%) and Willoughby (4%). Half commute less than 13 miles.
| Painesville | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $52,000 | $75,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 8.3% | 9.7% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 9.7% | 6.8% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
25.6% of residents live below the poverty line, against 13.3% across Ohio, which weighs on its C− for jobs and income.
People 65 and older are 12% of residents (18% statewide). 23% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 32% across Ohio. 17% never finished high school.
| Painesville | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 12% | 20% | 18% |
| Median age | 34.5 years | 41.7 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 23% | 24% | 29% |
49% women, 51% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±2.6 points. Across Ohio, 50.7% of residents are women. Median age: women 35.3, men 32.6.
| Painesville | OH | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 14.1% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 11.5% | 10.3% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 11.7% | 8.9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.5% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 14.4% | 12.5% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.7% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.2% | 13.2% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 7.9% | 10.9% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 4.1% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 16.6% | 8.2% | 10.4% |
| High school | 35.9% | 32.1% | 26% |
| Some college | 16.5% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8.3% | 9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 14.8% | 19.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 7.9% | 12.2% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Painesville's reported crime rate is well below Ohio's. 46 violent crimes were reported in 2025.
| Painesville | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.5 per 1,000 residents | 9.4 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.2 per 1,000 residents | 1.2 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
51% of Painesville households own their home. The typical Painesville home is worth about $230,000, up 3.2% in a year, 7% below the Ohio typical home.
| Painesville | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 51% | 77% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,036 a month | $943 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Painesville. Close and well known come first.
Big draw27 mi MuseumRock and Roll Hall of Fame580K visitors a year
Big draw39 mi LakeLake Erie
Big draw27 mi Stadium & arenaProgressive Field
27 mi Stadium & arenaHuntington Bank Field
27 mi National ParkCuyahoga Valley National Park3.0M visitors a year
27 mi Stadium & arenaRocket ArenaRock and Roll Hall of Fame: MusikAnimal, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Lake Erie: NOAA, Public domain · 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
3 within 15 miles of the center of Painesville
About 6 of every 100 Painesville residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Ohio.
11 places in Painesville on the National Register of Historic Places.
25 notable people were born in Painesville.
City in Ohio, United States
Painesville is a city in Lake County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Located along the Grand River, it is a northeast suburb of Cleveland. Its population was 20,312 at the 2020 census. Painesville is included in the Greater Cleveland metropolitan area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
4 towns share a border with Painesville.
| Town | OH rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Painesville · Painesville Township | #867 | C− | B− | — | B− | D |
| Fairport Harbor | #906 | C− | B− | — | C | C− |
| Concord Township | #624 | B− | C− | — | B+ | C+ |
| Mentor | #242 | A− | C | B− | A− | B+ |
Painesville, Fairport Harbor and Concord Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Painesville Township and Painesville are one community, graded once. Compare Painesville with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Painesville grades C− overall, better than 23% of U.S. towns and #867 of 987 in Ohio. It grades D for health and B− for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.
25 notable people were born here, including Larry Foust and William Holbrook Beard.
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