Elyria, OH — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Ohio·Elyria

Lorain County · Cleveland-Elyria · population 53,604

Affordability
Elyria, OH
Image: Wikipedia · Elyria, Ohio
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
71
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Elyria stands

At or near all-time high.

Median home $186,073
1-year +3.8%
5-yr CAGR +6.1%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population +0.4%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$186k$85k$121k$157k$194k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
40/100
Car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
22/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
85/100
Excellent for remote work
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$1,041/mo$0$556$1,112202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent13112880100120202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 14.9
Buy

At a 14.9 price-to-rent ratio, buying generally beats renting in Elyria on a long-enough horizon. The headline math is that one year of mortgage payments approximates 14.9 years of rent — well below the 15+ threshold where ownership starts to dominate.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
69 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
70 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
54 · w16%
Rent YoY
66 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
77 · w10%
Long thesis

Elyria offers a $186,073 median home with +6.1% annualized 5-year appreciation. Affordability + positive trend is one of the better risk/reward setups in US residential — small downside, room to compound.

Short thesis

Elyria's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Elyria

Elyria is a city in Lorain County, Ohio, with an estimated population of 53,604. It anchors the Cleveland-Elyria metro area. The median home value in Elyria is $186,073 as of 2026-04, up 3.8% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +6.1% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Elyria average $1,041 per month, up 3.1% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 71 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Affordable AND rising: median home $186,073 with positive recent direction — rare combination most of the country can’t offer.
●Healthy 5-year run: +6.1% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
●Quiet strength: +3.8% over the trailing year — not a melt-up, but the market is bid.
●Held the highs: currently +0.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

▼ Bear case

○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Elyria (Wikipedia)

Elyria is a city in Lorain County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. The city is at the forks of the Black River in Northeast Ohio. The population was 52,656 at the 2020 census. Located 23 miles (37 km) southwest of Cleveland, it is part of the Cleveland metropolitan area and home to Lorain County Community College.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

City facts

Area20.81 sq mi
Elevation709 ft
FoundedMarch 1817
Density2562.59/sq mi

Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Lorain County right now.

NWS active alerts (OH)Ohio Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Lorain County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Cities like Elyria

Hamilton, OH71 · RisingFairborn, OH72 · RisingHuber Heights, OH68 · RisingFairfield, OH69 · Rising

Run the numbers for Elyria

ToolCan I afford Elyria?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Elyria rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Elyria to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolElyria cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
36° / 21°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
83° / 64°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
178
~49% of year
Annual precip
39″ rain
28″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very low
Tornado
High
Wildfire
Very low
Earthquake
Low
Flood
Moderate

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Cleveland-Elyria area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Elyria listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
72%
Humid climate
Median household income
$67,800
Ohio state median
Top industries (state-level)
ManufacturingHealthcareFinance

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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