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

All states·Ohio·Lorain

Lorain County · Cleveland-Elyria · population 65,751

Affordability
Lorain, OH
Image: Wikipedia · Lorain, Ohio
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
73
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Lorain stands

At or near all-time high. rents up 8.0% in the last year.

Median home $154,076
1-year +3.2%
5-yr CAGR +6.7%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population +0.2%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$154k$64k$96k$128k$160k201620182020202220242026

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
$1,107/mo$712$943$1,174202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent125143100120140202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 11.6
Buy

At a 11.6 price-to-rent ratio, buying generally beats renting in Lorain on a long-enough horizon. The headline math is that one year of mortgage payments approximates 11.6 years of rent — well below the 15+ threshold where ownership starts to dominate.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
66 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
73 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
49 · w16%
Rent YoY
85 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
83 · w10%
Long thesis

Lorain offers a $154,076 median home with +6.7% 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

Lorain'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 Lorain

Lorain is a city in Lorain County, Ohio, with an estimated population of 65,751. It anchors the Cleveland-Elyria metro area. The median home value in Lorain is $154,076 as of 2026-04, up 3.2% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +6.7% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Lorain average $1,107 per month, up 8.0% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 73 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Affordable AND rising: median home $154,076 with positive recent direction — rare combination most of the country can’t offer.
●Healthy 5-year run: +6.7% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
●Quiet strength: +3.2% 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.
●Hot rental market: rents up 8.0% YoY — landlords have pricing power, supports new investment math.

▼ Bear case

●Rental squeeze: rents up 8.0% YoY — tenants face tough renewals. Affordability deteriorating fast.
○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Lorain (Wikipedia)

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.

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

City facts

Area24.08 sq mi
Elevation617 ft
Founded1807
Density2762.36/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 Lorain

Fairfield, OH69 · RisingKettering, OH69 · RisingHuber Heights, OH68 · RisingMassillon, OH71 · Rising

Run the numbers for Lorain

ToolCan I afford Lorain?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Lorain rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Lorain to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolLorain 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 Lorain 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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