What is the cost of living in Lorain, OH?

Lorain indexes at 74 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $867/mo and a acs median home value of $139,200.

How much does a house cost in Lorain?

The acs median home value in Lorain is $139,200, 32% below the Ohio median (Census ACS estimate; individual listings vary).

How much is rent in Lorain?

A two-bedroom in Lorain rents for about $867/mo.

City data & comparisons

Lorain County · Ohio · Midwest · 65k residents

Lorain, OH: cost of living, taxes & quality of life

Residential facts for Lorain: housing, taxes, monthly costs, climate, schools, and household income, with the Ohio median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.

Data coverage: ACS place data; supplementary fields may use state estimates.

The acs median home value in Lorain is $139,200, 32% below the Ohio median. A two-bedroom rents for about $867/mo. Day-to-day costs index at 74 against a national baseline of 100. The median household here earns $48,685 a year.

What the numbers show

Source-confirmed findings

Housing value: The ACS median home value in Lorain is $139,200, 31.7% below the median for ACS-covered places in Ohio.
Household income: Median household income is $48,685, 31.7% below the median for ACS-covered places in Ohio.
Adult education: 14.8% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher, 51.6% below the median for ACS-covered places in Ohio.
Home value to income: The ACS median home value is about 2.9 times median household income. This is a comparison measure, not a mortgage qualification or affordability promise.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates(2024 ACS 5-year; tables B01003, B15003, B19013, B25077). Geography: Census place where available. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

WhereToHQ calculates the comparisons. Figures are estimates for context, not a guarantee or personal financial advice. Read the methodology or send a correction.

What makes this place distinctive

A factual snapshot of the place, based on the profile data. It is not a tourism or cultural claim.

A researched local story is not published for this city yet. The signals below are the verified profile context.

Scale: A mid-sized city with a population between 50,000 and 250,000 in the profile data.
Setting: The profile places Lorain about 25 miles from the nearest tracked lake.
Climate signal: The profile records 175 sunny days.
Daily pace: The profile records a walk score of 34 and an average commute of 24 minutes.

WhereToHQ derives these signals from the committed city dataset. Read the methodology for coverage and source limits.

Compare Lorain for residents

Compare Lorain side by side

Cost of living index

cheaper than 98% of US cities

ACS median home value

$139,200

−32% vs state mediancheaper than 95% of US cities

2-bedroom rent

$867/mo

cheaper than 96% of US cities

Median household income

$48,685

−32% vs state medianhigher than 6% of US cities

Housing momentum

How fast Lorain's housing market is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.

81/100

Heating

Rents YoY: +6.7% (top 8%)Home prices YoY: +3.7% (top 21%)Home prices MoM: +0.1% (top 23%)

Momentum holding · over 2 yr

Ranks Lorain's home-price and rent growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. Not investment or relocation advice.

What does your salary buy in Lorain?

$a year

Adjusted by Lorain's cost-of-living index versus the US average.

All facets · Lorain

Housing — Buy
ACS median home value	$139,200
Price per sq. ft.	$145
Property tax rate	1.5%

Housing — Rent
1-bedroom rent	$660/mo
2-bedroom rent	$867/mo

Taxes
State & local income tax	3.91%
Sales tax	7.25%

Monthly Costs
Cost of living index	74
Groceries index	95
Utilities	$160/mo
Transit pass	$60/mo
Gas price	$3.15/gal
Healthcare index	95
Childcare (per child)	$950/mo

Economy & Jobs
Median household income	$48,685
Unemployment rate	3.9%
Population	65k

Quality of Life
Crime index	45/100
School rating	5.8/10
Walkability	34/100
Disaster risk	86/100
Avg. commute	24 min

Climate
Sunny days / year	175 days
July high	82°F
January low	20°F
Annual snowfall	—

Market Trends
Home price YoY	+3.7%
Home price MoM	+0.1%
Rent YoY	+6.7%
Rent MoM	+0.1%

Location & Access
Ocean coast	420 mi
Big lake	25 mi
Mountains	236 mi
Major airport	17 mi
Ski resort	180 mi

Compare & explore

Popular comparisons

Nearby

Similar size

Real listings in Lorain

Homes on Zillow ↗Realtor.com ↗Rentals on Zillow ↗Apartments.com ↗

Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.

Questions & answers

What is the cost of living in Lorain, OH?: Lorain indexes at 74 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $867/mo and a acs median home value of $139,200.
How much does a house cost in Lorain?: The acs median home value in Lorain is $139,200, 32% below the Ohio median (Census ACS estimate; individual listings vary).
How much is rent in Lorain?: A two-bedroom in Lorain rents for about $867/mo.