Part of series
2026 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2000 2019 2018
Data updates
Updated annually and as new data becomes available
Get email notifications -->
Media Contact
Neilsberg Research Media Relations
Share this page

Oberlin, OH

Last updated
Key Indicators
A quick look at key numbers

Population

8,329
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

27.3
years ∙ half population younger than 27.3, half older

Diversity Index

Low High
51.1%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

6.7%
foreign-born population
93.3%Native
6.7% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Oberlin is a city within Lorain County, Ohio, United States.
Location
City in Lorain County, OH, US
Co-ordinates
DEC41.286063° N, 82.219565° W
DMS41° 17′ 09.83″ N, 82° 13′ 10.43″ W

Population Density & area

1,693/sq mi (653.3/km²)
Total Area
4.96 sq mi (12.85 km²)
Land Area
4.92 sq mi (12.75 km²) · 99.24%
Water Area
0.04 sq mi (0.1 km²) · 0.76%

Demographics & Living

Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

45.3% male
Male 45.3%
Female 54.7%
males per 100 females
Oberlin 82.7
Lorain County 98.3
Ohio 97.3

Nativity

6.7%
foreign-born population
93.3%Native
6.7% Foreign-born
% Foreign-born
Oberlin 6.7%
Lorain County 3.1%
Ohio 5.2%
Age Distribution
How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

27.3
years ∙ half population younger than 27.3, half older
Oberlin
27.3
Lorain County
42.1
Ohio
39.7

Dependency ratio

Low High
46.9
dependents per 100 working-age adults
Oberlin 46.9
Lorain County 70.6
Ohio 67.4

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group
Median age
Oberlin Lorain County Ohio
Age Group
Children (Under 18) 11.2% 21.5% 22%
Working age (18-64) 68.1% 58.7% 59.7%
Senior (65+) 20.7% 19.8% 18.3%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio 46.9 70.6 67.4
Child dependency ratio 16.4 36.8 36.9
Old-age dependency ratio 30.5 33.8 30.6
Racial & Ethnic Composition
Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White
67.9%
Black
11.6%
Asian
3.9%
Hispanic
8.1%
Other
8.5%
Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.

Diversity Index

Low High
51.1%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity
Oberlin 51.1%
Lorain County 41.1%
Ohio 40.6%
Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.

RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION

Race & Ethnicity
Percentage of Oberlin population
Oberlin Lorain County Ohio
Hispanic or Latino 8.1% 11% 4.8%
Mexican 1.9% 2.5% 2%
Puerto Rican 2.8% 7% 1.2%
Cuban 0.3% 0.2% 0.1%
Other Hispanic / Latino 3% 1.4% 1.4%
Not Hispanic or Latino 91.9% 89% 95.2%
One race 83.7% 84.5% 90.9%
White 67.9% 75.5% 75.8%
Black or African American 11.6% 7.1% 12%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.2% 0.1% 0.1%
Asian 3.9% 1.4% 2.5%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0% 0% 0%
Some Other Race 0.1% 0.3% 0.4%
Two or more races (Multiracial) 8.2% 4.5% 4.3%
Household & Families Composition
Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

53% family
Family 53%
Non family 47%
% family households
Oberlin 53%
Lorain County 62.5%
Ohio 61.2%

Average household size

2.25
persons per household
Oberlin
2.25
Lorain County
2.42
Ohio
2.37

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households
Percentage of Oberlin population
Oberlin Lorain County Ohio
Total households 2,457 127,544 4,863,191
Average houshold size 2.25 2.42 2.37
Family households 1,302 79,752 2,976,515
Average family size 3 3.07 3.01
Married couple family 1,035 59,201 2,158,670
Other families 267 20,551 817,845
Male householder 83 5,236 235,478
Female householder 184 15,315 582,367
Non-family households 1,155 47,792 1,886,676
One-person households 940 40,358 1,556,005
Male householder 271 17,532 716,929
Senior (65+) living alone 136 6,348 227,267
Female householder 669 22,826 839,076
Senior (65+) living alone 422 12,627 427,631
Other living arrangements 215 7,434 330,671

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

2,728
housing units
Oberlin 2,728
Lorain County 136,548
Ohio 5,292,391

Occupancy status

90.1% occupied
Occupied 90.1%
Vacant 9.9%
vacancy rate
Oberlin 9.9%
Lorain County 6.6%
Ohio 8.1%
Housing Characteristics
How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

71.5%
Single family houses
Single family houses
71.5%
Apartments in multi-unit structures
28.6%
Mobile homes
0%
Boat, RV, van, etc
0%

Median Year Built

1968
Half of houses were built before 1968, and half after.
Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier
26.8%
Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969
24.9%
Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999
34%
Modern ∙ 2000 or later
14.4%
Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms
Physical characteristics of housing units
Oberlin Lorain County Ohio
Rooms per unit
Median rooms 5.9 6.1 5.9
1–3 rooms 10.8% 7% 10.7%
4–6 rooms 50% 50.2% 50.1%
7+ rooms 39.1% 42.8% 39.3%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio 0.9% 1.7% 1.7%
1 bedroom 15.7% 6% 9.4%
2 bedrooms 24.4% 21.8% 25.4%
3 bedrooms 34.5% 46.2% 41.6%
4+ bedrooms 24.5% 24.3% 21.9%
At a glance
Median year built 1968 1973 1971
Total housing units 2,728 136,548 5,292,391
Occupancy Profile
Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

58.2% owners
Renter-occupied 41.8%
Owner-occupied 58.2%
homeownership rate
Oberlin 58.2%
Lorain County 74%
Ohio 67.2%

Average household size

2.51
Owner-occupied
1.89
Renter-occupied
owner-occupied average size
Oberlin 2.51
Lorain County 2.52
Ohio 2.5

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics
Tenure, crowding, and utilities
Oberlin Lorain County Ohio
Total occupied units 2,457 127,544 4,863,191
Year moved in
2020 or later 15.5% 19.7% 22.8%
2010 to 2019 44.3% 39% 38.6%
2000 to 2009 14.9% 17.5% 16.5%
1999 or earlier 25.3% 23.7% 22.1%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer 99.7% 98.7% 98.5%
1.01 to 1.50 0.3% 1% 1.1%
1.51 or more 0% 0.2% 0.4%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles 8.9% 5.7% 7.5%
1 vehicle 50.5% 34.1% 34%
2 vehicles 30% 38.9% 37.4%
3 or more vehicles 10.6% 21.3% 21.2%
House heating fuel used
Gas 75.1% 79.8% 69.6%
Electricity 21.2% 18% 26%
Solar 0% 0% 0%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc 0.4% 0.5% 1.7%
All other fuels 1.9% 1.3% 2.2%
No fuel used 1.3% 0.4% 0.5%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing 0% 0.3% 0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen 0.4% 0.6% 0.9%
No telephone service available 0.8% 1% 0.8%
Housing Value
What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$225,600
owner-occupied units
Median value(USD)
Oberlin
$225,600
Lorain County
$223,200
Ohio
$214,800

Housing Cost Burden

14.4%
of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened
% Cost-Burdened Households
Owners with a mortgage
14.4%
Owners without a mortgage
9.8%
Renters
46.7%
Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.

Financial characteristics

Property value and housing costs
Tenure, crowding, and utilities
Oberlin Lorain County Ohio
Property value
Median Value $225,600 $223,200 $214,800
Under $100,000 6.3% 12.9% 16.3%
$100,000 - $200,000 32.9% 30.9% 29.7%
$200,000 - $300,000 29.4% 23.2% 23.3%
$300,000 - $500,000 28.9% 25.1% 21.8%
$500,000 - $1,000,000 2% 6.9% 7.7%
$1,000,000 and more 0.5% 1% 1.2%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage 54.2% 62.2% 60.6%
Without a mortgage 45.8% 37.8% 39.4%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage $1,423 $1,525 $1,517
Without a mortgage $627 $629 $588
Gross rent
Median rent $995 $966 $1,034

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

53.8%
of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher
Oberlin 53.8%
Lorain County 28.5%
Ohio 31.5%

Adults without a high school diploma

4%
of adults (25+) without a high school diploma
Oberlin 4%
Lorain County 8.1%
Ohio 8.1%
School Enrollment
Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

3,692
population (age 3+) enrolled in school
Nursery / Preschool
1.9%
K–12
20.5%
College / Undergraduate
76%
Graduate / Professional
1.6%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

88.2%
of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school
Oberlin
88.2%
Lorain County
38.9%
Ohio
38.1%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split
Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school
Oberlin Lorain County Ohio
Total enrolled (age 3+) 3,692 73,263 2,715,174
Nursery / preschool 1.9% 6.3% 6%
K–12 20.5% 68.3% 69.7%
Kindergarten 2.1% 5.4% 5.3%
Elementary: Grades 1–4 6.1% 18.7% 20.8%
Elementary: Grades 5–8 5.6% 22% 21.6%
High School: Grades 9–12 6.7% 22.2% 22.1%
College or graduate school 77.6% 25.4% 24.3%
College, undergraduate 76% 21% 19.1%
Graduate, professional school 1.6% 4.4% 5.2%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds 88.2% 38.9% 38.1%
School type
Public school 49% 76.3% 80.9%
Private school 51% 23.7% 19.1%
Education Attainment by Level & Gender
What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

4,281
population 25 years and over
Total adults (25+)
Less than 9th grade
2.9%
9th-12th, no diploma
1.1%
HS graduate
21.2%
Some college no degree
13.3%
Associates degree
7.6%
Bachelors degree
15.5%
Graduate or professional degree
38.3%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female
Adults (25+) · Share within each education level
% male · % female
Less than 9th grade
24% · 76%
9th-12th, no diploma
37% · 63%
HS graduate
59% · 41%
Some college no degree
49.1% · 50.9%
Associates degree
38.5% · 61.5%
Bachelors degree
40.9% · 59.1%
Graduate or professional degree
46.8% · 53.2%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)
Highest credential completed · adults 25+
Oberlin Lorain County Ohio
Population (25+) 4,281 222,831 8,162,216
Less than 9th grade 2.9% 2.1% 2.6%
9th–12th, no diploma 1.1% 6% 5.5%
High school diploma or GED 21.2% 30.8% 32.1%
Some college, no degree 13.3% 22.1% 19.3%
Associate's degree 7.6% 10.4% 9%
Bachelor's degree or higher 53.8% 28.5% 31.5%
Bachelor's degree 15.5% 17.8% 19.3%
Graduate or professional 38.3% 10.7% 12.2%
High School or higher 96% 91.8% 91.8%
Earnings by education level
percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$49,191
Median earnings for adults 25+, by level
Less than HS graduate
$33,783
HS graduate
$24,716
Some college or associates
$32,500
Bachelors degree
$47,209
Graduate or professional degree
$81,722

Poverty Rate

1.1%
for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher
Less than HS graduate
49%
HS graduate
23%
Some college or associates
11.6%
Bachelors degree or higher
1.1%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)
Adults 25+
Oberlin Lorain County Ohio
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings $49,191 $51,159 $50,614
Less than high school graduate $33,783 $32,071 $32,025
High school graduate (includes equivalency) $24,716 $40,954 $39,940
Some college or associate's degree $32,500 $46,628 $45,998
Bachelor's degree $47,209 $68,652 $66,950
Graduate or professional degree $81,722 $93,240 $84,072
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate 49% 26.1% 28.4%
High school graduate (includes equivalency) 23% 13.2% 14.2%
Some college or associate's degree 11.6% 8.7% 10.5%
Bachelor's degree or higher 1.1% 4% 4.2%

About Neilsberg Research

Neilsberg Research Avatar
Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.

Cite this page


			
			 	 
			 
	      
Url to be used as reference

			
				
				
		
This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be legal or tax advice. We recommend that you consult with a qualified professional such as a lawyer or accountant before making a decision. Many of the products and services featured here are from our affiliate partners. We may receive commissions on purchases made from our chosen links. Read advertiser disclosure.