Lorain County, Ohio: commercial real estate data.
Lorain County, Ohio had an estimated 322,030 residents on July 1, 2024, up 2.9 percent since the 2020 census base of 312,981, across 491 square miles. County output reached $15.03 bn in 2024, 5,664 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 641 7(a) approvals worth $158.3 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Lorain County
How many people live in Lorain County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024317,129
- Households127,544
- Average household size2.49
- Median household income$73,347
- Median age42.1
- Median gross rent$966 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$223,200
- Home value to household income3.0 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income15.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher28.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree10.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over222,831
- Population under 1868,331
- Share under 1821.5 percent
- Population 65 and over62,902
- Share 65 and over19.8 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64185,896
- Civilian labor force156,503
- Unemployment rate4.3 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over62.9 percent
- Rank by population among Ohio counties9th of 88
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included231st of 3,222
Lorain County is the 9th largest of 88 Ohio counties by population. A median home costs 3.0 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 21.5 percent against 19.8 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Lorain County
Is Lorain County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 2024322,030
- Census 2020 base population312,981
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.89 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 20242,867
- Births, 20243,160
- Deaths, 20243,388
- Natural change, 2024-228
- Net domestic migration, 20242,327
- Net international migration, 2024771
- Total net migration, 20243,098
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20248,518
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents898th of 3,144
The county has grown 2.89 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 and the population still grew, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Lorain County
Where are people moving to Lorain County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving7,041
- People arriving, from those returns12,006
- Tax returns filed by households leaving6,014
- Net household movement1,027
- Adjusted gross income arriving$478.4 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-37.4 m
- Average income of an arriving household$67,948
- Average income of a leaving household$85,770
- Largest single originCuyahoga County (3,232 households)
- Largest single destinationCuyahoga County (2,039 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cuyahoga County | 3,232 | 5,586 | $220.5 m |
| Medina County | 364 | 641 | $29.8 m |
| Erie County | 346 | 588 | $20.9 m |
| Franklin County | 180 | 278 | $11.7 m |
| Summit County | 140 | 210 | $9.9 m |
| Huron County | 129 | 242 | $7.6 m |
| Lake County | 75 | 99 | $4.7 m |
| Stark County | 53 | 82 | $3.4 m |
Households arriving report $17,822 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Cuyahoga County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Lorain County
What is the Lorain County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$15.03 bn
- County GDP, 2023$14.20 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20245.8 percent
- GDP change over five years35.0 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Ohio areas BEA publishes12th of 88
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes326th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$47,390
Output grew 5.8 percent in the latest year and 35.0 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Lorain County
Employment by industry in Lorain County
- Covered employment, annual average98,291
- Establishments reporting6,969
- Average annual pay$55,721
- Average weekly wage$1,072
- Manufacturing, employment15,678
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$74,465
- Health care and social assistance, employment14,290
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$51,929
- Retail trade, employment12,625
- Retail trade, average annual pay$34,991
- Accommodation and food services, employment9,493
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$21,839
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment5,205
- Construction, employment4,547
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 15,678 | 407 | $74,465 |
| Health care and social assistance | 14,290 | 740 | $51,929 |
| Retail trade | 12,625 | 793 | $34,991 |
| Accommodation and food services | 9,493 | 568 | $21,839 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 5,205 | 459 | $47,817 |
| Construction | 4,547 | 677 | $64,734 |
| Wholesale trade | 4,505 | 476 | $90,994 |
| Other services, except public administration | 2,957 | 584 | $38,925 |
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 15,678 jobs, 16.0 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Lorain County
How many businesses are in Lorain County?
- Establishments, all industries5,664
- Employment at those establishments89,159
- Annual payroll$4.49 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents17.9
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Lorain County
Building permits in Lorain County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20241,331
- Declared construction value permitted$409.7 m
- Single family units authorized1,091
- Multifamily units authorized240
- Multifamily share of units18.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$307,780
- Units authorized per 1,000 households10.4
Single-family homes are 82.0 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Lorain County
SBA loans in Lorain County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded641
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$158.3 m
- Average 7(a) approval$246,890
- Median 7(a) approval$80,000
- 10th percentile approval$20,000
- 90th percentile approval$587,000
- Largest single approval$4,483,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)4,298
- Jobs per approval6.7
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active48
- Distinct industries receiving approvals196
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer8.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms51
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter566
- Franchise loans76
- Franchise share of approvals11.9 percent
- Leading industry by approval countLandscaping Services (37)
- Most active lenderThe Huntington National Bank (426)
- 504 approvals recorded71
- 504 gross approval dollars$49.4 m
- Average 504 approval$695,070
- Median 504 approval$436,000
- Distinct CDCs active5
- 504 jobs per approval11.7
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved16.8
- Most active CDCGrowth Capital Corp. (51)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$207.6 m
The average approval of $246,890 sits well above the median of $80,000, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 8.0 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Lorain County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Lorain County
Do SBA loans in Lorain County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded124
- Paid in full120
- Charged off4
- Charge-off rate on resolved loans3.2 percent
- Status: Paid in full120
- Status: Cancelled58
- Status: Exempt from disclosure426
- Status: Charged off4
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed33
Of the 124 loans that have reached a final outcome, 3.2 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Lorain County
SBA lending by place in Lorain County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending22
- North Ridgeville, approvals100
- Elyria, approvals95
- Avon, approvals72
- Avon Lake, approvals62
- Lorain, approvals62
- Columbia Station, approvals49
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| North Ridgeville | 100 | $20,542,300 |
| Elyria | 95 | $21,149,900 |
| Avon | 72 | $29,760,700 |
| Avon Lake | 62 | $16,516,200 |
| Lorain | 62 | $14,980,700 |
| Columbia Station | 49 | $11,307,900 |
| Amherst | 41 | $13,328,900 |
| Wellington | 31 | $6,073,200 |
| 14 other borrower cities | 129 | $24,596,900 |
North Ridgeville accounts for 100 approvals against 95 in Elyria. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Lorain County
How large is Lorain County?
- Land area491 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Ohio counties28th of 88
- Width, east to west24.5 mi
- Height, north to south31.2 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land646
- Establishments per square mile11.54
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Lorain County
Flood risk in Lorain County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Lorain County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 390346
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book17
- Of those, participating in the NFIP16
- NFIP participation rate94.1 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Lorain County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Lorain County (community 390346), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Lorain County in radon zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 94.1 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Lorain County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Lorain County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024317,129
- Households127,544
- Average household size2.49
- Median household income$73,347
- Median age42.1
Common questions
Lorain County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Lorain County, Ohio?
The Census Bureau estimates 322,030 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 317,129, in 127,544 households, ranking 9th of 88 Ohio counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Lorain County's population growing?
The population has grown 2.89 percent since the 2020 census base of 312,981, to 322,030 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 3,160 births against 3,388 deaths, with net migration of 3,098. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Lorain County?
$73,347. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $223,200, which is 3.0 times income, and median gross rent is $966 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Lorain County?
5,664 establishments, employing 89,159 people with an annual payroll of $4.49 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Lorain County?
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 15,678 jobs, 16.0 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 98,291 jobs at an average annual pay of $55,721, or $1,072 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Lorain County?
641 7(a) approvals totaling $158.3 m since FY2020, across 48 lenders, with a median approval of $80,000, plus 71 504 approvals worth $49.4 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Lorain County get paid back?
Of the 124 loans that have reached a final outcome, 120 were paid in full and 4 charged off, a charge-off rate of 3.2 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
How many building permits were issued in Lorain County?
1,331 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $409.7 m. Multifamily was 18.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Lorain County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Lorain County come from?
The largest single origin is Cuyahoga County, with 3,232 households. Arriving households report an average income of $67,948 against $85,770 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Lorain County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Lorain County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Lorain County
Cities and places in Lorain.
18 Census places lie wholly or partly in Lorain County. All 18 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lorain | city | 65,395 | 62 | Wholly in this county |
| Elyria | city | 53,035 | 95 | Wholly in this county |
| North Ridgeville | city | 36,627 | 100 | Wholly in this county |
| Avon Lake | city | 25,752 | 62 | Wholly in this county |
| Avon | city | 25,317 | 72 | Wholly in this county |
| Amherst | city | 12,906 | 41 | Wholly in this county |
| Vermilion | city | 10,343 | 7 | 81.0 percent here, 19.0 percent Erie County |
| Sheffield Lake | city | 8,966 | 9 | Wholly in this county |
| Oberlin | city | 8,329 | 24 | Wholly in this county |
| Grafton | village | 5,657 | 30 | Wholly in this county |
| Wellington | village | 4,593 | 31 | Wholly in this county |
| Sheffield | village | 4,380 | 11 | Wholly in this county |
| LaGrange | village | 2,800 | 29 | Wholly in this county |
| South Amherst | village | 1,912 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Pheasant Run | CDP | 1,258 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Eaton Estates | CDP | 1,184 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Kipton | village | 251 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Rochester | village | 188 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 68 of the county's 641 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Lorain County, the largest being Columbia Station (49), N Ridgeville (9), Eyria (2). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.
Nearby