Places › Ohio › Elyria

Living in Elyria, OH

Small city in Ohio

Elyria is a small city in Ohio, home to about 53,000 people, with 1.5 million living within 31 mi. Day to day, most trips are by car. Life moves at a relaxed pace, and homes are a mix of apartments and houses.

Is Elyria a good place to live? Pros and cons

👍 Pros

  • Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $186k and rents for $1,650 a month
  • Strong healthcare: 11 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
  • Low natural disaster risk: 4 federally declared disasters since 2000
  • Easy flying: CLE is 14 mi away

👎 Cons

  • Cloudier than most places
  • Fewer graduates: 17% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher
  • Few dog parks: 4 within 9 mi
  • Smaller job market: about 1.5 million people live within 31 mi

Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Elyria ranks against your own priorities.

Key facts

Population
53,000
1.5 million within 31 mi
Winter / summer highs
39°F / 83°F
Average daily highs · 44″ snow a year
3-bedroom home
$186k
Typical value (Zillow)
3-bedroom rent
$1,650/mo
Incl. utilities (HUD)
Cost of living
94
US average = 100 (BEA)
Taxes
$932
State income tax per resident · 1.48% property tax
Safety
0.7× US
Violent crime vs US (FBI 2019)
Natural disasters
4 since 2000
Declared in the county · mainly flooding, tornadoes
Top-rated hospitals
11
4–5★ within 31 mi (CMS)
Adults with a degree
17%
2 research universities within 31 mi
Nearest major airport
CLE
14 mi away

Living in Elyria: common questions

What is the cost of living in Elyria?

A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $186k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $1,650 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are below the US average (index 94, where the US is 100).

What are taxes like in Elyria?

Ohio collects about $932 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 1.48% of their home's value in property tax each year.

Is Elyria safe?

Violent crime is well below the national rate (0.7× in FBI 2019 data).

What is the weather like in Elyria?

Elyria has cold winters: winter days average around 39°F and summer days around 83°F, with roughly 44″ of snow a year.

Does Elyria get natural disasters?

Natural disaster risk is low, mainly from flooding and tornadoes: 4 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.29 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.

What is the nearest major airport to Elyria?

The nearest major airport is CLE, about 14 mi away.

How Elyria scores

Each bar compares Elyria with the other 1143 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).

🏙️City size Small city Major metroSmall town
🏘️Urban or quiet Urban & suburban mix Dense & urbanQuiet / rural
🚶Getting around Mostly car Walk & transitCar essential
🌲Culture or nature Nature nearby Culture & nightlifeNature on the doorstep
🌡️Climate Cold winters Warm all yearLong, snowy winters
💰Cost of living Very affordable Very expensiveVery affordable
⏱️Pace Relaxed Very fast-pacedSlow & calm
🤝Community Friendly community AnonymousTight-knit community
🏡Housing Apartments & houses ApartmentsHouses with yards
🏷️Affordable housing Excellent
💸Low taxes Average
💼Job market Below average
🏥Healthcare Excellent
🎓Education Poor
🧸Kids & family Average
🐕Dog-friendly Below average
⛰️Outdoors Average
🎭Culture Average
🛡️Safety Very safe
🌪️Few natural disasters Excellent
☀️Sunny Poor
🌤️Mild summers Excellent
✈️Airport Excellent

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Is Elyria right for you?

Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.

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Sources: US Census ACS 2019–2023, Census State Tax Collections FY2025, Zillow 3-bedroom ZHVI, HUD Fair Market Rents, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, FBI 2019, FEMA National Risk Index v1.20, OpenFEMA disaster declarations, NOAA Normals 1991–2020, NASA POWER, CMS, NCES IPEDS 2023, IMLS, OpenStreetMap. How scores work.