Lake County, Ohio Demographics 2026

Name: Lake County, Ohio Demographics
Creator: U.S. Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

Lake County, Ohio has a population of 232,216, the 11th most populous county in Ohio. The median household income is $80,925 and the median home value is $214,100. The poverty rate is 8.3%.

Data vintage: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates · refreshed July 2026 · Methodology & source notes

Lake County Quick Facts

Population 232,216

Median Household Income $80,925

Median Home Value $214,100

Poverty Rate 8.3%

Unemployment Rate 3.9%

Median Age 44.1 years

Homeownership Rate 75.8%

Affordability Ratio 2.6x

Bachelor's Degree+ 31.6%

High School Graduation 94.5%

Cities/Places 19

Population 232,216 11th of 88

Median Income $80,925 13% higher than state

Poverty Rate 8.3%

Unemployment 3.9%

How Lake County Changed

Change from the 2019–2023 ACS period to 2020–2024. These are rolling five-year estimates, not year-over-year measurements.

Metric	2019–2023	2020–2024	Change
Population	232,101	232,216	+0.0%
Median household income	$77,952	$80,925	+3.8%
Median home value	$199,900	$214,100	+7.1%

Median Household Income

Lake

$80,925

$71,389

National

$80,734

Median Home Value

Lake

$214,100

$214,800

National

$332,700

Economy & Housing

Household Income Distribution

Under $25K 11.4%

$25K-$50K 18.9%

$50K-$100K 30.0%

$100K+ 39.7%

Detailed income brackets

Under $10K

3.3%

$10K-$15K

2.8%

$15K-$20K

2.0%

$20K-$25K

3.4%

$25K-$30K

3.8%

$30K-$35K

3.4%

$35K-$40K

4.1%

$40K-$45K

3.7%

$45K-$50K

3.8%

$50K-$60K

6.8%

$60K-$75K

9.6%

$75K-$100K

13.6%

$100K-$125K

12.0%

$125K-$150K

8.6%

$150K-$200K

9.8%

$200K+

9.3%

Employment

3.9% Unemployment Rate State: 4.8%|National: 5.2%

65.8% Labor Force Participation

Housing Overview

Owner 75.8%

Renter 24.2%

Affordability Index Very Affordable

2.6x home value to income ratio

Median gross rent $1,113/mo 16.5% of median household income annually

People & Demographics

Age Distribution

Under 18

19.3%

18-34

19.8%

35-54

24.3%

55-74

27.7%

75+

8.8%

Race & Ethnicity

Diversity Index

Low Diversity

A less diverse community where one racial or ethnic group represents a large majority.

State average: 41 | National average: 61

Education

Educational Attainment (Adults 25+)

Cities & Places in Lake County

City	Population	Median Income	Poverty	Home Value
Mentor	47,171	$88,949	5.2%	$247,700
Willoughby	24,046	$71,309	9.5%	$216,900
Painesville	20,548	$51,516	25.6%	$158,800
Eastlake	17,493	$62,072	8.4%	$172,100
Willowick	14,162	$77,228	5.7%	$166,000
Wickliffe	12,659	$81,750	6.6%	$166,900
Willoughby Hills	9,975	$67,214	5.6%	$328,600
North Madison	8,594	$67,711	10.0%	$157,300
Mentor-on-the-Lake	7,111	$67,188	8.5%	$188,500
Kirtland	6,911	$110,455	4.7%	$391,300
Madison	3,417	$94,928	4.1%	$207,100
Fairport Harbor	3,089	$52,308	23.4%	$147,500
Perry	1,729	$93,917	10.5%	$254,800
North Perry	1,004	$98,611	3.3%	$279,800
Kirtland Hills	639	$239,688	3.4%	$752,800
Grand River	625	$78,947	8.3%	$162,500
Waite Hill	600	$163,750	2.7%	$738,800
Timberlake	573	$81,375	5.6%	$227,100
Lakeline	206	$72,083	5.1%	$225,000

Explore Ohio Rankings

Cities by Population All cities ranked by size Richest Cities Ranked by median income Most Educated By bachelor's degree rate Most Affordable By housing affordability

Population Overview

Lake County is located in Ohio with a total population of 232,216. It is the 11th most populous county out of 88 in Ohio. The county encompasses 19 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Lake County is 44.1 years. This is 11% higher than the state median of 39.7 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Lake County is $80,925. This is 13% higher than the state median of $71,389. It is also about the same as the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 8.3%. This is 37% lower than the state poverty rate of 13.3%. The unemployment rate is 3.9%. This is 18% lower than the state rate of 4.8%. The median home value is $214,100. Housing costs are about the same as the state median of $214,800. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.6x, Lake County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 75.8% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 13% higher than the state average of 67.2%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Lake County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 84.2% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 5.3%. The Black or African American population (4.8%) is well below the state average of 12.0%.

Education

31.6% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is about the same as the state rate of 31.5%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 94.5%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Lake County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against Ohio and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the population of Lake County, Ohio?

Lake County has a population of 232,216, making it the 11th most populous county in Ohio.

What is the median income in Lake County?

The median household income in Lake County is $80,925 with a poverty rate of 8.3%.

How many cities are in Lake County, Ohio?

Lake County contains 19 Census-designated places.