Grafton, Ohio

Population

Down 3.0% since 2020.

5,764

people, the 243rd-largest of Ohio's cities and towns.

Census Population Estimates, 2025. Rank among Ohio's cities and towns computed by the Almanac. Sources: Census Population Estimates

The workday

9 in 10 jobs here go to people who live somewhere else.

93.4%

of 1,729 jobs located in Grafton are filled by in-commuters.

Census LEHD LODES, 2023. Sources: Census LEHD LODES

Rent

Median rent is up 44% since the 2005–2009 survey, before inflation.

$1,089

a month. Ohio's median is $1,034.

Census ACS 5-year, 2020-2024 (latest), with earlier 5-year windows. Sources: Census ACS 5-year

The seam

Cross one tract line and median rent doubles.

A $1,220 gap between neighbors, the sharpest rent edge between adjacent tracts in Lorain County.

• $969 Tract 707
• $2,189 Tract 807.01

Census ACS 5-year, 2020-2024, adjacent tracts compared by the Almanac. Tract estimates carry wide margins of error. Sources: Census ACS 5-year

Room to build

Local wages can carry more rent than the median charged today.

$1,200–$1,799

is the monthly rent range local workforce wages support.

• $1,089 median

Supportable rent computed by the Almanac from 2023 source wage data. Median rent: Census ACS 5-year, 2020-2024. Sources: Computed by the Almanac, Census ACS 5-year

Building

72% of the housing here was built before 2000.

• 134 homes permitted in ten years, 2016–2025
• 0% of those were in multifamily buildings
• 72% of all homes were built before 2000

Census Building Permits Survey, 2016–2025; Census ACS 5-year, 2020-2024. Sources: Census Building Permits Survey, Census ACS 5-year

Units needed

Closing the gap would add 1–2% to the 899 homes here.

5–17

is the estimated number of missing housing units, from the lowest to the highest of three estimates.

Range computed by the Almanac from 2023 jobs and household data, using three demand models: 1% of jobs located here, 1% of renter households, and a rate by town size applied to renters. The low end is the lowest of the three and the high end the highest. It is an estimate, not a count. Sources: Computed by the Almanac

Home value

A median home costs 1% more than Ohio's.

$216,100

median home value in Grafton.

• $216,100 Grafton
• $214,800 Ohio
• $332,700 U.S.

Census ACS 5-year, 2020-2024. Sources: Census ACS 5-year