Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety4#14,929/15,637
Economy73#4,144/15,631
Housing90#1,538/14,977
Health45#8,624/15,609
Healthcare77#3,575/15,650
Environment12#13,626/15,453
Education47#8,339/15,649
Infrastructure96#599/15,650
Community33#10,415/15,651
Leisure & amenities55#7,007/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Sylvania, Ohio ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Lucas County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

High school diploma or higher · high97.9%
92/100Ohio 91.8%United States 89.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003
Lack of reliable transportation · low5.3%
91/100Ohio 8.1%United States 8.3%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate
Food insecurity · low8.4%
90/100Ohio 14.7%United States 15.6%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate
Rent as share of income · low25.3%
90/100Ohio 28.3%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071
Rent-burdened households · low41.3%
90/100Ohio 45.9%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Distance to an Amtrak station · low6 mi
89/100Ohio 37 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauLucas County value

Weaknesses

Child care cost burden · high46.8%
1/100Ohio 31.7%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteLucas County value
Violent crime rate · high586 /100k
6/100Ohio 276 /100kUnited States 328 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationLucas County value
Drug overdose deaths · high32.4 /100k
7/100Ohio 18.9 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataLucas County value
Comfortable days · low22.9%
7/100Ohio 23.4%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationLucas County value
Effective property tax rate · high1.96%
8/100Ohio 1.36%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Homicide rate · high9.4 /100k
10/100Ohio 5.3 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataLucas County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Broadband subscriptionsImproving
86.1% (2015-2019) → 94.9% (2020-2024)
+8.8 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Median household incomeImproving
$76,923 (2015-2019) → $100,189 (2020-2024)
+30%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Bachelor's degree or higherImproving
46.5% (2015-2019) → 51.9% (2020-2024)
+5.4 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.1% → 35.7%
High school diploma or higherImproving
95.4% (2015-2019) → 97.9% (2020-2024)
+2.5 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 88.0% → 89.6%
Poverty rateImproving
7.7% (2015-2019) → 5.6% (2020-2024)
−2.1 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
Child poverty rateImproving
8.8% (2015-2019) → 7.1% (2020-2024)
−1.7 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Sylvania, Ohio improved on 3 of 14 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 10 moved within the margin of error and 1 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved3

Bachelor's++5.4 points46.5% → 51.9%
Household income+30%$76,923 → $100,189
Broadband+8.8 points86.1% → 94.9%

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 14 measures

Change of every measure of Sylvania, Ohio between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	23.0 min2015-2019	21.9 min2020-2024	−1.1 min	Within the margin of error	61%
Bachelor's degree or higher	46.5%2015-2019	51.9%2020-2024	+5.4 points	Improved	70%
Broadband subscriptions	86.1%2015-2019	94.9%2020-2024	+8.8 points	Improved	54%
Child poverty rate	8.8%2015-2019	7.1%2020-2024	−1.7 points	Within the margin of error	54%
Effective property tax rate	2.23%2015-2019	1.96%2020-2024	−0.3 points	Little change	70%
High school diploma or higher	95.4%2015-2019	97.9%2020-2024	+2.5 points	Within the margin of error	64%
Home price to income ratio	2.3×2015-2019	2.5×2020-2024	+0.2×	Within the margin of error	70%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4482015-2019	0.4162020-2024	−0.032	Within the margin of error	75%
Median household income	$76,9232015-2019	$100,1892020-2024	+30%	Improved	56%
Poverty rate	7.7%2015-2019	5.6%2020-2024	−2.1 points	Within the margin of error	63%
Rent as share of income	24.5%2015-2019	25.3%2020-2024	+0.8 points	Within the margin of error	48%
Rent-burdened households	41.3%2015-2019	41.3%2020-2024	−0 points	Within the margin of error	56%
Unemployment rate	5.0%2015-2019	3.9%2020-2024	−1.1 points	Within the margin of error	70%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	4.2%2015-2019	3.8%2020-2024	−0.4 points	Within the margin of error	52%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Sylvania, Ohio five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Sylvania, Ohio in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Sylvania, Ohio itself moved +5.6 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

19,055 residents (±50)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79
60–69
50–59
40–49
30–39
20–29
10–19
Under 10

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 80 and over women (−3.0 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

19,055 residents (±50)

Sylvania, Ohio
Ohio share

White84%15,938
Black3.6%†681
Hispanic or Latino5.9%†1,128
Asian3.1%†593
American Indian and Alaska Native0.1%†18
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander0.0%†7
Other or two or more races3.6%†690

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: White (−4.8 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B03002View table on data.census.gov

Education

13,011 residents (±427)

Sylvania, Ohio
Ohio share

No high school diploma2.1%†279
High school or GED18%2,293
Some college16%2,061
Associate degree12%1,623
Bachelor's degree28%3,664
Graduate degree24%3,091

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Graduate degree (+4.9 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B15003View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

7,512 households (±265)

Sylvania, Ohio
Ohio share

Under $25k9.0%679
$25k–50k14%1,067
$50k–75k17%1,303
$75k–100k9.4%703
$100k–150k22%1,638
$150k–200k13%980
$200k or more15%1,142

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $200k or more (+6.7 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

7,512 households (±265)

Sylvania, Ohio
Ohio share

Own78%5,828
Rent22%1,684

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+4.0 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

1,639 households (±208)

Sylvania, Ohio
Ohio share

Under $75021%†349
$750–1,00022%†361
$1,000–1,50037%601

Home values

5,828 homes (±296)

Sylvania, Ohio
Ohio share

Under $150k17%1,012
$150k–250k33%1,920
$250k–400k40%2,346

Age of homes

8,008 homes (±319)

Sylvania, Ohio
Ohio share

2010 or later5.2%413
2000–20097.9%630
1980–199928%2,203

Size of homes

8,008 homes (±319)

Sylvania, Ohio
Ohio share

Studio1.4%†113
1 bedroom7.1%†571
2 bedrooms26%2,045

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

9,094 workers (±446)

Sylvania, Ohio
Ohio share

Drive alone73%6,648
Carpool5.6%†511
Public transit0.8%†72
Walk2.1%†193
Bike0.0%0
Work from home18%1,650
Other0.2%†20

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Work from home (+13.4 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

7,444 workers (±449)

Sylvania, Ohio
Ohio share

Under 15 min29%2,124
15–29 min48%3,566
30–44 min16%1,206

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Toledo, OH

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Lucas County, the county holding most of Sylvania's residents.

Lucas County has 9,282 employer establishments, 218 for every 10,000 residents (0.88× the US rate of 248; 1.01× Ohio's), with 187,961 paid employees at an average annual pay of $56,507. The Census Bureau also counts 29,551 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 9,282; 29,551 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 218; US 248 · Ohio 216
Paid employees: 187,961
Average annual pay: $56,507; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Lucas County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	883	20.8	1.00×About typical	15,017	$77,457	1,653
Restaurants and other eating places	848	19.9	1.09×About typical	17,802	$19,583	129
Specialty trade contractors	447	10.5	0.68×Fewer than typical	5,753	$75,025	1,738
Limited-service restaurants	417	9.8	1.22×About typical	8,382	$17,513	55
Full-service restaurants	339	8	1.04×About typical	8,279	$22,132	39
Lessors of real estate	331	7.8	0.63×Fewer than typical	1,873	$71,432	2,756
Offices of physicians	317	7.5	1.15×About typical	5,924	$121,030	342
Services to buildings and dwellings	293	6.9	1.02×About typical	4,531	$31,068	1,731
Religious organizations	241	5.7	1.02×About typical	1,848	$23,939	—
Automotive repair and maintenance	219	5.1	1.02×About typical	1,159	$43,347	306
Offices of other health practitioners	204	4.8	0.79×Fewer than typical	1,851	$42,272	636
Insurance agencies and brokerages	197	4.6	1.05×About typical	1,961	$99,197	419

Rank places for an industry Open Lucas County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 425,272 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $0 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Sylvania, Ohio: $0 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $0
Per resident: $0; US $1,994
Sole-source: —; US 30%
Single offer: —; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

87.7KFY2017
31.2KFY2018
6.6KFY2019
77.7KFY2020
14KFY2021
17.8KFY2022
38KFY2023
251.1KFY2024
0FY2025

What was bought

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Sylvania, Ohio, so they do not add up across cities.

Sylvania, Ohio's figures are part of those of Lucas County, OH ($14.9M in FY2026), never added to them: 0.0% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Sylvania is mostly in Lucas County.

See federal money in Lucas County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Sylvania, Ohio is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Marcy KapturD-OH-9 · 100% of residentsWith party 89%Missed 3.4%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Lucas County40100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Toledo, OH48

Other cities and towns in Lucas County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/3976022