What it's like to live in Vermilion
Vermilion is a small city in Ohio with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, and crime rates well below the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Vermilion deals with larger class sizes than the national average, cold winters, snowy winters, and fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low crime rates
The not so good
- High student-teacher ratio
- Cold winters
- Snowy winters — 47" per year
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Vermilion compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Vermilion
Based on Vermilion's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,198
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $43,960 a year
- 25% of Vermilion renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$36,720
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $18,360
- Homes cost 2.6× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 22% below US
$1,099/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,099 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $183,600. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $183,600 · 25% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.3% county unemployment
Unemployment in Lorain County is 4.3%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Lorain County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 97% below US
9 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 214/100k · Vermilion Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
26 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 25.8 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 7% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 80°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 22°F and snow a regular occurrence.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 10% below US
32% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 32% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
4 public schools inside the boundary
There are 4 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 21:1, above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Perry's Victory & International Peace Memorial (30 miles away). There are 5 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Vermilion's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are cold winters and snowy winters. A year of median rent ($1,099/mo) equals 19% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and anyone prioritizing low crime.
Other places near Vermilion
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