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Living in
Sandusky.
About
Life in Sandusky
Sandusky sits on Lake Erie halfway between Toledo and Cleveland, and it's best known as the home of the Cedar Point amusement park and the gateway to the Lake Erie islands. Tourism shapes the economy: arts, hospitality and food service employ about 22% of working residents, almost as many as education and health care. Housing is inexpensive, with a median home value of $113,100, about 66% below the national median, and rent averages $905.
Sandusky at a Glance
Population, income, housing and more
Median Age
36.5 yrs
Poverty Rate
25.6%
Foreign-Born
3.3%
Broadband Internet
84.9%
of households
Population Growth
-4.5%
recent change · Census Bureau
Median household income
Demographics3.3% foreign-born, most often from Colombia
Who lives in Sandusky: race and ethnicity, ages, households, languages and countries of origin
In Sandusky, the largest foreign-born group is from Colombia (22.6%), and 3.4% of residents speak Spanish at home.
Under 18
22.4%
of residents
65 and Older
16.9%
of residents
Households with Kids
27.8%
anyone under 18
Living Alone
36.2%
of households
Married Couples
25.1%
of households
Avg Household Size
2.10
people
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino of any race; other groups are non-Hispanic
Top countries of origin (foreign-born)
Languages Spoken at Home
Cost of Livingrent 12% below OH average
Rent, home values, and income in Sandusky
In Sandusky, rent runs 12% below the OH average, and home values are 47% below the OH average.
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
Rent Burdened
42.8%
spending 30%+ of income on rent
Severely Rent Burdened
26.6%
spending 50%+
Cost of Living Index
89.3
metro area (BEA) · US avg = 100
Median Property Tax
$1,470
per year, owner-occupied homes
Homeowners
50.1%
of occupied homes are owned
Typical Home Built
1955
median year built
Vacant Homes
16.5%
of housing units
Home Value Trend
Latest: $152,567 (September 2026)
Jobs & Economyunemployment 1.4 pts above OH average
Unemployment in Sandusky
Unemployment in Sandusky is 1.4 percentage points higher than the OH average.
Unemployment rate
City-level rate · BLS annual average
Unemployment Rate — 10 Year Trend
City-level (BLS) · Annual averages
What Sandusky Residents Do for Work · share of employed residents by industry
City residents, wherever they work
Commute18 min avg
How Sandusky residents get to work, and the nearest airports
In Sandusky, most residents drive alone to work (73%), and 81% get there in under 30 minutes.
How People Get to Work
Commute Time Distribution
Nearest airports · with airline service
- 45 mi
Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE)
Medium hub4.9M passengers boarded in 2025
- 62 mi
Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW)
Major hub16.3M passengers boarded in 2025
Straight-line distance. Size is the FAA’s hub category, based on passenger traffic: regional airports may have only a few flights a day.
Safetyviolent crime 38% below national average
Crime rates for 2025
Violent crime in Sandusky runs 38% below the national average.
Violent Crime Rate
204.6
per 100,000 residents
Below average (329 national, 2025)
Property Crime Rate
1,845.4
per 100,000 residents
Above average (1,552 national, 2025)
Sandusky Police Department
Natural DisastersThunderstorm Wind most common — 2 events in 2025
Natural hazard risk, storms and earthquakes
FEMA National Risk Index
Relatively Low
61.4 / 100
Compares expected losses from natural hazards, social vulnerability and community resilience against every US county (higher = more risk).
Erie County, county-wide · FEMA NRI December 2025
In Erie County, which includes Sandusky, the most common type is thunderstorm wind, with 2 recorded events in 2025.
Most common events:
Storm events by year
| Year | Events | Top Type | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2 | Thunderstorm Wind | None reported |
| 2024 | 2 | Thunderstorm Wind | None reported |
| 2023 | 8 | Thunderstorm Wind | $2.6M |
| 2022 | 8 | Thunderstorm Wind | $20,000 |
| 2021 | 4 | Winter Storm | $15,000 |
| 2020 | 14 | Lakeshore Flood | $460,000 |
| 2019 | 13 | Thunderstorm Wind | $934,000 |
| 2018 | 4 | Thunderstorm Wind | $277,000 |
Property damage is the National Weather Service's estimate filed with each event. “None reported” means the events were logged with $0 damage; “Not estimated” means no estimate was filed. Storms covering several counties aren't counted here, since NOAA doesn't split their damage by county.
4 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5+ within 100 miles in the past year
Erie County, county-wide
Air Quality39 median AQI — Good
Days by air quality category (2025)
Air quality in Lorain County, OH (the nearest EPA-monitored county, about 28 miles from Sandusky) is typically good — 207 good-air days per year.
Median AQI
39
Good Days
207
per year
Moderate Days
29
per year
Unhealthy Days
0
per year
Nearest EPA monitor county: Lorain County, OH (28 mi away)
Climate80°F summers, 24°F winters
30-year climate averages (1991–2020) — monthly temperatures and precipitation
Sandusky has warm summers (avg high 80°F) and cold winters (avg low 24°F).
Spring (Mar–May)
57°/42°F
avg high / low
Summer (Jun–Aug)
80°/65°F
avg high / low
Fall (Sep–Nov)
63°/48°F
avg high / low
Winter (Dec–Feb)
37°/24°F
avg high / low
Annual Precipitation
34.0"
Annual Snowfall
32.7"
Hot Days/Year
9
days above 90°F
Freeze Days/Year
105
days below 32°F
Rainy Days/Year
135
Average month
Show month-by-month table ↓Hide table ↑
| Month | High | Low | Precip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34°F | 22°F | 1.90" |
| Feb | 37°F | 23°F | 1.77" |
| Mar | 45°F | 31°F | 2.56" |
| Apr | 57°F | 41°F | 3.76" |
| May | 69°F | 53°F | 3.25" |
| Jun | 78°F | 63°F | 3.67" |
| Jul | 82°F | 67°F | 3.55" |
| Aug | 81°F | 66°F | 3.02" |
| Sep | 75°F | 59°F | 3.07" |
| Oct | 63°F | 48°F | 2.72" |
| Nov | 50°F | 37°F | 2.64" |
| Dec | 39°F | 28°F | 2.12" |
Healthcare1 hospital, avg 4.0/5
Hospitals, ratings, and health insurance in Sandusky
Sandusky has 1 hospital, averaging 4.0 out of 5 on CMS's quality rating — above-average care.
Hospitals
1
within city limits
Uninsured
8.2%
of residents
Avg Hospital Rating
4.0 / 5
Firelands Regional Medical Center
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available
Nearby hospitals · within 15 miles
Magruder Hospital
Critical Access Hospitals · ER available · 11.9 mi away · Port Clinton
Bellevue Hospital
Acute Care Hospitals · 14.7 mi away · Bellevue
Adult Health · vs. the typical US place
Share of adults. Modeled estimates, not counted cases. “US” = the typical US place.
Medicare-certified hospitals only. Doesn’t include clinics, urgent care, or freestanding ERs.
Education17.4:1 student/teacher ratio
Schools and degree attainment in Sandusky
Sandusky's student/teacher ratio is 17.4:1 (higher than the national average of 16:1), and 22.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Public Schools
6
within city limits
Private Schools
2
within city limits
College Degree Rate
22.0%
adults 25+ with bachelor's or higher
Student/Teacher Ratio
17.4:1
National avg 16:1
Schools located within city limits (2023) — school-level metrics change slowly year to year
Parks & Recreationclosest: Perry's Victory & International Peace Memorial, 15 mi
Nearby national parks, recreation areas and public libraries for Sandusky
Sandusky has 5 nearby national parks or recreation areas, closest being Perry's Victory & International Peace Memorial (15 mi away).
Nearby National Parks & Recreation Areas
Perry's Victory & International Peace Memorial
Memorial
15 mi awayRiver Raisin National Battlefield Park
National Battlefield Park
46 mi awayCuyahoga Valley National Park
National Park
61 mi awayJames A Garfield National Historic Site
National Historic Site
72 mi awayFirst Ladies National Historic Site
National Historic Site
83 mi awayPublic Libraries in Sandusky
Sandusky Library
114 W. Adams St., Sandusky
Cities Near Sandusky
The closest cities within 60 miles
Planning a move to Sandusky?
Read our full moving guide — what it's really like to live here.
Sandusky FAQ
Is Sandusky, Ohio affordable?⌄
Sandusky's median rent is $905/month, which is below the national average, making it relatively affordable. The median household income is $50,139/year. Median home value is $113,100.
Is Sandusky, Ohio safe?⌄
Sandusky's violent crime rate was 205 per 100,000 residents in 2025, which is below the national average of 329/100k that year. Property crime rate is 1845 per 100,000. As with any city, crime rates vary by neighborhood.
What is the job market like in Sandusky, Ohio?⌄
Sandusky has an unemployment rate of 6.0%, which is above the national average of 4.3%.
What is the cost of living in Sandusky, Ohio?⌄
The cost of living in Sandusky is primarily driven by housing. Median rent is $905/month and median household income is $50,139/year. The median home value is $113,100. About 43% of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing.
How is the commute in Sandusky, Ohio?⌄
The average commute in Sandusky is 18 minutes, which is shorter than average compared to the national average of 26 minutes.
Data from the US Census Bureau, BLS, FBI, NOAA, EPA, Zillow Research and other public sources. Where our data comes from