PlainCompare

Metro Life Score

Akron, OH

49.7
Life Score / 100
B-
Grade (curved)
#195
of 387 metros
50%
of metros outranked

Data updated May 2026

Verify: BEA · BLS · HUD · FBI · NCES · EPA · Census

The verdict

Akron ranks #195 of 387 US metros, ahead of 50% - carried by its schools (80/100) and held back most by environment (0/100).

80
strongest: Schools
59
then: Safety
0
weakest: Environment
7
weighted dimensions

Where Akron sits among all US metros

Composite Life Score vs the national field

50 50th percentile higher than 50% of 387 US metros

25–30: 1 US metros (0%). Below this entry. 30–35: 16 US metros (4%). Below this entry. 35–40: 46 US metros (12%). Below this entry. 40–45: 53 US metros (14%). Below this entry. 45–50: 81 US metros (21%). This entry sits in this band. 50–55: 67 US metros (17%). Above this entry. 55–60: 68 US metros (18%). Above this entry. 60–65: 40 US metros (10%). Above this entry. 65–70: 12 US metros (3%). Above this entry. 70–75: 3 US metros (1%). Above this entry. This metro 25 75 every US metro, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US metros. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source PlainCompare composite of BEA, BLS, HUD, FBI, NCES, DOL, EPA data · May 2026

How the score is built

Reading the Akron Life Score

Akron's composite score of 49.7 out of 100, a grade of B-, places the metro at rank #195 of 387, ahead of 50% of US metros. The strongest inputs are Schools (80/100) and Safety (59/100), which pull the composite upward, while Environment (0/100) and Childcare (33/100) drag it downward. (How the weighting works.)

BEA RPP 93.4 (rent-RPP 76.8). BLS median salary $64,986, 311,740 jobs (Fast Food and Counter Workers, General and Operations Managers, Stockers and Order Fillers). HUD 2BR FMR $1,268/mo (studio $904).

FBI UCR (OH): 293 violent, 1545 property/100K. NCES: 18.2:1 ratio, 9.3% charter. DOL infant childcare $11,791/yr. EPA: 50 Superfund sites (OH). Ranks #192-#198 below.

Dimension detail

How Akron scores, dimension by dimension

Score Breakdown

Cost of Living Wages Rent Safety Schools Childcare Environment

Dimension Scores

Cost of Living 52/100 (20%)
Wages 55/100 (20%)
Rent 55/100 (15%)
Safety 59/100 (15%)
Schools 80/100 (10%)
Childcare 33/100 (10%)
Environment 0/100 (10%)

Key Data Points

93.4
Cost Index (RPP)
$64,986
Avg Median Salary
$1,268
2BR Fair Market Rent
293
Violent Crime/100K (OH)
18.2:1
Student-Teacher Ratio
$11,791
Infant Childcare/yr (OH)
50
Superfund Sites (OH)
311,740
Total Employment

Crime, schools, childcare, and environment data shown at state level where metro-specific data is unavailable.

Compare Akron With...

Akron vs Wheeling Compare → Akron vs Toledo Compare → Akron vs Youngstown Compare → Akron vs Wildwood Compare → Akron vs Waterloo Compare → Akron vs Paducah Compare →

Ranking Context

Akron outranks 50% of U.S. metros.

Rank Metro Score Grade
#192 Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL 49.8 B-
#193 Naples-Marco Island, FL 49.8 B-
#194 State College, PA 49.9 B-
#195 Akron, OH 49.7 B-
#196 Springfield, MO 49.7 B-
#197 Walla Walla, WA 49.6 B-
#198 Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL 49.5 B-

OH Metro Scores

Wheeling, WV-OH A+ 68.2 Toledo, OH A+ 66.3 Youngstown-Warren, OH A 65.8 Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH A 65.7 Sandusky, OH A- 61.4 Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH A- 60.5

Using Akron's Life Score

Akron is a regional baseline, not a neighborhood reading, use it to shortlist, then dig into the dimensions that matter to you.

  • Its strongest dimension is schools (80/100) and its weakest is environment (0/100) - weigh those against your own priorities. How the score is built
  • Put Akron head-to-head against another metro before you decide, every dimension, side by side. Compare metros
  • See where Akron lands on the national rankings for cost, safety, pay and more. Browse rankings

Scores summarize federal data at the metro level; crime, schools and cost vary widely within a single metro.

Explore more

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Akron's biggest strengths? ▼
Akron's strongest dimensions are Schools (80/100), Safety (59/100), Rent (55/100). Schools is top-tier nationally.
What are Akron's weakest areas? ▼
Akron's lowest-scoring dimensions are Environment (0/100), Childcare (33/100), Cost of Living (52/100). Environment weighs heavily on the composite.
How expensive is Akron compared to the national average? ▼
Akron's Regional Price Parity is 93.4 (6.6% less than national); rent RPP 76.8.
What is the average salary in Akron? ▼
Akron median salary: $64,986, 311,740 jobs. Top: Fast Food and Counter Workers, General and Operations Managers, Stockers and Order Fillers.
How is the life score calculated? ▼
Akron's 49.7/100 blends 7 federal-data dimensions - see our methodology page for the weighting.

Research Guides

Data from BEA, HUD, FBI UCR, BLS OES, NCES, DOL, and EPA. Not affiliated with the U.S. Government.

Related

Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCompare Editorial

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from BEA, BLS, HUD, FBI, NCES, DOL, and EPA. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

All federal data sources used on this page
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - multi-dimension demographic + housing + income aggregates for cross-area comparison. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • BEA Regional Economic Accounts - GDP, personal income, employment by state and metro. bea.gov/data/regional
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) - wage estimates for comparable-area indexing. bls.gov/oes
  • FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) - crime statistics for safety-score component. fbi.gov/ucr
  • NCES Common Core of Data - public-school quality indicators by area. nces.ed.gov/ccd
  • EPA AirNow + Air Quality System (AQS) - air-quality measurements by area. epa.gov/outdoor-air-quality-data
  • HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR) - county and metro housing-cost indicators. huduser.gov/datasets/fmr

Every figure on PlainCompare is loaded directly from BEA, HUD, FBI UCR, BLS OEWS, NCES, DOL, EPA, and the Census Bureau, no number is typed in by an editor. This metro's Life Score is computed directly from the 7 federal sources cited above. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.