Oberlin is a small town with a large college student population. Because of this, there is a real youthful, hip vibe to the place, and much of the life in the town is centered on the college. This has helped Oberlin to buck the trend of other small towns that have suffered declining populations over the past 20 to 30 years. Spending by students, and faculty and staff jobs, are a big part of the local economy.
For a small city, there is also a high proportion of single, often educated, people living in Oberlin. This is not typical for smaller communities in America, and adds a feeling of vibrancy to Oberlin.
Residents of the city have the good fortune of having one of the shortest daily commutes compared to the rest of the country. On average, they spend only 18.58 minutes getting to work every day.
If knowledge is power, Oberlin is a pretty powerful place. 53.82% of the adults in Oberlin have earned a 4-year college degree, masters degree, MD, law degree, or even PhD. Compare that to the national average of 21.84% for all cities and towns.
The per capita income in Oberlin in 2022 was $32,995, which is middle income relative to Ohio and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $131,980 for a family of four. However, Oberlin contains both very wealthy and poor people as well.
Oberlin is an extremely ethnically-diverse city. The people who call Oberlin home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Oberlin residents report their race to be White, followed by Black or African-American. Important ancestries of people in Oberlin include German, English, Irish, Italian, and Polish.
The most common language spoken in Oberlin is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish and Chinese.
