Jobs, pay and daily life in Sandusky, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Sandusky is a city in Ohio with 24,606 residents. The median household earns $50,139 a year and the median rent is $905 a month, which is 21.7% of the median household income. It is part of the Sandusky, OH metropolitan area, where BLS counts 50,100 jobs.
How Sandusky compares. Among the 100 largest places in Ohio, Sandusky is #66 by population, #99 for remote work (#1 = most), #84 for homeownership (#1 = highest), #82 for household income (#1 = highest). Its county, Erie County, is #68 of 88 counties for average pay ($49,985).
Sandusky has 24,606 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.2% of the population of Ohio. It covers 10 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 2,554 people per square mile. The median age is 36.5, 8% younger than the state median (36.5 against 39.7).
The median gross rent is $905 a month (rent plus utilities), 12% below the state median ($905 against $1,034). Over a year that is 21.7% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $113,100, which is 2.3 times the median household income ($50,139); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 50.1% of households own their home, 25% below the state average (50.1% against 67.2%). A low ownership share points to a rental-heavy market with more apartments and shorter stays.
The Sandusky, OH metropolitan area has 50,100 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $44,970 a year, 12% below the national median ($44,970 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are food preparation and serving related (7,620 jobs, median $29,720); office and administrative support (4,910 jobs, median $43,840); sales and related (4,760 jobs, median $33,570). The area is most specialised in food preparation and serving related (1.7 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are food preparation and serving related ($29,720). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Erie County was 3.6%. 65.4% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Erie County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 73.2% drive alone, 7.2% use public transit, 2.7% walk, 3.7% work from home. 7.7% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 29% below the state average (7.7% against 10.8%).
22.0% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 30% below the state share (22.0% against 31.5%). 3.3% of residents were born outside the United States, 37% below the state share (3.3% against 5.2%). The poverty rate is 25.6%, 92% above the state rate (25.6% against 13.3%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 74°F (23.2°C), and the coolest is Jan at 28°F (-2.5°C). About 912 mm (36 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; May is the wettest month (96 mm) and Feb the driest (55 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Lorain (28 miles, similar rent); Elyria (32 miles, similar rent); North Ridgeville (36 miles, rent 23% higher); Avon Lake (36 miles, rent 70% higher). Rent differences are against Sandusky; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Ohio (525) →State guide: OhioCountry guideErie CountyOhio rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 525 federal postings open in Ohio (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 2,070 | 1.67 | $27,590 | $23,110 | $34,850 | -12% |
| Cashiers | 1,690 | 1.70 | $28,530 | $23,650 | $36,140 | -13% |
| Retail Salespersons | 1,510 | 1.21 | $31,000 | $23,830 | $44,470 | -12% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 1,400 | 1.92 | $34,610 | $23,770 | $61,370 | -2% |
| General and Operations Managers | 1,380 | 1.23 | $81,790 | $45,070 | $194,010 | -23% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 960 | 1.05 | $35,290 | $27,510 | $44,860 | -5% |
| Registered Nurses | 940 | 0.86 | $81,310 | $65,730 | $97,030 | -17% |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 910 | 1.99 | $35,250 | $27,480 | $43,500 | -6% |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | 860 | 1.89 | $45,720 | $35,720 | $57,850 | +2% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 850 | 0.61 | $35,480 | $29,350 | $37,250 | -1% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 820 | 1.66 | $49,290 | $30,960 | $74,380 | -1% |
| Office Clerks, General | 790 | 0.99 | $41,760 | $24,600 | $61,040 | -7% |
| Bartenders | 710 | 2.92 | $30,130 | $22,690 | $68,230 | -12% |
| Amusement and Recreation Attendants | 710 | 5.52 | $29,620 | $22,260 | $36,530 | -8% |
| Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 680 | 2.45 | $31,090 | $26,880 | $35,510 | -12% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | 670 | 1.71 | $37,790 | $29,220 | $58,330 | -14% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 650 | 0.69 | $39,760 | $31,200 | $57,550 | -1% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 600 | 0.84 | $36,190 | $27,770 | $47,840 | -2% |
| Nursing Assistants | 560 | 1.21 | $37,910 | $32,090 | $44,910 | -10% |
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | 550 | 1.61 | $77,160 | $47,300 | $98,900 | +7% |
These figures are for the whole Sandusky, OH metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $44,970 (US $50,980); unemployment 3.6% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 21.8% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 21.7% |
| Manufacturing | 17.5% |
| Retail trade | 12.1% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 5.5% |
| Construction | 4.0% |
| Other services | 3.9% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 3.5% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 3.5% |
| Public administration | 2.6% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 1.8% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.4% |
| Information | 0.7% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Sandusky lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erie County | 74,581 | $5,356 million | $71,812 | 36,283 | 2,074 | $49,985 | +0.7% | 3.6% | 38,377 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation and food services | 5,507 | 18.3% | $25,084 | 1.67 |
| Manufacturing | 5,445 | 18.1% | $69,922 | 1.83 |
| Retail trade | 5,033 | 16.7% | $34,939 | 1.39 |
| Health care and social assistance | 4,486 | 14.9% | $57,513 | 0.86 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 3,655 | 12.2% | $34,643 | 5.99 |
| Construction | 1,065 | 3.5% | $62,225 | 0.56 |
| Wholesale trade | 1,006 | 3.3% | $66,632 | 0.70 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 789 | 2.6% | $33,009 | 0.72 |
| Finance and insurance | 721 | 2.4% | $96,831 | 0.49 |
| Professional and technical services | 666 | 2.2% | $73,865 | 0.26 |
| Administrative and waste services | 629 | 2.1% | $46,228 | 0.29 |
| Real estate and rental | 291 | 1.0% | $40,529 | 0.52 |
| Information | 277 | 0.9% | $58,523 | 0.41 |
| Management of companies | 257 | 0.9% | $75,996 | 0.42 |
| Educational services | 241 | 0.8% | $25,381 | 0.32 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 73.2% |
| Public transit | 7.2% |
| Walk | 2.7% |
| Work from home | 3.7% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 7.7% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $50,139 |
| Income per person | $29,788 |
| Median gross rent per month | $905 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 21.7% |
| Median home value | $113,100 |
| Homeowners | 50.1% |
| Poverty rate | 25.6% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 89.3 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $44,970 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Flat 2.75%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 36.5 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 89.7% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 22.0% |
| Born abroad | 3.3% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 65.4% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -2.5 | 28 | 57 |
| Feb | -2.1 | 28 | 55 |
| Mar | 2.0 | 36 | 67 |
| Apr | 8.1 | 47 | 80 |
| May | 14.3 | 58 | 96 |
| Jun | 20.0 | 68 | 95 |
| Jul | 23.2 | 74 | 91 |
| Aug | 22.8 | 73 | 82 |
| Sep | 19.3 | 67 | 81 |
| Oct | 12.8 | 55 | 78 |
| Nov | 6.3 | 43 | 66 |
| Dec | 0.8 | 33 | 64 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lorain | OH | 28 mi | 65,395 | $48,685 | $887 |
| Elyria | OH | 32 mi | 53,035 | $54,945 | $906 |
| North Ridgeville | OH | 36 mi | 36,627 | $96,698 | $1,116 |
| Avon Lake | OH | 36 mi | 25,752 | $115,567 | $1,537 |
| Avon | OH | 37 mi | 25,317 | $135,915 | $1,796 |
| Oregon | OH | 40 mi | 19,799 | $82,197 | $900 |
| Westlake | OH | 41 mi | 34,104 | $112,200 | $1,570 |
| North Olmsted | OH | 41 mi | 31,924 | $84,363 | $1,141 |
| Rocky River | OH | 45 mi | 21,490 | $94,026 | $1,175 |
| Ashland | OH | 46 mi | 18,911 | $60,029 | $893 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
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Large employers headquartered in Sandusky (from our list of the 200 largest US-based employers):
| Company ⇅ | Industry ⇅ | Employees (global) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|
| Cedar Fair, L.P. | Amusement parks | 53,050 (year not stated) |
24,606 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$905 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 21.7% of the median household income.
$50,139 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.6% (BLS county, Erie County (latest month 2026M09)).
Ohio. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.