Painesville City is the county seat of Lake County, Ohio with roughly 20,300 residents according to the 2020 census. Painesville City is currently the third largest city in the county behind Mentor (47,450) and Willoughby (23,595). When combined with the surrounding Painesville Township (16,950), Painesville has roughly 37,250 residents. 
 
Grand River (400), Concord Township (19,250) and Leroy Township (3,100) are also often considered part of the Painesville area because they share the Painesville zip code, 44077, and attend the Painesville Township school district. This makes the Painesville area roughly 60,000 residents strong. 
 
 
Microcosm of the United States
According to 2020 U.S. Census, Painesville City's 20,300 residents represent a microcosm or reflection of national numbers. We are a diverse and culturally rich community with a big city, small town feel.  *Note: Individuals can self-report multiple races. 
  
  • White, non-Hispanic 69.7%
  • Black, African-American 13.7%
  • Hispanic, Latino 27.9% 
 
Young at Heart
Painesville might be one of the oldest communities in the Western Reserve and State of Ohio, but that doesn't mean we're aging! In fact, as the rest of Lake County's population continues to grow older, Painesville is getting younger. Our median age is just 31, with young families and professionals finding the city's low cost of living and proximity to the lake, a perfect fit.
 
  • Median Age in Painesville: 31 years old
  • 44.7% of the population in the 15-44 age bracket

 

Growing Community

From the 1830s through the 1960s, Painesville was a booming metropolis with a small town feel (for a period of time in the 1820s, Painesville had twice the population of Cleveland). However, Urban Renewal in the 1970s saw many of the old buildings destroyed and with the rise of shopping malls and box stores, many people flocked to newer suburbs. Despite the ups and downs, in the mid-2000's Painesville began seeing a revival of it's former glory with a steady increase in population and additional revitalization efforts in it's multiple historic districts.  

CensusPopulation% Change
1820 257 —
1830 499 94.2%
1840 1,014 103.2%
1860 2,649 161.2%
1870 3,728 40.7%
1880 3,841 3.0%
1890 4,755 23.8%
1900 5,024 5.7%
1910 5,501 9.5%
1920 7,272 32.2%
1930 10,944 50.5%
1940 12,235 11.8%
1950 14,432 18.0%
1960 16,116 11.7%
1970 16,536 2.6%
1980 16,351 −1.1%
1990 15,699 −4.0%
2000 17,503 11.5%
2010 19,563 11.8%
2020 20,312 1.8%
Local Economy
Some of the nation’s most successful manufacturing and industrial leaders are located in Painesville, including Avery Dennison, Lubrizol, AeroControlex, Mar-Bal Corporation, Guyer Precision, and Eckart America. 
 
The largest employers in the city are the local and county hospitals (healthcare), Lake County (government) and the public school systems (education). Lake Erie College also plays a role in the local economy with a fluctuating undergraduate student population around 1,200 and 17 NCAA varsity sport teams. 
 
Business or Investment Inquiries? Painesville's Economic Development Department has access to the latest CPD maps, income and housing data. Our staff can help pull demographic information for population, utilities, employment, largest employers, home values and more. Please reach out to 440-392-5806 or [email protected].