Oberlin Owns More than 500 Acres of Land in Lorain County, Data Shows

This page is best viewed on desktop. Please switch to a widescreen display.

Declan Bradley, News Senior Staff Writer • December 5, 2025

Oberlin College and its affiliates hold the rights to more than 500 acres of land in and around Oberlin. The land has been appraised at a combined value of more than $38 million, according to records from the Lorain County auditor.

Since October, the Review has analyzed hundreds of those records, alongside land deeds archived by the County Recorder. The data provides rare insight into the College’s footprint in Oberlin and in the County as a whole.

This map — rendered from the County Auditor’s database — shows all land parcels in Lorain County belonging to either Oberlin College or College Properties of Oberlin, Inc.

Near the central campus, the College holds dozens of parcels covering academic buildings and student spaces. It also owns public green spaces, including Tappan Square.

Further south, the College’s holdings extend to the Oberlin Arboretum and three adjacent golf courses, appraised at a combined value of $315,380. The Oberlin Golf Club — which makes use of nine holes spread across those three parcels — leases the course from the College on an ongoing basis, according to its website.

South of downtown, the College’s holdings stretch across a broad district of student dormitories — including South Hall and a handful of Village Housing Units for upper-level students.

In 2024, the Lorain County Auditor appraised the parcel housing The Hotel at Oberlin to have a combined value of more than $16 million — accounting for $2.5 million in land and $13.5 million in improvements.

The College’s next most valuable property — the land housing the Mercy Health - Allen Hospital — was appraised at a combined value of $15.9 million. While Mercy Health operates the facility, the College retains rights to the underlying land.

To the east of Tappan Square, the College owns and maintains the Eric Baker Nord Performing Arts Annex and the Allen Memorial Art Museum, in addition to a strip of student residential spaces.

Explore the map.