Cleveland, OH

Census place 3916000 · pop 366,097

F35/ 100
💀 Bad
F
in OH
📍 Ohio ranks #28 of 50 states →
🏆 Cost$102,000 · top 4%
🚽 Smoking21.5% · bottom 3%
💡 Did you know?

Home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, in the city where DJ Alan Freed helped popularize the term 'rock and roll.'

Source ↗
Taxes
1.72% property · US 0.99%7.29% sales · US 7.00%2.75% flat income · US 4.63%

Sales & income are statewide.

The breakdown — worst first

Adult smoking21.5%3

U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities

21.5% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.

Poverty rate30.6%3

U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities

30.6% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.

Median household income$40,8013

U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities

$40,801 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.

Homeownership41.7%5

U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities

41.7% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.

Income inequality0.518

U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities

Gini 0.51 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).

Population growth (5yr)-5.0%8

U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities

-5.0% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?

Adult obesity42.2%10

U.S. median 36.5% · worse than most cities

42.2% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).

Broadband access84.7%11

U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities

84.7% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.

Physical inactivity33.8%12

U.S. median 26.5% · worse than most cities

33.8% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.

Air quality (AQI)County-level54 AQI14

U.S. median 42 AQI · worse than most cities

54 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Poor mental health19.6%15

U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities

19.6% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).

Property-tax burden1.72%17

U.S. median 0.99% · worse than most cities

1.72% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.

Uninsured adults13.4%24

U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities

13.4% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.

Bachelor's degree or higher22.4%29

U.S. median 24.3% · worse than most cities

22.4% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.

Unhealthy air daysCounty-level6 days31

U.S. median 1 days · worse than most cities

6 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Natural disaster riskCounty-level91/10044

U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities

91/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Unemployment rateCounty-level3.5%56

U.S. median 3.6% · better than most cities

3.5% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Commute time22 min59

U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities

22 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.

Rent$1,423/mo74

U.S. median $1,756/mo · better than most cities

$1,423/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).

Housing cost$102,00096

U.S. median $214,900 · better than most cities

$102,000 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.

Not measured for Cleveland: Crime, Property crime. Not every public source covers every city — EPA air monitors and Zillow rent only reach some places, and national crime data is still being added.

Frequently asked

Is Cleveland, OH a good place to live?
By the numbers, Cleveland scores 35/100 — a F (Bad) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 20 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is housing cost and its weakest is adult smoking. Ohio overall ranks #28 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
Is Cleveland, OH expensive to live in?
Cleveland has a median home value of $102,000 and typical rent around $1,423/mo — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
What's the biggest downside of living in Cleveland, OH?
Its weakest measured area is adult smoking (21.5%) — 3/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
What is Cleveland, OH best at?
Its strongest measured area is housing cost ($102,000) — 96/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: Home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, in the city where DJ Alan Freed helped popularize the term 'rock and roll.'

Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.