Cost of living in Cleveland research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Cleveland is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Ohio, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Cleveland is 82, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Cleveland is 0.8x lower than the national average.
Cleveland ranks as the #20 cheapest in Ohio out of 286.
Cleveland ranks as the #377 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Cleveland is $74,700.
The median income in Cleveland is $33,678.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Cleveland has an overall cost of living index of 82, which is 0.8x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Ohio, Cleveland has a cost of living index that's 0.9x lower than Ohio's index of 91.
The standard of living in Cleveland ranks as #20 most affordable out of the 286 places we measured in Ohio. By definition, that implies Cleveland ranks as the #266 most expensive place in the Buckeye State.
For more reading on life in Cleveland, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Cleveland. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Cleveland is 103.
The Groceries index in Cleveland is 105.
The Health index in Cleveland is 110.
The Housing index in Cleveland is 48.
The Transportation index in Cleveland is 98.
The Utilities index in Cleveland is 93.
Living Expense | Cleveland | Ohio | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 82 | 91 | 100 | |
Services | 103 | 98 | 100 | |
Groceries | 105 | 101 | 100 | |
Health | 110 | 95 | 100 | |
Housing | 48 | 73 | 100 | |
Transportation | 98 | 98 | 100 | |
Utilities | 93 | 93 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Ohio, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2017-2021. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Cleveland is $74,700.
The Median Rent in Cleveland is $774.
The Median Income in Cleveland is $33,678.
The Home Value To Income in Cleveland is 2.2x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Cleveland is 0.28x.
Statistic | Cleveland | Ohio | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $74,700 | $159,900 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $774 | $870 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $33,678 | $61,938 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 2.2x | 2.6x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.28x | 0.17x | 0.2x |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Cleveland. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Lakewood, OH has a cost of living index of 95, 1.2x Cleveland.
Strongsville, OH has a cost of living index of 99, 1.2x Cleveland.
Cleveland Heights, OH has a cost of living index of 92, 1.1x Cleveland.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Cleveland |
---|---|---|---|
Lakewood, OH | 50,841 | 95 | 1.2x |
Strongsville, OH | 46,187 | 99 | 1.2x |
Cleveland Heights, OH | 45,267 | 92 | 1.1x |
Westlake, OH | 34,049 | 109 | 1.3x |
North Olmsted, OH | 32,371 | 96 | 1.2x |
Garfield Heights, OH | 29,585 | 87 | 1.1x |
Shaker Heights, OH | 29,197 | 103 | 1.3x |
Solon, OH | 24,070 | 114 | 1.4x |
Rocky River, OH | 21,515 | 102 | 1.2x |
Broadview Heights, OH | 19,820 | 104 | 1.3x |