Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety26#688/924
Economy61#365/925
Housing43#530/925
Health62#350/925
Healthcare91#84/923
Environment28#660/917
Education77#213/925
Infrastructure74#238/925
Community49#468/925
Leisure & amenities77#211/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Cleveland, OH metro area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Access to exercise opportunities · high94.0%
96/100Ohio 84.2%United States 84.5%2022 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Public transit commuters · high1.8%
92/100Ohio 1.0%United States 3.2%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08301
Average weekly wage · high$1,372
90/100Ohio $1,313United States $1,5142025U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Dentists · high87 /100k
90/100Ohio 66 /100kUnited States 75 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Distance to an airport · low18 mi
88/100Ohio 30 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Traffic deaths · low8.7 /100k
88/100Ohio 10.6 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Child care cost burden · high41.4%
5/100Ohio 31.7%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Effective property tax rate · high1.62%
6/100Ohio 1.36%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
High ozone days · high5 days
7/100Ohio 3 daysUnited States 7 days2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyAggregated from counties
Homicide rate · high8.0 /100k
14/100Ohio 5.3 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Income inequality (Gini index) · high0.482
15/100Ohio 0.467United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083
Loneliness · high36.6%
18/100Ohio 36.0%United States 33.2%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

High ozone daysWorsening
3 days (2017) → 5 days (2022)
+72%5 yearsUS 9 days → 7 days
Drug overdose deathsImproving
41.2 /100k (2021) → 19.5 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
−53%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
80.5% (2015-2019) → 90.0% (2020-2024)
+9.5 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Cost of buying a home todayWorsening
21.2% (Dec 2021) → 29.7% (Aug 2026)
+8.5 pts5 yearsUS 26.4% → 34.1%
New homes permittedImproving
1.6 /1k (2021) → 2.2 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
+38%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Homicide rateImproving
12.8 /100k (2021) → 8.0 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
−38%5 yearsUS 7.8 /100k → 4.8 /100k

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Cleveland, OH metro area improved on 12 of 22 measures with a comparison and declined on 4. 0 moved within the margin of error and 6 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2020 with 2025); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved12

Unemployment−5.7 points9.7% → 4.0%
Overdose deaths−47%37.0 /100k → 19.5 /100k
Bachelor's++3.7 points30.4% → 34.1%
Firearm deaths−14%18.2 /100k → 15.6 /100k
Arts & recreation+18%3.8 /10k → 4.5 /10k

Declined4

Transit use−1.1 points2.9% → 1.8%
Pharmacies−16%2.0 /10k → 1.6 /10k
Traffic deaths+17%7.4 /100k → 8.7 /100k
Suicides+6%14.2 /100k → 15.1 /100k

All 22 measures

Change of every measure of Cleveland, OH metro area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	3.8 /10k2020	4.5 /10k2025	+18%	Improved	71%
Average commute time	24.7 min2015-2019	24.2 min2020-2024	−0.5 min	Little change	79%
Bachelor's degree or higher	30.4%2015-2019	34.1%2020-2024	+3.7 points	Improved	72%
Broadband subscriptions	80.5%2015-2019	90.0%2020-2024	+9.5 points	Improved	56%
Distance to an airport	18 mi2020	18 mi2025	+0 mi	Little change	11%
Drug overdose deaths	37.0 /100k2020	19.5 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−47%	Improved	78%
Firearm deaths	18.2 /100k2020	15.6 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−14%	Improved	74%
Grocery stores	1.9 /10k2020	1.8 /10k2025	−5%	Little change	34%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.3 /10k2020	1.5 /10k2025	+16%	Improved	66%
High school diploma or higher	90.4%2015-2019	91.9%2020-2024	+1.6 points	Improved	48%
Homicide rate	12.2 /100k2020	8.0 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−35%	Improved	62%
Income adjusted for local prices	$56,6602019	$75,1232024	+33%	Improved	57%
New business applications	15.0 /1k2020	16.2 /1k2025	+7.8%	Improved	7%
Pharmacies	2.0 /10k2020	1.6 /10k2025	−16%	Declined	31%
Public libraries	0.6 /10k2019	0.6 /10k2024	+0.8%	Little change	69%
Public transit commuters	2.9%2015-2019	1.8%2020-2024	−1.1 points	Declined	13%
Rent-burdened households	46.9%2015-2019	47.7%2020-2024	+0.8 points	Little change	51%
Restaurants and bars	9.2 /10k2020	9.1 /10k2025	−1%	Little change	41%
Suicide rate	14.2 /100k2020	15.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+6%	Declined	46%
Traffic deaths	7.4 /100k2015-2019	8.7 /100k2020-2024	+17%	Declined	31%
Unemployment rate	9.7%2020	4.0%2025	−5.7 points	Improved	96%
Violent crime rate	483 /100k2020	360 /100k2025	−25%	Improved	67%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 925 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Metro and micro areas like Cleveland, OH metro area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Cleveland, OH metro area in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Cleveland, OH metro area itself moved +4.2 points in standing on average over the same 21 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

2,171,526 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69
50–59

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

931,377 households (±2,441)

Cleveland, OH metro area
United States share

Under $25k17%159,572
$25k–50k19%176,840
$50k–75k17%154,755
$75k–100k

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

931,377 households (±2,441)

Cleveland, OH metro area
United States share

Own67%619,763
Rent33%311,614

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

1,045,338 workers (±4,938)

Cleveland, OH metro area
United States share

Drive alone73%758,473
Carpool7.5%78,486
Public transit1.8%19,205
Walk

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The 10 largest occupations in Cleveland, OH employ 219,880 people. 1 pay a median above the US median and 9 below it.

Above the US median
Below the US median

The largest occupations in Cleveland, OH by employment, with median annual pay and how it compares with the United States
Occupation	Jobs	Median pay	vs USCompared with the US	Concentration
General and Operations Managers29,510 jobs	29,510	$97,750US $105,770	−8%	1.27×
Registered Nurses28,240 jobs	28,240	$83,940US $97,550	−14%	1.26×
Fast Food and Counter Workers28,010 jobs	28,010	$28,750US $31,200	−8%	1.1×
Retail Salespersons24,650 jobs	24,650	$31,000US $35,410	−12%	0.95×
Stockers and Order Fillers22,660 jobs	22,660	$36,290US $37,330	−3%	1.21×
Home Health and Personal Care Aides19,400 jobs	19,400	$34,520US $35,800	−4%	0.68×
Cashiers18,720 jobs	18,720	$29,130US $32,880	−11%	0.91×
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand17,090 jobs	17,090	$38,680US $40,240	−4%	0.87×
Customer Service Representatives15,900 jobs	15,900	$46,040US $44,770	+3%	0.92×
Office Clerks, General15,700 jobs	15,700	$44,790US $45,010	0%	0.96×

Look up any occupation

Search more than 800 occupations and see what they pay in Cleveland, OH.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025-05 (all industries and ownerships) bls.gov/oes

Reference period: 2025-05. BLS publishes metro areas, states and the nation (not counties or cities), so a county or city page shows its metro area.
Pay is not adjusted for the cost of living, so a higher median does not mean more purchasing power.
BLS caps the highest wages it publishes: where a figure is shown as “or more”, the real value is at least that much.
Some occupations (teachers, performers) are published by the hour or school year and shown here as an annual figure.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

Cleveland, OH has 51,450 employer establishments, 238 for every 10,000 residents (0.96× the US rate of 248), with 971,092 paid employees at an average annual pay of $65,463. The Census Bureau also counts 191,420 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 51,450; 191,420 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 238; US 248
Paid employees: 971,092
Average annual pay: $65,463; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Cleveland, OH by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Restaurants and other eating places	4,077	18.9	1.03×About typical	74,999	$21,595	910
Ambulatory health care services	3,732	17.3	0.83×About typical	59,185	$65,207	9,990
Specialty trade contractors	2,843	13.2	0.85×About typical	27,695	$78,059	13,897
Lessors of real estate	2,019	9.3	0.76×Fewer than typical	12,140	$67,708	18,463
Limited-service restaurants	1,990	9.2	1.15×About typical	33,530	$18,645	440
Services to buildings and dwellings	1,613	7.5	1.11×About typical	12,721	$41,529	11,335
Full-service restaurants	1,571	7.3	0.95×About typical	35,227	$24,904	343
Construction of buildings	1,196	5.5	0.73×Fewer than typical	8,209	$79,105	5,800
Management, scientific and technical consulting	1,180	5.5	0.81×About typical	12,198	$84,536	7,153
Legal services	1,123	5.2	0.97×About typical	9,460	$104,007	2,171
Personal care services	1,120	5.2	1.09×About typical	6,479	$28,591	9,373
Religious organizations	1,101	5.1	0.92×About typical	9,403	$26,835	—

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 2,161,313 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $715.6M on contracts performed in Cleveland, OH metro area: $330 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $715.6M; +10% vs FY2025
Per resident: $330; US $1,994
Sole-source: 11%; US 30%
Single offer: 22%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

National Aeronautics and Space Administration$155.2M22%
Department of Veterans Affairs$120M17%
Defense Logistics Agency$106.7M15%
Department of the Army$94.6M13%
Public Buildings Service$58.2M8.1%
Agricultural Marketing Service$38.6M5.4%
Department of the Navy$30.8M4.3%
Office of Procurement Operations$23.2M3.2%

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

670.4MFY2017
726.7MFY2018
730.2MFY2019
938.1MFY2020
909.2MFY2021
912.1MFY2022
1.2BFY2023
680.3M

Top industries (NAICS)

Nonresidential building construction · 2362$118.5M17%
Computer systems design and related services · 5415$71.3M10.0%
Scientific research and development services · 5417$62.4M8.7%
Converted paper product manufacturing · 3222$48.8M6.8%
Dairy product manufacturing · 3115$38.2M5.3%
Investigation and security services · 5616

Largest awards

CLINICAL SERVICES NETWORK- CLINICAL TRIAL PLANNING AND EXECUTION$330.2M
ICON GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC HEALTH SOLUTIONS, INC.· Medina County, OH· Research & development· Aug 22, 2023 – Dec 11, 2025· 75A50123F33006
TECHNICAL INFORMATION, ADMINISTRATIVE, AND LOGISTICS SERVICES (TIALS 2) TO SUPPORT THE INSTITUTIONAL NEEDS OF NASA'S GLENN RESEARCH CENTER. LOGISTICS TASK.$143.1M
ALCYON TECHNICAL SERVICES (ATS) JV, LLC· Cuyahoga County, OH· Professional services· Nov 23, 2016 – Aug 27, 2026· NNC16JB01T
TECHNICAL INFORMATION, ADMINISTRATIVE, AND LOGISTICS SERVICES (TIALS 2) TO SUPPORT THE INSTITUTIONAL NEEDS OF NASA'S GLENN RESEARCH CENTER. ADMINISTRATIVE AND CLERICAL TASK.$72.7M
ALCYON TECHNICAL SERVICES (ATS) JV, LLC· Cuyahoga County, OH· Professional services· Nov 23, 2016 – Aug 18, 2026

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $15.2B in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Cleveland, OH metro area: $7,002 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $15.2B; −5.3% vs FY2025
Per resident: $7,002; US $12,955
Loan face value: $11.9B; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.1%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$9B59%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$1B6.7%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$875.8M5.8%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$848.7M5.6%
93.774 · Medicare Supplementary Medical Insurance$593.3M3.9%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$502.8M3.3%
93.773 · Medicare Hospital Insurance$378.7M2.5%
14.871 · Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers$237.9M1.6%

Top recipients (organizations)

OHIO DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$467M3.1%
COLUMBUS, OH
CUYAHOGA METROPOLITAN HOUSING AUTHORITY$232.1M1.5%
CLEVELAND, OH
CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY$220.9M1.5%
CLEVELAND, OH
CLEVELAND CLINIC LERNER COLLEGE OF MEDICINE OF CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY$119.1M0.8%
CLEVELAND, OH
LORAIN METROPOLITAN HOUSING AUTHORITY

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$11.4B75%
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services$1.1B7.0%
Department of Health and Human Services
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$980.3M6.5%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Federal Highway Administration$471.3M3.1%
Department of Transportation
National Institutes of Health

Assistance by fiscal year

13.6BFY2021
12.5BFY2022
13BFY2023
14BFY2024
16BFY2025
15.2BFY2026

County aggregates

89%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Cleveland, OH

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

ClevelandPrincipal city366,097

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Ohio

Areas based in Ohio, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/M17410

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved12

Declined4

Metro and micro areas like Cleveland, OH metro area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Look up any occupation

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Cleveland, OH

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Ohio

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved12

Declined4

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Look up any occupation

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought