Cleveland Heights Population Fell Over 5-Year Period: Report

CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, OH — Cleveland Heights lost 3 percent of its population between 2014 and 2019, according to a new report by the Cuyahoga County Planning Commission.

The county released the “Our Communities: The 2021 Data Book,” last week. The report contains demographic, economic, housing, land use and transportation data for every city in Cuyahoga County, including Cleveland Heights.

“In the second iteration of the Data Book, we have updated our metrics with the most timely data available and expanded the number of data sets we are tracking for our communities,” said Mary Cierebiej, executive director of the planning commission. “Our goal is to provide an up-to-date, easily understandable tool for use by our communities and residents; producing this report each year offers that service to our County.”

Between 2014 and 2019, Cleveland Heights saw its population dip by 1,367 residents, a decrease of 3 percent. That's actually worse than the average Cuyahoga County city's population loss during that time (2.2 percent).

Only Pepper Pike, Brecksville, Olmsted Township, Walton Hills, Hunting Valley and Orange saw increases in their residential population during that five-year-stretch.

In terms of age, Cleveland Heights has a large population of children, young adults and working-age adults (together forming nearly 84 percent of the city's population). The average Cleveland Heights home has 2.3 residents, the report said.

Economic Profile

Cleveland Heights accounts for 1.2 percent of all Cuyahoga County jobs, making it middle-of-the-pack in county ratings,. According to the report, there are 8,694 jobs in Cleveland Heights.

Between 2013 and 2018, the report said, Cleveland Heights lost 470 jobs, or 5.1 percent of its total job base. As a whole, Cuyahoga County actually saw a 3.2 percent increase in jobs during that same time period.

Cleveland Heights has a median household income of $57,120.

While there are plenty of haves, there are also have nots in Cleveland Heights. The report found that 18.2 percent of the community's population was living below the poverty line in 2019. That means 7,930 residents were below the federal threshold defining poverty, the report said.

How the Report was Made

Information in the Data Book comes from a variety of sources, including U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates and the 5-Year American Community Survey, Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics, the Northern Ohio Data and Information Service, and the County Fiscal Office, among others.

The full "Our Communities: 2021 Databook" can be accessed online.