Solon's Population Decreased Over 5-Year Period: Report

SOLON, OH — Solon lost 1.5 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 Solon.

“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, Solon saw its population dip by 325 residents, a decrease of 1.5 percent. That's actually better than the average Cuyahoga County city's population loss during that time. Shaker Heights and Garfield Heights both lost more than 3 percent of their population during that time, the report noted.

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

Solon is middle-of-the-pack in diversity rankings of Cuyahoga County cities. The city is composed of 71 percent white residents, 12.5 percent Black residents, 11.4 percent Asian residents, and 1.6 percent Latino residents. According to the report, 3.5 percent of Solon residents identified as "other."

In terms of age, Solon has a large population of children, young adults and working-age adults (together forming 83 percent of the city's population). Only 20 percent of Solon properties are one-person homes, so the city is primarily populated by young families. The average Solon home has 2.7 residents, the report said.

Economic Profile

Solon accounts for 3.7 percent of all Cuyahoga County jobs, ranking No. 3 in the county, behind only Cleveland (No. 1) and Westlake (No. 2). According to the report, there were 27,671 jobs in Solon as of 2019.

Between 2013 and 2018, the report said, Solon lost 125 jobs, or 0.5 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.

Despite a slight dip in residents and local jobs, Solon residents are still among the wealthiest in Cuyahoga County, on average. Solon ranks 10th overall in the county for median household income, coming in at $107,286.

While there are plenty of haves, there are also have nots in Solon. The report found that 5.2 percent of the community's population was living below the poverty line in 2019. That means 1,174 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.