Westlake's Population Fell Over 5-Year Period: Report

WESTLAKE, OH — Westlake lost 1.4 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 Westlake.

“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, Westlake saw its population dip by 444 residents, a decrease of 1.4 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.

In terms of age, Westlake has a large population of children, young adults and working-age adults (together forming 76.1 percent of the city's population). The report notes that 32.5 percent of Westlake properties are one-person homes, so the city is primarily populated by young families. The average Westlake home has 2.3 residents, the report said.

Economic Profile

Westlake accounts for 3.9 percent of all Cuyahoga County jobs, the most of any suburb, ranking No. 2 overall, behind only the city of Cleveland. According to the report, there are 29,662 jobs in Westlake.

Between 2013 and 2018, the report said, Westlake gained 4,675 jobs, an increase of 18.7 percent. As a whole, Cuyahoga County saw a 3.2 percent increase in jobs during that same time period.

Westlake residents, on average, are wealthier than residents of many other towns in Cuyahoga County. The median household income is $86,008.

While there are plenty of haves, there are also have nots in Westlake. The report found that 4.7 percent of the community's population was living below the poverty line in 2019. That means 1,472 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.