The 10 Worst Cleveland Suburbs For 2022


We used science and data to determine which Cleveland suburbs are the real pits.

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Not everyone is cut out for city life. Some people would prefer to live in the cities and towns that surround Cleveland.

So the question arises, do the suburbs maintain a semblance of the larger-than-life appeal of their more famous neighbor?

Today, we'll use science and data to determine which Cleveland 'burbs need a little tender loving care - the sore thumbs of the Cleveland area if you will. Realistically, you can't expect all the suburbs to live up to Cleveland proper, although Oakwood certainly tries.

Of course, not all suburbs of Cleveland are created equally, which is precisely why we set out to find the best ones..

We examined the 84 biggest suburbs of Cleveland to find out the worst places to live. And while you won't necessarily find them on the worst places to live in Ohio lists, these ten places are a little too far downwind of Cleveland in terms of quality of life.

What's the worst suburb of Cleveland? Lorain ranks as the worst suburb of Cleveland for 2022 based on the most recent Census and FBI data.

Read on to see how we determined the places around Cleveland that need a pick-me-up. And remember, don't blame the messenger.

Or, if you're thinking of moving to elsewhere in Ohio check out the best places in Ohio overall or the worst.

And remember, there are some good places to live around Cleveland too.

Editor's Note: If you see a slight difference between the worst in state rankings and this suburb ranking, it's because of the methodology. We needed a way to include more places, so we eliminated crime and commute times as criteria for this analysis.

For more Ohio reading, check out:

The 10 Worst Cleveland Suburbs To Live For 2022

We'll get the ball rolling with Lorain, the absolute worst place to live around Cleveland according to the data.

And in the world of worst rankings, Lorain beat the competition pretty handily thanks to scoring in the bottom 15% in three major categories. Income is the 6th worst in the Cleveland area, and to make matters worse, the city ranks 7th worst when it comes to home values.

But hey, at least it's cheap to live there. But there's a reason for that... it's Lorain.

You won't feel bad about not having a great income for the area, there aren't a bunch of places to spend your money anyway.

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 63,832
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Median Income: $40,486 (6th lowest)
Unemployment Rate: 8.1% (7th highest)
Median Home Value: $90,700 (7th lowest)
More on Lorain:  Data | Photos

Lorain, OH

Welcome to Akron. Home to KMart, Big Lots, and a lot of gas stations.

This city is 28.7 miles to Cleveland. Income levels here are the 4th lowest in the metro area, where families bring in about $40,281 a year, which doesn't go a long ways even on a shoestring budget.

But on the bright side, there are a lot of fast food joints in the area.

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 197,375
Rank Last Year: 2 (No Change)
Median Income: $40,281 (4th lowest)
Unemployment Rate: 8.8% (6th highest)
Median Home Value: $83,500 (4th lowest)
More on Akron:  Data | Photos

Akron, OH

Back up the highway we go for the third worst Cleveland suburb you can live in. You might have expected to see East Cleveland on here. While the cost of living is low, your entertainment and work options are limited. And that's an understatement.

In terms of numbers, it's in the worst 15% for insurance, and the adult high school drop out rate is poor compared to other Cleveland suburbs.

But at least there are nice parks to bring the kids during the day.

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 17,047
Rank Last Year: 4 (Up 1)
Median Income: $22,426 (lowest)
Unemployment Rate: 17.5% (highest)
Median Home Value: $57,800 (lowest)
More on East Cleveland:  Data | Photos

East Cleveland, OH

Source: Public domain

If you live in Garfield Heights, most likely you struggle to make ends meet every month. It ranks as the 9th lowest Cleveland suburb when it comes to residents making money.

Not only that, but this is the 4th worst unemployed suburb you can live in if you choose to live near Cleveland. Remember, we looked at 84 cities for this study.

Garfield Heights is about 5.6 miles to downtown.

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 27,673
Rank Last Year: 6 (Up 2)
Median Income: $43,901 (9th lowest)
Unemployment Rate: 9.5% (4th highest)
Median Home Value: $75,400 (3rd lowest)
More on Garfield Heights:  Data | Photos

Garfield Heights, OH

Warrensville Heights has the distinction of being a Cleveland suburb. Which means that's about all it has going for it.

All snarkiness aside, Warrensville Heights has the 6th lowest home values in the metro Cleveland area, where the median price is $87,600. To put that into perspective, in Oakwood, the median income is $182,743, which is the best in the area.

Warrensville Heights has an unemployment rate of 9.18% which ranks 5th worst.

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 13,178
Rank Last Year: 10 (Up 5)
Median Income: $39,919 (3rd lowest)
Unemployment Rate: 9.2% (5th highest)
Median Home Value: $87,600 (6th lowest)
More on Warrensville Heights:  Data

Elyria has 53,844 residents that probably know it's a pretty crummy place to live when you look at the data. (Or, if you've ever been there, you don't need to look at the data.)

Incomes are towards the bottom and the poverty rate sits at 20.832549919151656%.

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 53,844
Rank Last Year: 3 (Down 3)
Median Income: $43,816 (8th lowest)
Unemployment Rate: 5.3% (34th highest)
Median Home Value: $107,600 (10th lowest)
More on Elyria:  Data | Photos

Elyria, OH

Ah, Euclid. You rank as the 7th worst place to live around Cleveland.

It's the place with the 11th most out of work residents in the Cleveland metro area (7.39%).

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 46,861
Rank Last Year: 7 (No Change)
Median Income: $40,342 (5th lowest)
Unemployment Rate: 7.4% (11th highest)
Median Home Value: $84,500 (5th lowest)
More on Euclid:  Data | Photos

Euclid, OH

Painesville is a city about 27.5 miles from Cleveland, but Cleveland probably wishes it was further away. It ranks as the 8th worst burb for 2018.

You'd be hard pressed to find a worse place to live. Painesville has the most uninsured people, 12th worst incomes, and has the 32nd highest unemployment rate (5.46%) in the entire Cleveland metro area.

Homes only cost $112,300 for a reason. That's cheap for Cleveland standards.

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 19,817
Rank Last Year: 5 (Down 3)
Median Income: $47,259 (12th lowest)
Unemployment Rate: 5.5% (32nd highest)
Median Home Value: $112,300 (13th lowest)
More on Painesville:  Data | Photos

Painesville, OH

If you absolutely have to live near Cleveland, then Brooklyn might be a place for you to consider as it's only the 9th worst Cleveland suburb.

About 6.16% of residents are out of work.

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 10,788
Rank Last Year: 9 (No Change)
Median Income: $52,341 (16th lowest)
Unemployment Rate: 6.2% (25th highest)
Median Home Value: $115,800 (15th lowest)
More on Brooklyn:  Data | Photos

Brooklyn, OH

Rounding out the ten worst Cleveland suburbs to call home is Maple Heights.

Located 7.7 miles outside the city, Maple Heightss is a real pit when you look at the data. Its residents have the 14th highest unemployment rate (6.97%), and poverty is far above the area average.

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 22,178
Rank Last Year: 8 (Down 2)
Median Income: $43,036 (7th lowest)
Unemployment Rate: 7.0% (14th highest)
Median Home Value: $69,900 (2nd lowest)
More on Maple Heights:  Data | Photos

Maple Heights, OH

Source: Public domain

Methodology: Determining The Worst Suburbs Around Cleveland for 2022

To figure out how bad a place is to live in, we only needed to know what kinds of things people like and then decide what cities have the least amount of those things.

We threw a lot of criteria at this one in order to get the best, most complete results possible. Using the most recent American Community Survey data from 2016-2020, this is the criteria we used:

  • High unemployment rate
  • Low median household incomes
  • Low population density (no things to do)
  • Low home values
  • A lot of high school drop outs
  • High poverty
  • High rate of uninsured families

FYI: We defined a suburb as being within 30 miles of Cleveland.

Additionally, we limited the analysis to places that have over 2,000 people. This left us with a grand total of 84 suburbs to evaluate around Cleveland.

We ranked each place with scores from 1 to 84 in each category, where 1 was the "worst".

Next, we averaged the rankings for each place to create a quality of life index.

And finally, we crowned the city with the worst quality of life index the "Worst Suburb near Cleveland." We're lookin' at you, Lorain. You can download the data here.

Read on below to learn more about what it's like to live in the worst of the worst. Or skip to the end to see the list of all the suburbs ranked from worst to best.

Summary: The areas around Cleveland where the dream is more of a nightmare for 2022

Well there you have it -- the worst of the 'burbs surrounding Cleveland with Lorain casting itself ahead of the pack.

As we mentioned earlier, the suburbs around Cleveland aren't all bad. Oakwood takes the cake as the best place to live around Cleveland.

  • Oakwood
  • South Russell
  • Pepper Pike

For more Ohio reading, check out:

Detailed List Of The Worst Cleveland Suburbs

Rank City Population Median Income Median Home Values
1 Lorain 63,832 $40,486 $90,700
2 Akron 197,375 $40,281 $83,500
3 East Cleveland 17,047 $22,426 $57,800
4 Garfield Heights 27,673 $43,901 $75,400
5 Warrensville Heights 13,178 $39,919 $87,600
6 Elyria 53,844 $43,816 $107,600
7 Euclid 46,861 $40,342 $84,500
8 Painesville 19,817 $47,259 $112,300
9 Brooklyn 10,788 $52,341 $115,800
10 Maple Heights 22,178 $43,036 $69,900
11 Bedford Heights 10,530 $43,912 $108,500
12 Grafton 6,017 $67,455 $140,700
13 Kent 29,698 $36,809 $154,400
14 Richmond Heights 10,376 $47,573 $140,900
15 Brook Park 18,486 $56,302 $121,400
16 Eastlake 18,072 $53,350 $131,400
17 Bedford 12,555 $45,945 $91,200
18 Streetsboro 16,444 $64,667 $144,000
19 Parma 78,623 $58,011 $118,600
20 Cuyahoga Falls 49,191 $60,280 $134,800
21 Parma Heights 19,916 $51,328 $120,400
22 Fairport Harbor 3,067 $49,171 $112,800
23 Cleveland Heights 44,176 $59,086 $133,700
24 Lakewood 50,002 $54,487 $171,600
25 Mentor-On-The-Lake 7,391 $54,039 $139,500
26 Munroe Falls 5,069 $59,406 $167,400
27 Mayfield Heights 18,586 $55,901 $152,700
28 Willoughby 22,904 $60,311 $158,900
29 South Euclid 21,449 $60,368 $108,000
30 Chardon 5,168 $69,018 $205,800
31 Wickliffe 12,720 $67,356 $122,900
32 Amherst 12,193 $76,402 $166,500
33 Walton Hills 2,221 $86,071 $226,100
34 Willoughby Hills 9,545 $57,331 $287,500
35 North Olmsted 31,562 $72,666 $161,300
36 Lagrange 2,355 $77,500 $187,800
37 Berea 18,713 $60,292 $145,100
38 Willowick 14,103 $64,381 $122,200
39 Fairview Park 16,219 $63,744 $170,100
40 Sheffield Lake 9,001 $57,623 $105,700
41 North Ridgeville 33,961 $77,560 $188,400
42 Medina 26,026 $66,691 $176,100
43 Northfield 3,667 $65,629 $139,800
44 Tallmadge 17,681 $74,783 $176,800
45 Sheffield 4,299 $83,477 $226,000
46 Mentor 47,075 $73,208 $183,600
47 Middleburg Heights 15,514 $68,125 $165,000
48 Brunswick 34,902 $70,384 $178,000
49 Richfield 3,767 $63,692 $228,600
50 Orange 3,269 $124,271 $351,200
51 Stow 34,770 $76,883 $190,800
52 North Royalton 30,179 $69,788 $215,900
53 Seven Hills 11,597 $81,128 $181,200
54 Brecksville 13,521 $105,527 $292,000
55 Aurora 16,165 $113,438 $290,100
56 Kirtland 6,801 $91,108 $292,300
57 University Heights 12,908 $80,817 $171,300
58 Mayfield 3,388 $90,739 $240,200
59 Valley View 2,075 $83,233 $236,100
60 Twinsburg 18,754 $82,760 $220,200
61 Macedonia 11,942 $96,029 $230,200
62 Highland Heights 8,375 $108,652 $294,400
63 Lyndhurst 13,431 $73,708 $147,700
64 Fairlawn 7,536 $72,088 $182,300
65 Shaker Heights 27,148 $88,635 $241,900
66 Beachwood 11,627 $88,709 $300,000
67 Olmsted Falls 8,892 $80,538 $162,500
68 Reminderville 4,384 $91,591 $224,600
69 Strongsville 44,675 $90,377 $215,900
70 Westlake 32,154 $92,917 $263,500
71 Broadview Heights 19,195 $87,815 $232,400
72 Solon 22,858 $114,214 $308,000
73 Gates Mills 2,142 $167,250 $565,000
74 Avon Lake 24,309 $82,994 $260,000
75 Avon 23,233 $109,539 $309,300
76 Moreland Hills 3,315 $170,391 $445,300
77 Independence 7,167 $105,107 $234,400
78 Silver Lake 2,496 $114,688 $234,200
79 Hudson 22,249 $133,418 $359,500
80 Chagrin Falls 3,935 $81,029 $335,600
81 Rocky River 20,115 $81,370 $261,600
82 Pepper Pike 6,319 $182,743 $443,000
83 South Russell 3,761 $133,750 $353,600
84 Oakwood 8,958 $121,250 $261,100

How Is Your Town In ?

Editor's Note: This article is an opinion based on facts and is meant as infotainment. Don't freak out we updated this article for 2022. This is our ninth time ranking the worst suburbs around Cleveland.

About Nick Johnson

Nick Johnson earned his masters in Business Administration from the Drucker School At Claremont Graduate University. He has written for 39 publications across the country and ran the media relations department at Movoto, a real estate portal based in San Francisco. He has been featured in over 500 publications as an expert in real estate and as an authority on real estate trends.

Nick's the creator of the HomeSnacks YouTube channel that now has over 260,000 subscribers and is an excellent source to learn about different parts of the country.