Cleveland vs Columbus
Cleveland, Ohio versus Columbus, Ohio: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Cleveland edges out Columbus on overall objective livability (46 vs 42 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Cleveland | Columbus |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $37k | $63k |
| Cost of Living | $43k | $48k |
| Home Value | $87k | $213k |
| Monthly Rent | $851 | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $69k | $171k |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.88% | 1.43% |
| Income Tax | 6.00% | 6.00% |
| Sales Tax | 7.24% | 7.24% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 12.79% | 13.22% |
| Unemployment | 11.9% | 5.2% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 29°F | 29°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 74°F | 75°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 33.3 in | 42.2 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 63.8 in | 28.2 in |
| Sunny Days | 241 days | 168 days |
| Summer Humidity | 63°F | 63°F |
| Comfortable Days | 108 days | 95 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 43.8 | 44.2 |
| Air Quality | 38 AQI | 53 AQI |
| School Quality | 95.7 | 87.2 |
| Violent Crime | 6343/100k | 2272/100k |
| Property Crime | 4353/100k | 3514/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 370,365 | 902,449 |
| Median Age | 36.3 | 32.7 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.63 | 0.60 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.95 | 0.97 |
| Political Leaning | D+34 | D+32 |
| White (%) | 34.4% | 53.1% |
| Black (%) | 45.8% | 29.0% |
| Hispanic (%) | 12.5% | 6.7% |
| Asian (%) | 2.4% | 5.8% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.9% | 5.5% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 23 min | 22 min |
| Walkability | 17.6/20 | 17.5/20 |
| Airport Distance | 9 mi | 5 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 78.1% | 91.3% |
| Amenities Nearby | 18.33 | 11.95 |
| Park & Nature Access | Limited | Limited |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Cleveland or Columbus more affordable?
- Cleveland has the lower cost of living: its index is $43k, compared with Cleveland's $43k and Columbus's $48k. Median rent is $851 in Cleveland versus $1k in Columbus.
- Is Cleveland or Columbus safer?
- Columbus has the lower violent crime rate. Cleveland reports 6343/100k and Columbus reports 2272/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Cleveland or Columbus?
- The median home value is $87k in Cleveland and $213k in Columbus, so homes are more affordable in Cleveland.