Greater Cleveland's Population Shift

New estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau show that, while population in Greater Cleveland edged up a bit for the second straight year, the metro area is still down overall for the decade so far. And the city of Cleveland saw its population shift at the same it enjoys strong increases in income tax revenues from young professionals and retired empty nesters replacing lower-income families.

These are all factors driving the real estate market in the metropolitan area. They’re why developers can’t build high-end apartments fast enough in urban hot-spots like Downtown Cleveland, University Circle, Ohio City and Tremont. Or why affordable housing is in such short supply, despite efforts to fund more of it. Or why single-family homes continue to pop up like dandelions in former corn fields in the collar counties surrounding Cuyahoga.

Census data shows that population in Greater Cleveland (Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain and Medina counites) grew by 5,600 residents last year to 1.867 million people — an increase of 0.3 percent. It was also the second consecutive year that the metropolitan region’s population expanded.

Yet it failed to overcome population losses in the previous three years, from 2020 to 2022. Greater Cleveland’s population was 0.6 percent higher in 2020 than it was last year, the Census said.

That growth was attributable to two of Greater Cleveland’s counties — Lorain and Medina. Lorain County’s population increased every year since 2020, racking up cumulative gains of 2.7 percent. Last year’s gain was 0.9 percent, putting the population number at 322,030.

Medina County saw its cumulative gains since 2020 amount to 1.2 percent, to 184,625 people. Its year-over-year growth last year was 1.1 percent, the latest in a series of steady increases.

Lake and Geauga counties also saw their populations edge lower by less than 0.2 percent so far this decade. The biggest population loser in the region continues to be Cuyahoga County, which saw its population fall 1.7 percent so far this decade.

But that changed last year when its population increased by nearly 2,000 people thanks to international migration. Deaths in Cuyahoga County outpaced births by 215, and 6,741 people moved to other states or other Ohio counties. Those losses were offset by a net gain of 8,876 immigrants.

The city of Cleveland is no longer the biggest contributor to Cuyahoga County’s decades-long population slide, as its population since 2020 dipped by only 0.6 percent, the Census said.

The bottom line that while some areas have seen some changes (positive and negative), the region as a whole has seen a minor increase. What this means is that buyers should be aware of the specific data on the cities where they are looking to purchase a home. For all of my client's, I'm able to provide up to date information on trends and statistics to make sure each client is making the most informed decision. If you would like this information, please reach out!

-Pat