Advantages & Disadvantages of Moving to Cleveland

You think about moving to Cleveland but want to get additional information about the city and overall quality of life before making your final decision in this regard?

Great! Stick with me since I will show you the pros and cons of living in Cleveland in the following chapters.

Living in Cleveland – Overview

Advantages of Living in Cleveland

1. Low property prices in Cleveland
2. Rents are pretty low compared to other big cities
3. You don’t have to search for long to find a decent place to stay
4. Cleveland is located inside beautiful nature
5. Many things to do with your leisure in Cleveland
6. Great sports teams in Cleveland
7. Cleveland is a pretty tolerant city
8. People in Cleveland are honest and real
9. You can experience real seasons in Cleveland
10. You can go skiing or do other winter sports
11. Cleveland is a bike-friendly city
12. Traffic is not a big problem in Cleveland
13. You can get from one end of Cleveland to the other pretty quickly
14. Cleveland has an international airport
15. Cleveland offers many things for different age groups
16. Cleveland has pretty good tap water
17. Cleveland has pretty decent air quality
18. Cleveland is a culturally diverse place
19. Many different foods to try in Cleveland
20. Cleveland has interesting architecture
21. Cleveland has a decent art scene

Low property prices in Cleveland

One advantage of moving to Cleveland is that property prices are pretty cheap compared to most other big cities in the US and while people living in San Francisco or other more expensive places often have to spend absurd amounts of money on buying a home, you will have to make a far smaller financial commitment in Cleveland.

Rents are pretty low compared to other big cities

Not only property prices are pretty low, but also rents are pretty affordable in Cleveland and you therefore don’t have to spend as much on housing as in other major cities and have more money to spend on other nice things.

You don’t have to search for long to find a decent place to stay

Since demand for housing in Cleveland is pretty low, it will also not take you long to find a decent place to stay when you move to Cleveland while it will often take people moving to San José or other more popular places many months to find a decent place to stay.

Cleveland is located inside beautiful nature

Another upside to moving to Cleveland is that it is directly located at Lake Erie and you will therefore be able to spend lots of time in beautiful nature and will have more than enough opportunities to relax and reload your batteries.

Many things to do with your leisure in Cleveland

Since you can go fishing, hunting, camping, hiking and do many other things in nature, you will have more than enough things to do with your leisure in Cleveland and will most likely never run out of ideas in this regard.

Great sports teams in Cleveland

You will also have many decent sports teams in Cleveland and can watch the games of the Cleveland Cavaliers or other sports so that you will get lots of entertainment in this regard.

Cleveland is a pretty tolerant city

Another benefit of moving to Cleveland is that it is also one of the most tolerant cities in Ohio and you will therefore be welcome from all over the world and it will not matter where you come from as long as you are friendly and tolerant yourself and also willing to adapt to local customs and traditions at least a little bit.

People in Cleveland are honest and real

Since people in Cleveland are honest and real, you will also have an easy time making really good friends who can help you overcome difficult periods of your life and give you hope for a better future.

You can experience real seasons in Cleveland

Since Cleveland has warm summers and pretty cold winters, you can also experience real seasons and this can make your life much more interesting compared to people living in El Paso or other regions where it is pretty warm all year long.

You can go skiing or do other winter sports

Thanks to cold winters, you can also go skiing or do other winter sports in Cleveland while people living in warmer regions where snow is not common will not have this luxury.

Cleveland is a bike-friendly city

Another advantage of living in Cleveland is that it is also a bike-friendly city where you can get around by bicycle in an efficient manner and if you live close enough to the city center where distances are relatively short, you may not even need a car and can save lots of money and also do good for our environment at the same time.

Traffic is not a big problem in Cleveland

Since Cleveland is not the most crowded city yet, you will also not get stuck in traffic jams often and can get around by car in a pretty efficient manner and will also have a rather easy time finding a parking lot.

You can get from one end of Cleveland to the other pretty quickly

Since traffic is not a big problem, you will also have a rather easy time getting from one end of Cleveland to the other rather quickly and this can be great since it helps you visit your friends in different parts of the city.

Cleveland has an international airport

You should also know that Cleveland has an international airport and you can therefore get to many destinations of our planet in a pretty efficient manner without having to deal with layovers or other unpleasant things in this regard.

Cleveland offers many things for different age groups

Another upside to living in Cleveland is that people from different age groups get along with each other pretty well and there is also something to do for every age group so that people often don’t get bored no matter how old they are.

Cleveland has pretty good tap water

Cleveland also has pretty good tap water and this means that you don’t have to rely on bottled water from the store and can save lots of money and time in this regard while you can also do good for our planet at the same time.

Cleveland has pretty decent air quality

Cleveland also has pretty good air quality compared to most other big cities out there and this can not only be great since it improves your overall quality of life but it also makes it less likely that you will suffer from serious pulmonary issues due to poor air quality in the long run.

Cleveland is a culturally diverse place

Another benefit of living in Cleveland is that it is a culturally diverse place where you can meet many interesting people from all over the world and by talking to those people, you can really learn a lot about different lifestyles and can also really grow in character.

Many different foods to try in Cleveland

You will also have the privilege of trying many different goods in Cleveland and you will be surprised by how well many of those foods actually taste.

In turn, you can expand your own culinary knowledge and can try to cook some of those delicious dishes at home.

Cleveland has interesting architecture

Cleveland also has many interesting buildings and if you are interested in architecture or even work in this field, you may get lots of inspiration in this regard.

Cleveland has a decent art scene

You should also know that Cleveland has a decent art scene and many interesting museums and if you are an artist or just interested in art, you will be able to hang out with many like-minded people.

Now that you know all the reasons for moving to Cleveland, we also have to talk about the downsides to living in Cleveland so that you get a more realistic picture of reality and can better decide whether you still want to move to Cleveland or rather want to live in a different city instead.

Disadvantages of Living in Cleveland

1. Unemployment rate in Cleveland is above national average
2. Crime is a big problem in Cleveland
3. Median household income in Cleveland is pretty low
4. Population has been decreasing over the past decades
5. Questionable future outlook for Cleveland
6. Hard to find really good education in Cleveland
7. Nightlife in Cleveland is not great
8. Not many fancy shopping opportunities in Cleveland
9. Cleveland may be too cold for you
10. Increasing level of inequality in Cleveland
11. Homelessness is a big problem in Cleveland
12. Poor public transport in Cleveland

Unemployment rate in Cleveland is above national average

One problem with living in Cleveland is that unemployment rates are pretty high and many people have a hard time finding decent jobs and often really struggle to make a living in this region.

Crime is a big problem in Cleveland

You should also be aware of the fact that crime rates in Cleveland are far above national average and this means that Cleveland is a pretty unsafe city and if you want to see your kids grow up in a safer environment, you should rather move to Raleigh or other safer places instead.

Median household income in Cleveland is pretty low

Another drawback of moving to Cleveland is that the average household income is far lower than national average and people just don’t make really good money in this region.

In turn, if your goal is to get wealthy or even rich, moving to Cleveland may not be a great idea for you.

Population has been decreasing over the past decades

You should also know that population has been decreasing in Cleveland over the past decades and this is usually a sign that overall quality of life may have dropped and Cleveland is not a popular place to live anymore.

Questionable future outlook for Cleveland

Due to decreasing population and many other social problems the city of Cleveland has to deal with, many people may leave Cleveland in the near future and public infrastructure may become worse.

Hard to find really good education in Cleveland

While you will find some decent schools, you will still not have the same high-quality education compared to people living in Boston or other places that have many world-class universities.

Nightlife in Cleveland is not great

Another disadvantage of living in Cleveland is that nightlife is not as great as in many other bigger cities and if you are a party person, you may run out of options in this regard pretty soon.

Not many fancy shopping opportunities in Cleveland

You should also know that Cleveland is not the most glamorous city and also doesn’t have as many fancy stores as NYC or other major metropolitan regions and you may get disappointed with living in Cleveland if you are a shopping queen who needs many opportunities in this regard to stay happy.

Cleveland may be too cold for you

Due to really cold winters, many people decide to move to El Paso or other much warmer regions and you should really ask yourself whether you are fine with strong winters before moving to Cleveland so that you don’t get disappointed in this regard later on.

Increasing level of inequality in Cleveland

Also the gap between the poor and the rich has increased significantly over the past decades and this may lead to all sorts of social problems and the issue may even become worse in the long run.

Homelessness is a big problem in Cleveland

You should also know that homelessness is a big problem in Cleveland and may become even worse since due to low wages and high unemployment, many people are no longer able to afford a decent home and may end up homeless in the streets.

Poor public transport in Cleveland

Cleveland also doesn’t have great public transport compared to many other big cities and this means that you may have to rely on your car, especially if you want to move to the outskirts of Cleveland where overall public infrastructure is often pretty poor.

Top 10 Moving To Cleveland Pros & Cons – Summary List

Is Cleveland A Good Place To Live?

While it can make sense to move to Cleveland since property prices and living costs are fairly low, you should also know that unemployment is a big problem, the average income level is pretty low and many people really struggle to make a decent living in this city.

Alternative Cities To Live In

If you don’t want to move to Cleveland anymore, you should also have a look at the following articles:

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Tampa

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Aurora

Advantages and disadvantages of living in New Orleans

Sources

https://mayor.clevelandohio.gov/

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/clevelandcityohio

About the author

This site is about living, moving and traveling to various parts of our fascinating planet.

My name is Andreas and when I was younger, I traveled the world and learned a lot about different cultures and countries.

Thus, I want to share my experiences with you so that you can benefit from them and avoid common mistakes in this regard.

In my articles, you will find everything you need to find the best location for a happy and successful life.