01 · the cities
Cleveland
Cleveland is the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the West Side Market's 100+ years of pierogies and bratwurst, and Lake Erie sunsets that put the coastal hype to shame. The Cuyahoga River caught fire so many times it inspired the Clean Water Act. The Cleveland Orchestra is consistently ranked among the world's best. Summers on the lake are gorgeous, and the food scene is having a real moment.
full dispatch→Cincinnati
Cincinnati is chili served on spaghetti (Skyline and Gold Star will fight you about which is better), German heritage in Over-the-Rhine's beer halls, and a riverfront that looks straight across at Kentucky. OTR's brick warehouses have become one of the best urban revitalizations in the country. The Reds play in baseball's oldest professional city. Pronounce it correctly and the locals warm up fast.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$1,419/mo
$1,549/mo
$130/mo more than Cleveland (8%)
Median home price
Median home price
$252k
$316k
$64k more than Cleveland
State income tax
State income tax
4.0%
4.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$6,582/mo
$6,452/mo
Cleveland has $130/mo more gross after rent at $100k
Gross left after rent reflects state income tax but not federal, based on $100k salary. Enter your salary to find your ideal city.
03 · the weather
Pleasant days/yr
Pleasant days/yr
159 days
162 days
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
3 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
27 days
26 days
days below 20°F per year
Cleveland and Cincinnati have remarkably similar weather profiles overall.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
63 / 100
72 / 100
9.0 pts ahead of Cleveland
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
56 routes
47 routes
9 fewer direct routes than Cleveland
Metro size
Metro size
2.2M metro
2.3M metro
Cleveland and Cincinnati have similar event volume.
the verdict
4
Cleveland
categories won
1
Cincinnati
categories won
Cleveland wins this comparison, leading on money.
run your numbers
How far does your Cleveland salary go?
Enter your salary to see a full ranked list of cities where you would live better.
see your top citiesWe use a proprietary blend of data from the US Census, Zillow, Ticketmaster, and more.
Walk Score® is a trademark of Walk Score, a Redfin company. How Walk Score works