Beachwood vs Parma

Which is the better fit for you?

Beachwood, OH
73
Area Score
Top 7% nationally
Parma, OH
68
Area Score
Top 18% nationally

Want a third or fourth place beside these? Open them in the shortlist and add more.

Beachwood receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.

If you are moving

What the difference in prices, rent, homes and weather comes to, using the published figures for the two places. Add your income to see what it would take to keep pace.

Moving from Beachwood to Parma

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Everyday prices
About the same
Regional price level 92.9 against 92.9 (US = 100). Both places sit in the same price region, so the index cannot tell them apart.
Income to keep the same purchasing power
Enter your household income to see it.
A new two-bedroom lease
−$420 a month
HUD benchmarks it at $1,270 in Parma against $1,690 in Beachwood.
The median home
59% less
$170,100 in Parma against $410,300 in Beachwood.
The weather you would swap
Winters 2°F colder
Normal January lows are 22°F in Parma against 24°F in Beachwood; July highs are 84°F against 81°F (summers 3°F hotter).

These are differences between published figures, not a forecast of your budget. Income and sales taxes, commuting, schools, insurance and the job you would actually get are not in them, and a price index describes a metropolitan area, so two places in one metro read the same. HUD’s rent is a benchmark for a new lease, not a listing.

Signals

Beachwood
Parma
Opportunity: Beachwood is the more favorable of the two.
Opportunity
75 · Top 16%
vs
65 · Top 33%
Growth: Beachwood is the more favorable of the two.
Growth
40 · Bottom 28%
vs
38 · Bottom 26%
Climate: Beachwood is the more favorable of the two.
Climate
69 · Bottom 45%
vs
68 · Bottom 43%
Physical resilience
97 · Top 2%
vs
97 · Top 2%
Housing affordability: Parma is the more favorable of the two.
Housing affordability
75 · Top 24%
vs
79 · Top 15%
Schools: Beachwood is the more favorable of the two.
Schools
64 · Top 32%
vs
48 · Bottom 47%
Access: Parma is the more favorable of the two.
Access
94 · Top 45%
vs
99 · Top 9%
Economic stability: Beachwood is the more favorable of the two.
Economic stability
76 · Top 9%
vs
60 · Top 46%

Measured values

MetricBeachwoodParmaSource period
Population13,86579,8702024 ACS 5-Year
Median household income$106,748 — more favorable$69,2952024 ACS 5-Year
Per capita income$69,275 — more favorable$36,8962024 ACS 5-Year
Population density2,634/sq mi3,989/sq mi2024 ACS 5-Year
Median home value$410,300$170,1002024 ACS 5-Year
Median gross rent$2,047$1,087 — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Market rent, two bedroom$1,690$1,270 — more favorableFY2025
Cost of living index92.992.92023
Homeownership rate53.7%72.4%2024 ACS 5-Year
Unemployment rate3.3%3.0% — more favorableJuly 2026
Employment change (year over year)−1.2%−1.2%July 2026
Bachelor's degree or higher65.3% — more favorable24.4%2024 ACS 5-Year
Poverty rate2.8% — more favorable9.6%2024 ACS 5-Year
Housing units permitted (12 months)102212 months ending July 2026
Permits per 1,000 residents0.7 — more favorable0.312 months ending July 2026
Permit change (year over year)+11.1%+175.0%12 months ending July 2026
Average July high81°F84°F1991-2020 Normals
Average January low24°F22°F1991-2020 Normals
Annual precipitation33.3"41.0"1991-2020 Normals
Distance to major airport19 mi7 mi — more favorableNASR current cycle
Average commute19.8 min — more favorable25.7 min2024 ACS 5-Year
Median age48.442.42024 ACS 5-Year
Public schools992024-25 school year
Students per teacher16.2 — more favorable18.22024-25 school year
Math proficiency67.4% — more favorable64.0%2018-19 school year
Reading proficiency70.8% — more favorable66.7%2018-19 school year
Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility31.4%76.6%2024-25 school year

A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.

The number of units permitted is not marked because the larger place always permits more; the per-resident rate is the fair comparison. The year-over-year change is not marked either: a percentage on fewer than 300 units swings on a handful of permits.

Your best match

Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.

Beachwood
—
Beachwood: Your Score
73
Area Score
Parma
—
Parma: Your Score
68
Area Score

Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.

Full profiles: Beachwood, OH · Parma, OH · How this is calculated: methodology