Cleveland receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Cleveland
Chester
Opportunity
42 · Bottom 20%
vs40 · Bottom 16%
Growth
51 · Top 48%
vs41 · Bottom 34%
Climate
69 · Bottom 46%
vs71 · Top 48%
Physical resilience
97 · Top 1%
vs91 · Top 10%
Housing affordability
78 · Top 47%
vs69 · Bottom 41%
Access
99 · Top 11%
vs99 · Top 18%
Economic stability
30 · Bottom 4%
vs28 · Bottom 4%
Measured values
| Metric | Cleveland | Chester | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 366,097 | 33,619 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $40,801 | $41,342 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $28,266 | $23,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 4,710/sq mi | 6,956/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $102,000 | $83,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $945 | $1,091 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 41.7% | 40.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 7.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.7% | 2.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.4% | 14.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 30.6% | 29.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 825 | 7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.3 | 0.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 42.7% | -30.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 81°F | 88°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 24°F | 26°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 33.3" | 44.1" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 10 mi | 7 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.8 min | 25.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.3 | 33.9 | 2024 ACS 5-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.
Full profiles: Cleveland, OH · Chester, PA · How this is calculated: methodology