Cleveland receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Detroit
Cleveland
Opportunity
35 · Bottom 9%
vs44 · Bottom 22%
Growth
45 · Bottom 35%
vs47 · Bottom 38%
Climate
63 · Bottom 26%
vs69 · Bottom 47%
Physical resilience
81 · Top 17%
vs97 · Top 2%
Housing affordability
68 · Top 48%
vs78 · Top 34%
Access
94 · Bottom 29%
vs99 · Top 11%
Economic stability
19 · Bottom 1%
vs30 · Bottom 2%
Measured values
| Metric | Detroit | Cleveland | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 638,530 | 366,097 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $39,938 | $40,801 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $24,594 | $28,266 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 4,603/sq mi | 4,710/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $83,900 | $102,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,074 | $945 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 50.3% | 41.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 10.7% | 4.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.9% | -1.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.1% | 22.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 32.7% | 30.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 1,908 | 825 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.0 | 2.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -32.4% | 42.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 84°F | 81°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 20°F | 24°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 29.9" | 33.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 17 mi | 10 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 26.6 min | 23.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.2 | 36.3 | 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: Detroit, MI · Cleveland, OH · How this is calculated: methodology