Garfield Heights, OH

All states·Ohio·Garfield Heights

Cuyahoga County · Cleveland-Elyria · population 29,014

AffordabilityShrinking
Garfield Heights, OH
Image: Wikipedia · Garfield Heights, Ohio
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
70
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Garfield Heights stands

At or near all-time high. population shrinking 0.7% per year. rents up 6.1% in the last year.

Median home $135,429
1-year +2.4%
5-yr CAGR +6.4%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population -0.7%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$135k$53k$82k$112k$141k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
32/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
15/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
67/100
Strong remote-work fit
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$1,354/mo$922$1,179$1,435202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent114135100120140202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 8.3
Buy

At a 8.3 price-to-rent ratio, buying generally beats renting in Garfield Heights on a long-enough horizon. The headline math is that one year of mortgage payments approximates 8.3 years of rent — well below the 15+ threshold where ownership starts to dominate.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
62 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
71 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
35 · w16%
Rent YoY
85 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
85 · w10%
Long thesis

Garfield Heights offers a $135,429 median home with +6.4% annualized 5-year appreciation. Affordability + positive trend is one of the better risk/reward setups in US residential — small downside, room to compound.

Short thesis

Garfield Heights's population is shrinking 0.7% per year. Housing demand has to come from somewhere — if people are leaving, the buyer pool is shrinking faster than the inventory. That eventually shows up in price.

About Garfield Heights

Garfield Heights is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, with an estimated population of 29,014. It anchors the Cleveland-Elyria metro area. The population has contracted 0.7% per year on average since 2020. The median home value in Garfield Heights is $135,429 as of 2026-04, up 2.4% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +6.4% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Garfield Heights average $1,354 per month, up 6.1% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 70 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Affordable AND rising: median home $135,429 with positive recent direction — rare combination most of the country can’t offer.
●Healthy 5-year run: +6.4% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
●Quiet strength: +2.4% over the trailing year — not a melt-up, but the market is bid.
●Held the highs: currently +0.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.
●Hot rental market: rents up 6.1% YoY — landlords have pricing power, supports new investment math.

▼ Bear case

●Flat or shrinking population: -0.7% per year. Housing demand has to come from somewhere — verify the source.
○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Garfield Heights (Wikipedia)

Garfield Heights is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. The population was 29,781 at the time of the 2020 census. A suburb of Cleveland, it is a part of the Cleveland metropolitan area.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Cuyahoga County right now.

NWS active alerts (OH)Ohio Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Cuyahoga County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Cities like Garfield Heights

Forest Park, OH70 · RisingBarberton, OH68 · RisingPortsmouth, OH63 · RisingWhitehall, OH67 · Rising

Run the numbers for Garfield Heights

ToolCan I afford Garfield Heights?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Garfield Heights rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Garfield Heights to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolGarfield Heights cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
36° / 21°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
83° / 64°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
178
~49% of year
Annual precip
39″ rain
28″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very low
Tornado
High
Wildfire
Very low
Earthquake
Low
Flood
Moderate

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Cleveland-Elyria area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Garfield Heights listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
72%
Humid climate
Median household income
$67,800
Ohio state median
Top industries (state-level)
ManufacturingHealthcareFinance

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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