Parma, OH — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Ohio·Parma

Cuyahoga County · Cleveland-Elyria · population 79,350

First-time buyersShrinking
Parma, OH
Image: Wikipedia · Parma, Ohio
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
73
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Parma stands

At or near all-time high. home values up 5.4% in the last year. population shrinking 0.6% per year. rents up 7.4% in the last year.

Median home $215,651
1-year +5.4%
5-yr CAGR +6.9%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population -0.6%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$216k$96k$139k$181k$224k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
52/100
Somewhat walkable
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
22/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
79/100
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
$1,347/mo$922$1,175$1,428202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent140137100120140202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 13.3
Buy

At a 13.3 price-to-rent ratio, buying generally beats renting in Parma on a long-enough horizon. The headline math is that one year of mortgage payments approximates 13.3 years of rent — well below the 15+ threshold where ownership starts to dominate.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
76 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
74 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
37 · w16%
Rent YoY
85 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
79 · w10%
Long thesis

Parma has held up across the cycle: home values at $215,651 with +6.9% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Parma's population is shrinking 0.6% 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 Parma

Parma is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, with an estimated population of 79,350. It anchors the Cleveland-Elyria metro area. The population has contracted 0.6% per year on average since 2020. The median home value in Parma is $215,651 as of 2026-04, up 5.4% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +6.9% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Parma average $1,347 per month, up 7.4% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 73 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Affordable AND rising: median home $215,651 with positive recent direction — rare combination most of the country can’t offer.
●Healthy 5-year run: +6.9% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
●Quiet strength: +5.4% 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 7.4% YoY — landlords have pricing power, supports new investment math.

▼ Bear case

●Flat or shrinking population: -0.6% per year. Housing demand has to come from somewhere — verify the source.
●Rental squeeze: rents up 7.4% YoY — tenants face tough renewals. Affordability deteriorating fast.

About Parma (Wikipedia)

Parma is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. It is a suburb south of Cleveland. The population was 81,146 at the 2020 census, and was estimated at 79,350 in 2024, making it the seventh-most populous city in Ohio, the largest suburb in the state, and the second-largest city in Cuyahoga County. Part of the Greater Cleveland has an estimated 2,171,877 residents in the 2024 estimate. Parma is located approximately 8 miles (13 km) south of Cleveland.

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

City facts

MayorTimothy J. DeGeeter
Area20.070 sq mi
Elevation945 ft
Founded1816
NicknameThe Garden City
Motto"Progress Through Partnerships"
Densityauto/sq mi

Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.

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 Parma

Canton, OH70 · RisingNorth Olmsted, OH70 · RisingLakewood, OH71 · RisingCuyahoga Falls, OH72 · Rising

Run the numbers for Parma

ToolCan I afford Parma?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Parma rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Parma to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolParma 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 Parma 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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