Best PlacesUniversity District, Cleveland, OH Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood in and around University District, Cleveland, scored on 40 measures of daily life and ranked to fit what matters to you. Several measures below read low, and the ranked lists name which ones. To work out which city fits you best, start with the best places to live tool.
University District, Cleveland ranks 4,649th of 5,983 U.S. neighborhoods on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on cheap car insurance by a wide margin, and crime is the weak spot.
The best neighborhoods in University District, Cleveland
BestNeighborhood is the only ranking that scores 40 measures of daily life neighborhood by neighborhood and lets you re-weight every one of them yourself.
University District, Cleveland's strengths and weaknesses
Where University District, Cleveland ranks high
- Cheap car insuranceBetter than 95% of neighborhoods
- Short commute16.6 minutes each way, better than 94% of neighborhoods
- Disaster safetyBetter than 91% of neighborhoods
- Heat safetyBetter than 88% of neighborhoods
- BikingBetter than 83% of neighborhoods
Where University District, Cleveland ranks low
- Crime safetyBetter than only 4% of neighborhoods
- Household income$42,751 median, better than only 5% of neighborhoods
- QuietBetter than only 5% of neighborhoods
- Internet speedBetter than only 5% of neighborhoods
- Cost of living vs incomeBetter than only 6% of neighborhoods
What it costs to buy a home in University District, Cleveland
A household needs to earn about $93,000 a year to comfortably buy the median University District, Cleveland home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That runs well above the area's median income of $42,751, so buying stretches a typical household.
Where the monthly payment goes
Assumes a 20% down payment, a 6.6% 30-year fixed rate, and a 28% share of income going to the payment. The rate is the 2026-07-23 30-year fixed average, series MORTGAGE30US from the St. Louis Fed, which publishes Freddie Mac's weekly survey. Against the median home value, property tax uses University District, Cleveland's effective rate of 1.48%, and insurance is estimated at 0.4% of home value a year.
Renting versus buying
At today's prices, buying tends to cost more than renting for about the first 9 years, then pulls ahead as rent keeps rising and the mortgage builds equity. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in University District, Cleveland
University District, Cleveland runs younger than the country, and households here run smaller than average.
Residents by age
Racial and ethnic makeup has its own map. See the race and diversity map for University District, Cleveland.
Who works in University District, Cleveland, and how
Work in University District, Cleveland centers on education and health care & social. Unemployment is low, and employment has held roughly flat.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 28%
- Work from home 11%
- Transit, walk, or bike 61%
Life in University District, Cleveland
University District, Cleveland has more restaurants and bars per resident than 83% of neighborhoods and more parkland per resident than 89% of neighborhoods. Dining, parks, and nightlife concentrates in some parts of University District, Cleveland and thins out in others, which the map shows.
What the weather is like in University District, Cleveland, month by month
University District, Cleveland sees roughly 73 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 84 degrees. January highs sit near 39, with lows near 25. The comfortable stretch runs May, June, and August through October.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 39° | 31° | 25° |
| April | 60° | 50° | 41° |
| July | 84° | 76° | 69° |
| October | 68° | 59° | 51° |
Flying in and out of University District, Cleveland
Cleveland-Hopkins International sits about 15 miles away. It is a medium hub and boarded 4.9 million passengers in 2025, with 72 nonstop destinations.
The best schools in and around University District, Cleveland
Schools across University District, Cleveland average a C−, better than 24% of neighborhoods.
Top elementary schools
- Roxboro Elementary SchoolB · 47% proficient
- Mary M BethuneD− · 12% proficient
- Daniel E Morgan SchoolF · 9% proficient
Top middle schools
- Roxboro Middle SchoolC+ · 35% proficient
- W.h. Kirk Middle SchoolF · 9% proficient
Top high schools
- Cleveland School Of Science & MedicineA · 77% proficient
- Cleveland School Of The Arts High SchoolB · 50% proficient
- Cleveland Early College HighB · 50% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every University District, Cleveland school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
University District, Cleveland measure by measure
Cards are ordered by how much each measure matters to you, so the ones you weighted highest come first. Expand to see every measure. Percentages compare University District, Cleveland against the other 5,982 neighborhoods.
Common questions about living in University District, Cleveland
Is University District, Cleveland a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, University District, Cleveland ranks 4,649th of 5,983 neighborhoods. It scores highest on cheap car insurance, short commutes, and low disaster risk, and lowest on crime and low incomes. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is University District, Cleveland expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $325,677. The overall cost of living runs about 15% below the national average. Set against a $42,751 median income, cost of living beats 6% of neighborhoods.
Is University District, Cleveland safe?
University District, Cleveland is safer than 4% of neighborhoods. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $945 per resident a year.
Compare University District, Cleveland with other neighborhoods
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to University District, Cleveland. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in University District, Cleveland represents the same real quantity as a 60 anywhere else, and the ranking is a weighted average of those absolutes. The map colors come from a national scale calibrated against a population weighted random sample of 5,000 neighborhoods. That absolute scoring is what no other places-to-live ranking does: it puts a single neighborhood, a town, a metro, and a state on one scale, so the same 40 measures answer both which metro to move to and which street inside it to buy on. Read the full methodology.
University District, Cleveland detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for University District, Cleveland: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in University District, Cleveland: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of University District, Cleveland: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in University District, Cleveland: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
University District, Cleveland detail on related sites:
- CrimeGrade: neighborhood crime rates behind the crime safety score.
- ISPreports.org: provider by provider internet availability and advertised speeds.
- CoverageWatch: the car insurance premiums behind the cheap car insurance score.
Federal and public data:
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey: income, home value, rent, vacancy, commute time and mode, educational attainment, home age, age structure, household type, industry, and race.
- NOAA Global Surface Summary of the Day: the daily station record behind the monthly temperatures and the pleasant-day count.
- FAA Passenger Boarding Data: airport size and annual passenger counts.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey: the 30-year fixed rate used in the cost-to-buy estimate.
- FBI Crime Data Explorer: reported offenses behind the tangible crime cost estimate.
- U.S. EPA Air Quality System: five year average air quality index.
- FEMA National Risk Index: expected annual loss from natural hazards.
- CDC PLACES: disease burden, preventable risk, and barriers to care.
- National Center for Education Statistics: school enrollment and assessment inputs behind the school grade.
- FCC National Broadband Map: internet and wireless availability.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: employment and job growth behind the local economy score.
- Religious activity uses a proprietary religious signal measurement.
Your priorities
Move a slider to say how much a measure matters. Zero turns it off.