Rents are right about where Cleveland Heights's 10-year trend predicts.
Rent by unit size
These are HUD Fair Market Rents, the payment standard for a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8). They often differ from the $1,394 market median above, and that is expected: FMR is the 40th percentile of standard-quality units and counts gross rent, so it includes essential utilities such as electricity, water, gas, sewer, and trash. The market median is asking rent, which usually excludes utilities. HUD sets FMR once a year; market rent here updates monthly.
Source: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents. Read the methodology →
12-month history
Last updated: October 17, 2026
What the numbers show
December. Asking rents in Cleveland Heights usually run 1.2% below trend in December and 0.7% above it in May, about $26 a month apart at today's median. Based on 11 years of data.
Rent in Cleveland Heights is at its highest level since Zillow's records here began in January 2015.
Rent in Cleveland Heights changed +4.0% over the year to September 2026. Across the 93 Ohio cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +4.3%.
From 2019 to 2024, rent in Cleveland Heights rose 42.3% while median household income rose 26.1% ($57,768 to $72,826). Rent outpaced income.
Rent in Cleveland Heights is 53.4% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent has risen 5 months in a row, and rose in 11 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($72,826) is $1,821 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 3-bedroom ($1,720); a 4-bedroom is $1,850.
East Cleveland, 2 miles away, rents for 36% less ($898/mo), about $6,000 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Cleveland Heights. The seasonal pattern compares Zillow’s seasonally adjusted and unadjusted series. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates). Fair Market Rents are HUD’s, which include utilities.
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Who lives here
Cleveland Heights, OH is majority owner-occupied, 58.7% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Cleveland Heights, OH has changed in 5 years
Across the past five years, the going rent in Cleveland Heights, OH has shifted from $975 to $1,394, up 43.0% since 2021. Local incomes tracked alongside that move, going from a median of $62,823 in 2021 to $72,826 more recently. Because rent grew faster than wages over the same span, the affordability picture has tightened relative to 2021. Census counts show Cleveland Heights, OH losing about 770 residents over the five-year window, down 1.7% on net. Bachelor's-degree-or-higher attainment moved from 56.4% to 58.7% across the same window. These shifts give renters and would-be renters a longer baseline for sizing up today's listings against the Cleveland Heights, OH market of 2021.
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Can you afford rent in Cleveland Heights on your salary?
At $1,394/mo, how Cleveland Heights rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Cleveland Heights rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Cleveland Heights. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Cleveland Heights
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Cleveland Heights is $1,394/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $980/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $1,340/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,100/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $1,720/mo.
At 23% of local median household income ($72,826/yr), Cleveland Heights ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 4.0% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Cleveland Heights?
At $1,394/mo, rent takes ~23% of Cleveland Heights's median household income ($72,826/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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