What it's like to live in Cleveland
Cleveland is a small city in Mississippi with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, commutes that run shorter than most cities, and schools with smaller class sizes than the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Cleveland deals with household incomes below the national average, a population that has been shrinking, a poverty rate above the national average, and a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Short commutes
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Shrinking population
- High poverty rate
- High rent burden for renters
- Hot summers
- Above-average rainfall
How Cleveland compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Cleveland
Based on Cleveland's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,886
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $37,720 a year
- 59% of Cleveland renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$31,860
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $15,930
- Homes cost 3.6× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 33% below US
$943/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $943 a month. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $159,300. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $159,300 · 59% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.8% county unemployment
Unemployment in Bolivar County is 4.8%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Bolivar County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 21% below US
261 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 1918/100k · Cleveland Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 36% below US
17 min average commute
Commutes run short here, averaging 16.7 minutes. That's an underrated perk of living in a smaller or well-planned city, where time isn't lost sitting in traffic. Nearly all workers drive to work.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 92°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 35°F. It's a wet climate overall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 1.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforceNear US average
35% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 35% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
8 public schools inside the boundary
There are 8 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 14:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument (26 miles away). There are 5 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Cleveland's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and a population that has been shrinking. A year of median rent ($943/mo) equals 26% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and people who want short commutes.
Other places near Cleveland
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