What it's like to live in Brecksville
Brecksville is a small city in Ohio with household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, and a highly educated workforce. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Brecksville deals with air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, larger class sizes than the national average, cold winters, and heavy snowfall.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Highly educated workforce
The not so good
- Air quality concerns
- High student-teacher ratio
- Cold winters
- Heavy snowfall — 65" per year
How Brecksville compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Brecksville
Based on Brecksville's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,176
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $63,520 a year
- 33% of Brecksville renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$74,380
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $37,190
- Homes cost 2.8× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 12% above US
$1,588/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,588 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices run above average, with a median around $371,900. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $371,900 · 33% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.1% county unemployment
Unemployment in Cuyahoga County is 4.1%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Cuyahoga County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 89% below US
36 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 399/100k · Brecksville Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
26 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 25.8 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 22% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 82°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 25°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 67% above US
60% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.
Schools
2 public schools inside the boundary
There are 2 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 20:1, above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Cuyahoga Valley National Park (4 miles away). There are 5 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Brecksville's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoffs are air quality that falls short of national benchmarks and cold winters. A year of median rent ($1,588/mo) equals 14% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime, remote workers (22% of workers here already work from home), and college-educated professionals.
Other places near Brecksville
All Ohio guides →Moving to Broadview Heights →
3 mi away · pop. 19,771
Rent $1,083/mo · Income $103,125
Compare with Brecksville →Moving to Seven Hills →
6 mi away · pop. 11,603
Rent $1,586/mo · Income $97,222
Compare with Brecksville →Not sure Brecksville is the one?
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