What it's like to live in Brook Park
Brook Park is a small city in Ohio with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, crime rates well below the national average, and commutes that run shorter than most cities. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Brook Park deals with air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, college degree attainment below the national average, larger class sizes than the national average, and cold winters.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low crime rates
- Short commutes
The not so good
- Air quality concerns
- Low college degree attainment
- High student-teacher ratio
- Cold winters
- Heavy snowfall — 64" per year
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Brook Park compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Brook Park
Based on Brook Park's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,244
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $44,880 a year
- 42% of Brook Park renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$33,920
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $16,960
- Homes cost 2.4× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 21% below US
$1,122/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,122 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $169,600. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $169,600 · 42% 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▼ 88% below US
39 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 471/100k · Brook Park Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 20% below US
21 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 20.9 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 8% 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▼ 56% below US
16% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a working-class city, and college degree rates reflect that. Trades, manufacturing, and service industries tend to dominate the local economy, which is a strength for some fields and a real constraint for others.
Schools
1 public school inside the boundary
There is 1 public school inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 21:1, above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Cuyahoga Valley National Park (16 miles away). There are 5 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Brook Park's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are air quality that falls short of national benchmarks and college degree attainment below the national average. A year of median rent ($1,122/mo) equals 19% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, anyone prioritizing low crime, and people who want short commutes. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Brook Park
All Ohio guides →Moving to Middleburg Heights →
2 mi away · pop. 15,786
Rent $1,079/mo · Income $78,815
Compare with Brook Park →Moving to Fairview Park →
3 mi away · pop. 17,018
Rent $1,039/mo · Income $78,865
Compare with Brook Park →Not sure Brook Park is the one?
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