What it's like to live in Mayfield Heights
Mayfield Heights 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. Mayfield Heights deals with household incomes below the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, a population that has been shrinking, and cold winters.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low crime rates
- Short commutes
- Highly educated workforce
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Air quality concerns
- Shrinking population
- Cold winters
- Heavy snowfall — 114" per year
How Mayfield Heights compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Mayfield Heights
Based on Mayfield Heights's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,256
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $45,120 a year
- 37% of Mayfield Heights renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$41,040
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $20,520
- Homes cost 3.1× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 20% below US
$1,128/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,128 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $205,200. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $205,200 · 37% 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▼ 91% below US
30 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 303/100k · Mayfield Heights Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 15% below US
22 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 22.1 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 19% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are comfortable, with highs around 80°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 22°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 5.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▲ 19% above US
43% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 43% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
2 public schools inside the boundary
There are 2 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 17:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is James A Garfield National Historic Site (11 miles away). There are 4 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Mayfield Heights'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 air quality that falls short of national benchmarks. A year of median rent ($1,128/mo) equals 20% 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 remote workers (19% of workers here already work from home).
Other places near Mayfield Heights
All Ohio guides →Moving to Lyndhurst →
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Rent $1,244/mo · Income $91,238
Compare with Mayfield Heights →Moving to South Euclid →
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Compare with Mayfield Heights →Moving to Richmond Heights →
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Compare with Mayfield Heights →Moving to Beachwood →
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