What it's like to live in Parma
Parma is a smaller city in Ohio with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, crime rates well below the national average, and schools with class sizes near the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Parma deals with air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, a population that has been shrinking, cold winters, and heavy snowfall.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low crime rates
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Air quality concerns
- Shrinking population
- Cold winters
- Heavy snowfall — 64" per year
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Parma compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Parma
Based on Parma's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,174
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $43,480 a year
- 41% of Parma renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$34,020
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $17,010
- Homes cost 2.5× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 23% below US
$1,087/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,087 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $170,100. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $170,100 · 41% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
3.9% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.9%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 55% below US
150 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 725/100k · Parma Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
24 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 24.2 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; 12% 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
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 4.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 32% below US
24% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 24%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
15 public schools inside the boundary
There are 15 public schools inside the boundary and 9 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 18:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Cuyahoga Valley National Park (12 miles away). There are 5 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Parma'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 a population that has been shrinking. A year of median rent ($1,087/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 and anyone prioritizing low crime. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
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