Dig into Cuyahoga County population numbers
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The city of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County continue to shrink, according to the County Planning Commission's newly published 2025 Data Book.
Why it matters: Moping about population loss is a local pastime, but the data is meant to help local governments visualize how their communities are changing.
- Compiled annually from the U.S. Census and other sources, it's also intended as a resource for nonprofits preparing grant applications.
By the numbers: Cuyahoga County's population stands at 1.2 million, per estimates from 2023.
- Cleveland (362,656) has fewer residents than both its inner-ring (487,230) and outer-ring (383,202) suburbs.
🦩 With nearly 80,000 residents, Parma remains Cleveland's largest suburb and Ohio's seventh-largest city.
- Duplex-heavy Lakewood remains the densest, with nearly 9,000 residents per square mile.
The intrigue: From 2013-2023, Cuyahoga County lost nearly 44,000 people.
- Cleveland accounts for the largest slice of the disappearing pie, losing more than 27,000 — 7% of its population.
- East Cleveland lost more than 3,100 residents — nearly 20% of its population.
Yes, but: Newer census estimates show Cleveland is finally bucking the trend and has grown slightly each of the past two years.
The other side: Eighteen communities grew over the same span, but most by modest or negligible amounts. Beachwood was the only community to gain more than 1,000 residents.
- Westlake (+777), Olmsted Township (+765), Rocky River (+636) and Pepper Pike (+538) were the only others that gained more than 500.
Friction point: The county remains highly segregated by race. Twenty-seven communities are at least 80% white.
- Eight communities are 90% white, including Mayfield Village, Rocky River, Bay Village and Moreland Hills.
- East Cleveland and Warrensville Heights are 88% and 92% Black, respectively.
Go deeper: Our Communities: The 2025 Data Book