On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Maple Heights is more historic than 28% of U.S. towns, #863 of 993 in Ohio. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
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HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Maple Heights’ overall grade.
Ohio towns list about as much on the Register as the country (a typical Ohio town has 2.9 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Maple Heights’ 0.0 sits below most of its state (23% of Ohio towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share (±2.4 points) is firm at this size.
Founding year: our sources. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Maple Heights’ past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Peaked at 34,093 in 1970; 23,701 people lived here in 2020.
11 censuses, 1920–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Maple Heights’ Wikipedia page.
On the map
Maple Heights on the map, 1903 to 1994
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Maple Heights. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1903Cleveland sheet · 1:62,500
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Maple Heights.
In 1935, the city created Maple Heights Transit to provide connections to Downtown Cleveland, crosstown service, and service for schools.
Built as one of the first large shopping centers, Southgate USA was dedicated in 1955, boasting over 80 retail stores, including JCPenney, Sears, and May Company. In 2002, the GCRTA dedicated its Southgate Transit Center, serving as a connection between multiple bus lines between Downtown Cleveland, Bedford, Shaker Heights, East Cleveland, and the Summit County Line.
Maple Heights is more historic than 28% of U.S. towns, #863 of 993 in Ohio. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
How old are the homes in Maple Heights?
10% of Maple Heights’ homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.4 points), against a typical 15% for an Ohio town; the median home was built in 1955.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (5), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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