206 years in pictures
Census counts: 887 in 1920, 24,262 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2014 and 6 maps from 1906 on.
- 1820Solon is settled
Each edition grades its towns against each other only.

A town of 23,679, settled in 1820. Public schools that outperform most of Ohio.
Trash day: look up yoursFor most people who can afford it, yes. Solon grades A overall, 129th among Ohio's 987 graded towns. Its public schools beat 98% of Ohio towns on state tests and graduation. The median household earns $139K and it is healthier than 94% of U.S. towns. What holds it back is price: homes are expensive, about $463K for a typical one and 6.5 times the Cleveland metro’s $71K median household income. 65% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Solon, against 24% in Ohio’s towns and 29% across U.S. towns. South Chagrin Reservation, at 749 acres with 4 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 75% of U.S. towns.
Where Solon beats most towns.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Dorothy E Lewis Elementary School | K–4 | 512 |
| Parkside Elementary School | K–4 | 502 |
| Grace L Roxbury Elementary School | K–4 | 487 |
Where Solon’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Ohio), ordered by how far Solon is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 887 in 1920, 24,262 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2014 and 6 maps from 1906 on.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Solon. Close and well known come first.
Big draw16 mi MuseumRock and Roll Hall of Fame580K visitors a year
5 mi National ParkCuyahoga Valley National Park3.0M visitors a year
Big draw39 mi MuseumPro Football Hall of Fame192K visitors a year
Big draw15 mi Stadium & arenaProgressive Field
16 mi Stadium & arenaHuntington Bank Field
15 mi Stadium & arenaRocket ArenaRock and Roll Hall of Fame: MusikAnimal, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cuyahoga Valley National Park: Unknown, Public domain · Pro Football Hall of Fame: Erik Drost, CC BY 2.0 · Progressive Field: Jsawczuk, Public domain · Huntington Bank Field: Erik Drost, CC BY 2.0 · Rocket Arena: Cards84664, CC BY-SA 4.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Solon, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Solon.
Solon has schools in the top 5% of Ohio, draws workers from Cleveland and beyond and gets more snow than nearly all U.S. towns.
At 6.5 years of the Cleveland metro’s $71K median household income, the typical home (about $463K) costs more against local pay than in 96% of Ohio towns; that ratio is one input to its D for cost of living. The median property tax bill is $7,771, against $2,822 across Ohio, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
The median rent in Solon is $1,626 a month. The typical Solon home is worth about $463,000, up 3.7% in a year, 88% above the Ohio typical home. 84% of households own their home in Solon.
| Solon | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,626 a month | $943 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 84% | 77% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its A+ ranks #6 of the 993 Ohio towns we grade for schools. Its A+ for schools comes with a D for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $463K.
Its public schools are run by the Solon City school district. Three of its 9 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orchard Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 5–6 | Grades 5–6 | 730 | A+ |
| Solon High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,519 | A |
| Dorothy E Lewis Elementary SchoolTop results in townGrades K–4 | Grades K–4 | 512 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OH on state tests and graduation
18 miles of trail in 11 parks and preserves. Solon’s trail density is 0.9 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. South Chagrin Reservation | 4 mi | 749 |
| 2. Solon Woods State Nature Preserve | 0.9 mi | 142 |
| 3. Solon Community Park | 0.2 mi | 79 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its widest gap with Ohio is tooth loss: 6.5% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 15.3% statewide.
12% of Solon adults report frequent mental distress. Solon beats the Ohio average on 24 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 10% of Solon adults report frequent physical distress.
| Solon | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 18% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 15% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 38% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 9.5% | 16% | 14% |
| What stands out | Solon | OH |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 6.5% | 15.3% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8% | 14.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
26,229 jobs are based in Solon, 2.4 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. 23.2% of workers work from home, against 13% across Ohio.
Most working residents leave Solon for work: only 14% work in town. The top destinations are Cleveland (28%), Beachwood (4%) and Twinsburg (2%). Half commute less than 12 miles.
| Solon | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $139,000 | $75,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 23% | 9.7% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 3.3% | 9.1% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 14% | 6.8% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 86% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 14 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Solon.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Reported crimes fell from 275 to 145 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings. Violent crime is rare: 14 reported in 2025, 0.6 per 1,000 residents.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The Chardon weather station, 19 miles away, records that 114 inches of snow fall in a normal winter, more than in 98% of U.S. towns.
Solon has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 82° and January nights drop to 19°.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
10 within 15 miles of the center of Solon
About 4 of every 100 Solon residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Ohio.
8 notable people were born in Solon.

City in Ohio, United States
Solon ( SOH-lun) is a city in southeastern Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. The population was 24,262 at the 2020 census. A suburb of Cleveland, it is part of the Cleveland metropolitan area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
5 towns share a border with Solon.
Bedford Heights next door grades lower for schools (C to Solon’s A+) and higher for cost of living (C+ to D).
| Town | OH rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solon | #129 | A | D | B+ | A+ | A |
| Glenwillow | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Bentleyville | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Moreland Hills | #91 | A | C− | — | A+ | A+ |
| Reminderville | #301 | B+ | C− | — | A | A |
| Bedford Heights | #893 | C− | C+ | C+ | C | C− |
Moreland Hills and Reminderville report no FBI crime data of their own. Glenwillow and Bentleyville aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Solon with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Solon grades A overall, better than 88% of U.S. towns and #129 of 987 in Ohio. It grades A for health, B+ for safety and A+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.
8 notable people were born here, including Dallas Lauderdale and Donald Dewey.