Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
For most people who can afford it, yes. University Heights grades B overall, ranked 438th of 987 in Ohio. It is more walkable than 97% of U.S. towns. Residents are healthier than 92% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. The catch is cost: the typical home is worth about $283K, 4 years of the Cleveland metro’s $71K median household income. 68% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in University Heights, above both the Ohio town median (24%) and the median of U.S. towns (29%). University Heights is home to John Carroll University. University Heights's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 81% of U.S. towns.
Where University Heights beats most towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Ohio), ordered by how far University Heights is from typical.
Its grades run from A+ for walkability (better than 97% of comparable towns) to D for cost of living (better than 10%), so the B overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 221 in 1910, a low of 131 in 1920, 13,914 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2014 and 4 maps from 1953 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around University Heights. Close and well known come first.
Big draw8 mi MuseumRock and Roll Hall of Fame580K visitors a year
Big draw8 mi Stadium & arenaProgressive Field
9 mi Stadium & arenaHuntington Bank Field
7 mi National ParkCuyahoga Valley National Park3.0M visitors a year
8 mi Stadium & arenaRocket Arena
4 mi MuseumCleveland Museum of Art410K visitors a yearRock and Roll Hall of Fame: MusikAnimal, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Progressive Field: Jsawczuk, Public domain · Huntington Bank Field: Erik Drost, CC BY 2.0 · Cuyahoga Valley National Park: Unknown, Public domain · Rocket Arena: Cards84664, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cleveland Museum of Art: zenbikescience, CC BY 2.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in University Heights, 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 University Heights.
University Heights gets more snow than nearly all U.S. towns, has less COPD than most of Ohio and sees little violent crime.
Its widest gap with Ohio is COPD: 4.6% of its 10,605 adults have COPD, against 8% statewide.
For adults in University Heights, the share who had a checkup this year is 77%. Only 3 of the 993 Ohio towns we compare have a higher share of adults who binge drink than University Heights. Against the Ohio average, University Heights comes out ahead on 20 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 2.
| University Heights | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 17% | 16% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 9.8% | 15% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 28% | 25% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 9.9% | 16% | 14% |
| What stands out | University Heights | OH |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with COPD | 4.6% | 8% |
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 4.3% | 7.1% |
| More binge drinkers | 21.8% | 16.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
One of its 2 schools is below, with the reason it’s listed. 390 students attend University Heights’s public school.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gearity Professional Development SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 390 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OH on state tests and graduation
FEMA expects less storm and flood damage in University Heights than in 90% of U.S. communities. Federal aid has come to University Heights households in 3 declared disasters; the latest was in 2006.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
25.3% of workers work from home, against 13% across Ohio.
The average trip to work in University Heights is 19 minutes. Between 2013 and 2023, jobs in University Heights dropped by 464, to 3,054. In University Heights, a quarter of workers do their job from home. The top destinations are Cleveland (34%), Beachwood (4%) and Cleveland Heights (4%).
| University Heights | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 25% | 9.7% | 11% |
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $97,000 | $75,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.9% | 6.9% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Violent crime is rare: 7 reported in 2025, 0.5 per 1,000 residents.
In University Heights, the violent offense rate is 0.5 per 1,000 residents. University Heights’ property crime rate comes in at 7.8 per 1,000 residents.
| University Heights | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.5 per 1,000 residents | 1.2 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 7.8 per 1,000 residents | 9.4 | 9.9 |
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.
July afternoons reach 82° and January nights drop to 19°.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The median property tax bill is $7,032, against $2,822 across Ohio, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
A typical home in University Heights is worth about $283,000, up 3% in a year, 15% above the Ohio typical home. University Heights’ midpoint rent stands at $1,507 a month. A home in University Heights typically sold within 26 days of listing.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
There are 0.4 miles of trail across 3 parks and preserves. For University Heights, the density of trails is 0.2 miles per square mile.
| University Heights | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.6% | 3.7% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Walter Stinson Community Park | 0.2 mi | 7 |
| 2. Purvis Park | 0.1 mi | 7 |
| 3. John Carroll University Entrance | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
12 within 15 miles of the center of University Heights
College town 17 of every 100 University Heights residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Ohio.
Where University Heights’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
3 notable people were born in University Heights.
City in Ohio, United States
University Heights is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. The population was 13,914 as of the 2020 census. Located 8 miles (13 km) from downtown Cleveland, it is a suburb of the Cleveland metropolitan area. University Heights is closely tied to neighboring Cleveland Heights, with the two sharing a school system, library system, post office and ZIP Code, some city services, and local media outlets. With about half the population under the age of 30, University Heights is home to one of the youngest communities in the region, including both students and families. It borders Beachwood to the east, Cleveland Heights to the west, South Euclid to the north and Shaker Heights to the so…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with University Heights.
| Town | OH rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University Heights | #438 | B | D | B+ | C+ | A |
| Cleveland Heights | #689 | C+ | C− | C+ | C+ | A− |
| Beachwood | #232 | A− | D− | C+ | A | A+ |
| Shaker Heights | #331 | B+ | D | — | B | A |
Shaker Heights reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare University Heights with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. University Heights grades B overall, better than 64% of U.S. towns and #438 of 987 in Ohio. It grades A for health, B+ for safety and C+ 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.
3 notable people were born here, including Eric Fingerhut and Reggie Keely.
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