Places › Ohio › Garfield Heights

Living in Garfield Heights, OH

Suburb in Ohio

Garfield Heights is a suburb in Ohio, home to about 29,000 people, with 2.3 million living within 31 mi. Day to day, much of daily life is walkable. Life moves at a fast pace, and homes are mostly houses.

Is Garfield Heights a good place to live? Pros and cons

👍 Pros

  • Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $141k and rents for $1,650 a month
  • Strong healthcare: 15 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
  • Mild summers: highs around 79°F
  • Low natural disaster risk: 6 federally declared disasters since 2000

👎 Cons

  • Weaker public schools: test results well below the US average
  • Cloudier than most places
  • Higher taxes: about $932 state income tax per resident, 3.02% property tax
  • Fewer graduates: 16% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher

Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Garfield Heights ranks against your own priorities.

Key facts

Population
29,000
2.3 million within 31 mi
Winter / summer highs
38°F / 79°F
Average daily highs · 64″ snow a year
3-bedroom home
$141k
Typical value (Zillow)
3-bedroom rent
$1,650/mo
Incl. utilities (HUD)
Cost of living
94
US average = 100 (BEA)
Taxes
$932
State income tax per resident · 3.02% property tax
Safety
No data
Not in FBI 2019 city table
Natural disasters
6 since 2000
Declared in the county · mainly flooding, cold waves
Top-rated hospitals
15
4–5★ within 31 mi (CMS)
Public schools
Poor
Tests well below US average · 17 students per teacher
Adults with a degree
16%
4 research universities within 31 mi
Nearest major airport
CLE
12 mi away

Living in Garfield Heights: common questions

What is the cost of living in Garfield Heights?

A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $141k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $1,650 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are below the US average (index 94, where the US is 100).

What are taxes like in Garfield Heights?

Ohio collects about $932 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 3.02% of their home's value in property tax each year.

Is Garfield Heights safe?

Garfield Heights isn't in the FBI's 2019 city crime table, so Best Life Fit Me counts its safety as average.

How are the schools in Garfield Heights?

Public schools in Garfield Heights test well below the US average in math and reading (2018–19 state tests, put on one national scale with NAEP), with about 17 students per teacher.

What is the weather like in Garfield Heights?

Garfield Heights has cold winters: winter days average around 38°F and summer days around 79°F, with roughly 64″ of snow a year.

Does Garfield Heights get natural disasters?

Natural disaster risk is low, mainly from flooding, cold waves and tornadoes: 6 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.46 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.

What is the nearest major airport to Garfield Heights?

The nearest major airport is CLE, about 12 mi away.

How Garfield Heights scores

Each bar compares Garfield Heights with the other 1,990 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).

🏙️City sizeMid-size Major metroSmall town
🏘️Urban or quietUrban Dense & urbanQuiet / rural
🚶Getting aroundMostly walkable Walk & transitCar essential
🌲Culture or natureCulture & nature Culture & nightlifeNature on the doorstep
🌡️ClimateCold winters Warm all yearLong, snowy winters
💰Cost of livingVery affordable Very expensiveVery affordable
⏱️PaceFast-paced Very fast-pacedSlow & calm
🤝CommunitySome community feel AnonymousTight-knit community
🏡HousingMostly houses ApartmentsHouses with yards
🏷️Affordable housingExcellent
💸Low taxesBelow average
💼Job marketBelow average
🏥HealthcareExcellent
🏫SchoolsPoor
🎓EducationBelow average
🧸Kids & familyAverage
🐕Dog-friendlyBelow average
⛰️OutdoorsGood
🎭CultureGood
👮SafetyNo crime data (counted as average)
🌪️Few natural disastersExcellent
☀️SunnyPoor
🌤️Mild summersExcellent
✈️AirportExcellent

Places like Garfield Heights

These places have the most similar overall profile across all 24 aspects.

The circle is each place's all-round score out of 100: the average of its 15 quality scores, from red (poor) to green (excellent).

Roseville, MISuburb59 $179k$1,720/moSafe Southgate, MISuburb61 $207k$1,720/moSafe Madison Heights, MISuburb59 $226k$1,720/moVery safe Warren, MISuburb58 $219k$1,720/moSafe Eastpointe, MISuburb59 $160k$1,720/moModerate crime Taylor, MISuburb57 $186k$1,720/moModerate crime

Nearby

Shaker Heights, OHSuburb · 5 mi away64 $251k$1,650/moNo crime data Cleveland, OHBig city · 6 mi away51 $124k$1,650/moHigher crime Cleveland Heights, OHSuburb · 7 mi away63 $182k$1,650/moVery safe Parma, OHSuburb · 7 mi away61 $215k$1,650/moVery safe North Royalton, OHSuburb · 10 mi away63 $303k$1,650/moVery safe Lakewood, OHSuburb · 11 mi away64 $296k$1,650/moVery safe

See all the best places to live in Ohio.

Is Garfield Heights right for you?

Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.

Take the free quiz →

Sources: US Census ACS 2019–2023, Census State Tax Collections FY2025, Zillow 3-bedroom ZHVI, HUD Fair Market Rents, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, FBI 2019, FEMA National Risk Index v1.20, OpenFEMA disaster declarations, NOAA Normals 1991–2020, NASA POWER, CMS, NCES IPEDS 2023, IMLS, OpenStreetMap. How scores work.