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Place dossier plate
SheetOH-ROCKY-RIVER-OH · Rocky River, OH 21,490 pop · income 74th pct
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Rocky River
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Rocky River on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Oxford · lowest
42,147
Oxford · lowest
42,147 median HH income
26.3% of the leader · rank #1
Rocky River · this city
93,956
Rocky River · this city
93,956 median HH income
58.6% of the leader · rank #2
South Sarasota · near
93,958
South Sarasota · near
93,958 median HH income
58.6% of the leader · rank #3
Wailuku · near
93,958
Wailuku · near
93,958 median HH income
58.6% of the leader · rank #4
West Dennis · near
93,958
West Dennis · near
93,958 median HH income
58.6% of the leader · rank #5
Medina · near
93,964
Medina · near
93,964 median HH income
58.6% of the leader · rank #6
Rose Hill CDP… · highest
160,426
Rose Hill CDP… · highest
160,426 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Rocky River on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 21,490.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Rocky River - the verdict
Nationally, Rocky River sits in the 74th percentile for household income and the 88th percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
74th
percentile, household income
69th
percentile, home value
22nd
percentile, median rent
88th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Rocky River, OH
21,490 people live in Rocky River, Ohio - a small city by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Households in Rocky River report a median income of $93,956 per year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 2.1%. Home values in Rocky River run a median of $327,600, and the median resident age is 43.5 years. Educational attainment runs 64.0% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 63.8% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 58 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Building Boom), up 87% from five years earlier. Rocky River reports a comparatively low crime rate: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 442.2 total incidents per 100,000 residents here, below the national average (agency reporting is voluntary, so this measures reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).
Living costs in Ohio run below the national norm: the state registers 92.8 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Below Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,092 per month statewide. Monthly utility costs average around $228 across Ohio, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. Commute times here average 18.0 minutes, with 72.6% driving alone and 18.1% working from home, per Census ACS commuting data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 55.0 out of 100 (Moderate).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Rocky River's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from schools and households to work and mobility to housing and income to population change to comparison shortlist to reported crime; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Rocky River, city-specific coverage includes matched public-school count, annual population history, commute-mode shares, FBI reported-crime rates, local building permits.
No matched row is reported here for within-city Census tract profiles; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
1. Schools and households
What does the education layer cover for Rocky River?
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
The NCES join finds 5 public schools within the city match. 64.0% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
What does the journey to work look like in Rocky River?
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 72.6%. The reported mean trip to work is 18.0 minutes.
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. Remote work has a visible role in the local pattern. That can reduce commute exposure for some workers, but it says nothing about job availability or broadband quality; read it alongside income and housing rather than as a stand-alone lifestyle score.
How far does income reach against housing in Rocky River?
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Income and home value move within the same broad scale here. The useful next check is not a generic affordability label, but whether similar-size cities offer a materially different income, housing, or commute trade-off.
The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 3.5 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 2.1%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
Which cities make useful reference points for Rocky River?
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
Within Ohio, the closest population matches are Alliance (21,574 residents, $54,608 income); South Euclid (21,606 residents, $78,782 income); Lebanon (21,216 residents, $78,598 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Rose Hill CDP (Fairfax County), VA (21,484 residents); Tukwila, WA (21,479 residents); North Ogden, UT (21,473 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Population change
Is Rocky River growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Census PEP estimates show the population declined by -324 residents from 2020 to 2025, a -1.5% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 58 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Recent estimates point downward. A falling count can reflect migration, household size, annexation boundaries, or estimation noise, so it is a prompt to inspect the full series rather than a claim about local economic health.
2020 estimate
21,721
2025 estimate
21,397
Period change
-1.5%
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
What can the FBI record say about safety in Rocky River?
The joined FBI UCR record reports 442.2 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, below the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 81% lower in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
Total reported rate
442.2
Violent rate
23.5
Property rate
418.7
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, incidents per 100,000. Voluntary agency reporting; not a danger score.
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Bachelor's+ share A+
64.0%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Violent crime A+
24 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Poverty rate A
2.1%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Cost of living B+
92.8 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Household income B
$93,956
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Rocky River profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Bachelor's+ share: 94/100 (A+) · 64.0%
Violent crime: 91/100 (A+) · 24 /100k
Poverty rate: 85/100 (A) · 2.1%
Cost of living: 75/100 (B+) · 92.8 index
Household income: 73/100 (B) · $93,956
Where Rocky River sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Rocky River's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Rocky River highlighted among 10 peers.Read the chart values
Rocky River, OH (this city): home $327,600, crime 442/100k
Tukwila, WA : home $462,800, crime 16,171/100k
North Ogden, UT : home $443,100, crime 574/100k
Pleasant Prairie, WI : home $336,300, crime 1,392/100k
Helena, AL : home $292,700, crime 507/100k
Alliance, OH : home $113,300, crime 2,336/100k
South Euclid, OH : home $134,800, crime 2,033/100k
Lebanon, OH : home $257,100, crime 1,205/100k
Chillicothe, OH : home $145,900, crime 4,847/100k
Parma Heights, OH : home $165,800, crime 361/100k
How does Rocky River compare to other US cities?
Where Rocky River sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income74% higher than other cities
Home value69% pricier than other cities
Median rent22% pricier than other cities
Safety88% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to Ohio alone, Rocky River ranks #36 of 281 Ohio cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Rocky River against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Ohio only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Ohio-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Rocky River near the bottom of Ohio's cities
Among the 1,196 Ohio cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Rocky River ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Rocky River only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#189 of 1,145
83rd percentile in Ohio
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 1,196
0th percentile in Ohio
Median Home Value
#88 of 1,164
92nd percentile in Ohio
Poverty Rate
#937 of 1,196
21st percentile in Ohio
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#57 of 1,196
95th percentile in Ohio
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Ohio only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
74th percentile nationally for median household income · 88th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Rocky River's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Rocky River's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How Rocky River's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$327,60031st percentilemore affordable than 31% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
Rocky River's home-value-to-income ratio: 3.5×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#8,917 of 15,516
More affordable than 43% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#1,482 of 3,317
Small cities (10,000–49,999)
At 3.5×, Rocky River sits in the moderate band:
national rank #8,917 of 15,516 and #1,482 of 3,317small cities (10,000–49,999).
Income and home value move in the same broad scale; check same-state peers before treating the multiple as an advantage or a warning.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$93,956Rocky River, OH median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Rocky River, OH median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Rocky River, OH.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)64.0%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)2.1%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)63.8%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
21,490
Median Income
$93,956
Median Home Value
$327,600
Median Age
43.5
Poverty Rate
2.1%
Labor force participation
63.8%
Bachelor's Degree+
64.0%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
442.2
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
23.5
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
418.7
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Schools
Total Schools
5
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Rocky River's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
21,721 residents
2021
21,486 residents
2022
21,309 residents
2023
21,244 residents
2024
21,359 residents
2025
21,397 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
58
housing units authorized
Single-Family
4
detached homes
Multifamily
54
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
2.7
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
31
7
24
$12.3M
2020
28
4
24
$22.1M
2021
15
10
5
$8.9M
2022
13
8
5
$10.3M
2023
74
3
71
$28.4M
2024
58
4
54
$22.7M
Permit volume increased 87% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Average Commute Time
18.0 minutes
Drive Alone
72.6%
Carpool
5.6%
Public Transit
1.7%
Walk
1.0%
Work from Home
18.1%
Other
1.0%
Based on 10,993 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
Ohio statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $228
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Ohio at $228 (electricity about $105 , water and sewer about $45 ).
These are Ohio statewide averages, not a meter reading for Rocky River. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Ohio's BEA cost-of-living index is 92.8 (Below Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Rocky River is $1,092/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Ohio statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 55.0 / 100 (Moderate).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Ohio statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Rocky River sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Rocky River compares to similar-size Ohio cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.