City profile · Ohio · Census ACS 2023

Rocky River, OH

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Rocky River — drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

21,490
Residents
$93,956
Median income
$327,600
Median home
$1,092
Median rent

Data Snapshot: Rocky River, OH

Rocky River is a city in Ohio with a population of 21,490 residents based on U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here reaches $93,956 per year, while the poverty rate sits at 2.1%. Typical homes in Rocky River are valued around $327,600, and the median resident age is 43.5 years. About 64.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 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. FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 442.2 incidents per 1,000 residents, above the national average, indicating elevated public-safety concerns.

On a cost-of-living index where 100 equals the national average, Ohio registers 92.8 (Near Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,092 per month. Average monthly utility bills run around $228 based on EIA 2023 residential energy data. Workers in Rocky River report an average commute of 18.0 minutes, with 72.6% driving alone and 18.1% working from home. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 55.0 out of 100 (Moderate).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, PlainCities renders standardized city-level demographic, income, education, employment, and housing indicators across more than 19,000 incorporated places nationwide. Population counts and median household income figures are sourced directly from Census Table B01003 and B19013 respectively, with poverty rates from B17001 and cost-of-living adjustments from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities (RPP) 2024 release. Every value displayed in this snapshot links back to the official upstream tables and is refreshed on the ACS annual release cadence (typically December of the survey year + 1).

Methodology: city boundaries follow the Census Bureau's place-level geography (incorporated places, census-designated places, and consolidated city-county governments), with FIPS codes ensuring consistent identifiers across decennial and annual surveys. Cost-of-living comparisons use BEA's Regional Price Parities (RPP) indexed to the national average (100), enabling cross-city purchasing-power comparisons. See our methodology page for full source attribution, refresh cadence, and known data quality limitations including margin-of-error disclosure and sample-size thresholds.

Population

21,490 residents

Census ACS 2023 — Ohio

Median Household Income

$93,956 /yr

Poverty 2.1%

Cost of Living Index

92.8 (US=100)

Near Average — BEA RPP 2024

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 income 74% higher than other cities
Home value 69% pricier than other cities
Median rent 22% pricier than other cities
Safety 87% safer than other cities

Percentiles compare Rocky River against every US city with at least 1,000 residents. "Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

Income distribution context

Household income distribution — Rocky River, OH Quintile shares of aggregate household income for Rocky River, OH. The Lorenz curve traces cumulative income share against cumulative population share — perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Rocky River, OH — median $93,956/yr — Census ACS quintile shares QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Household income distribution for Rocky River, OH — Census ACS 5-year estimates. Diagonal = perfect equality.

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 1,000 residents
Violent Crime
23.5
per 1,000 residents
Property Crime
418.7
per 1,000 residents

Schools

Total Schools
5
Public schools in this city

Housing Supply

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
2019 31
2020 28
2021 15
2022 13
2023 74
2024 58

Permit volume increased 87% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

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

State-average estimates for Ohio — EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$105
avg/month
Natural Gas
$78
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$45
avg/month
Total Utilities
$228
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Ohio state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Ohio state-level data from PlainCost, PlainRent, and PlainHazard

Cost of Living Index
92.8
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,092/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
State-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
55.0 / 100
Moderate
FEMA NRI composite score

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity — Rocky River, OH Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Rocky River, OH — Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE — sums to 100% 59.5% 12.1% 6.1% 10.6% 10.3% ETHNICITY — Hispanic or Latino (any race) 18.7% White 59.5% Black or African American 12.1% Asian 6.1% American Indian 1.2% Native Hawaiian 0.2% Some other race 10.6% Two or more races 10.3% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

National-average reference values shown when city-level race/ethnicity table is not loaded. Source: Census ACS 5-year, OMB Directive 15 race-and-ethnicity categories.

How Rocky River compares to nearby Ohio cities

Census ACS 2023 — population and median income benchmarks

Side-by-side population + income comparison anchored on the current city (Rocky River) plus the nearest peer cities in Ohio, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).
Selected

OH

Rocky River

93.96% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$93,956
Brackets
21
Selected

OH

Alliance

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$2,160
Brackets
22
Selected

OH

South Euclid

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$2,160
Brackets
22
Selected

OH

Lebanon

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$2,120
Brackets
21
Census ACS 5-year FIPS OH FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Rocky River, OH?

What is the population of Rocky River, OH? +

Rocky River, OH has a population of 21,490 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Rocky River, OH? +

The median household income in Rocky River is $93,956 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Rocky River? +

Rocky River has a cost of living index of 92.8 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data.

Is Rocky River, OH safe? +

Rocky River has a total crime rate of 442.2 per 1,000 residents, which is above the national average. Source: FBI UCR data.

What is the median home value in Rocky River, OH? +

The median home value in Rocky River is $327,600, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

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.

Related

Data sourced from official U.S. government datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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