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
$1,279
Median rent (state)

Rocky River - the verdict

Nationally, Rocky River sits in the 74th percentile for household income and the 87th 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
44th
percentile, median rent
87th
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. Median household income here is $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 $1,279 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 98.0 out of 100 (Very High).

Population

21,490 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Ohio

Median Household Income

$93,956 /yr

Poverty 2.1%

Cost of Living Index (state)

92.8 (US=100)

Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Ohio average

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 44% pricier than other cities
Safety 87% 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

Bachelor's Degree or Higher is Rocky River's strongest outlier among Ohio cities

Among the 1,196 Ohio cities PlainCities tracks with reported bachelor's degree or higher data, Rocky River ranks #57 - the 95th 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
#254 of 1,196
69th 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

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.

74thIncome percentile
87thSafety percentile

74th percentile nationally for median household income · 87th 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. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 68 Avg. percentile National median
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+)

$327,600 31st percentile more affordable than 31% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). This entry sits in this band. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Rocky River $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

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

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Rocky River, OH Rocky River, OH's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Rocky River, OH-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national 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, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern 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%
Rocky River, OH's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Rocky River, OH. 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 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
23.5
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
418.7
per 100,000 residents

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

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
21,000 residents21,200 residents21,400 residents21,600 residents21,800 residents 202020212022202320242025 21,721 residents 21,397 residents ▼ -1.5%
Rocky River's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

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

Cost of living is a Ohio state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Rocky River sits in

Cost of Living Index
92.8
Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,279/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
98.0 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Ohio

Alliance
21,574 people
South Euclid
21,606 people
Lebanon
21,216 people
Chillicothe
21,958 people
Oxford
22,069 people
Parma Heights
20,616 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Rocky River's 21,490 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Rose Hill CDP (Fairfax County), VA
21,484 people
Tukwila, WA
21,479 people
North Ogden, UT
21,473 people
Pleasant Prairie, WI
21,515 people
Florida Ridge, FL
21,517 people
Helena, AL
21,452 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Rocky River's $93,956 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

South Sarasota, FL
$93,958 median income
Wailuku, HI
$93,958 median income
West Dennis, MA
$93,958 median income
Medina, TN
$93,964 median income
Renner Corner, SD
$93,967 median income
Haleiwa, HI
$93,977 median income

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% 91.5% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 2.2% White 91.5% Black or African American 2.0% Asian 2.3% American Indian 0.1% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 0.3% Two or more races 3.7% 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.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Rocky River compares to nearby Ohio cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Rocky River (this city) 21,490 $93,956
Alliance 21,574 $54,608
South Euclid 21,606 $78,782
Lebanon 21,216 $78,598
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? +

21,490 people live in Rocky River, OH according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

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

Rocky River households earn a median of $93,956 annually, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Rocky River? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Rocky River; the closest available measure is the Ohio state average, a cost of living index of 92.8 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Ohio vary by metro area.

Is Rocky River, OH safe? +

Rocky River has a total crime rate of 442.2 per 100,000 residents, which is below the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

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

A typical home in Rocky River is worth $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.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.