The Farther From Cleveland, the More the Growth

Inner-ring suburbs and cities close to Cleveland tended to lose population over the last decade, while communities more than 20 miles away generally showed growth, according to newly released U.S. Census figures.

Among six cities within 10 miles of Cleveland surveyed by Patch, only one city's population grew, and by only 0.3 percent. And within 20 miles, eight of 13 city populations dropped.

Robert L. Fischer, co-director of Case Western Reserve University's Center on Urban Poverty & Community Development, said he believes home foreclosures account for part of the decrease in population.

"The other matter that is well documented is that while Cleveland population has declined markedly (down 17 percent), the population in Cuyahoga County has not dropped as much (down 8.2 percent) and the region has remained relatively flat (down 2 percent)," he wrote in an email.

"Partly this reflects the migration of families out of the urban center and the sprawl of the metropolitan area that has been taking place since the 1950s. Certainly the shifts in the regional economy have also fueled these patterns as well," he added.

Cities between 21 and 40 miles away from Cleveland showed strong population growth. Avon's population, for example, increased 85 percent since 2000. Of 10 communities more than 20 miles from Cleveland surveyed by Patch, eight gained population in the last decade.

Cuyahoga County has seen 14,000 foreclosures per year since 2006, with fully half  in the city of Cleveland.

Fischer added that other major Ohio cities, including Cincinnati, Toledo and Akron, have seen a similar shift in their populations.